Catalog 112, P-R
190. -. Another copy. Name and address front flyleaf of writer/critic Maxwell Geismar, with the additional notation that the book was received with the compliments of the author. A letter from the publisher attesting to this is folded and stapled to the flyleaf. Some foxing to pages; otherwise near fine in a very good, spine-sunned dust jacket that has some small chips on the front panel and spine crown.
191. PATCHEN, Kenneth. The Journal of Albion Moonlight. NY: United Book Guild, 1944. The first trade edition of his first novel, third book, 345 copies having been self-published in 1941. This edition was published with a printing of 3000 copies. This copy, not signed by Patchen, has the bookplate of poet Kenneth Rexroth on the front pastedown. The lower boards are shelfworn, and the endpages have some minor offsetting. A very good copy in a spine-darkened, price-clipped dust jacket. An excellent literary association between these two major poets.
192. PATCHEN, Kenneth. Red Wine and Yellow Hair. NY: New Directions (1949). A collection of poetry, one of 2000 copies. This copy is inscribed by the author to his photographer in the year of publication. Very good in a very good, spine- and edge-sunned dust jacket.
193. PATCHEN, Kenneth. Fables and Other Little Tales. Baden: Jonathan Williams, 1953. The issue in wrappers, not identified by the bibliographer, and one of 450 copies, this copy having belonged to poet John Ciardi and bearing Ciardi's signature and address stamp. A few underlinings and marginal notations in the early part of the text, presumably Ciardi's. With a plain bookmark laid in from the Saturday Review, possibly indicating that this was a review copy sent to Ciardi. Near fine in self-wrappers.
194. PATCHEN, Kenneth. Wonderings. (NY): New Directions (1971). The hardcover issue of this collection of picture poems. According to Morgan, one of only 100 hardcover copies printed. Inscribed by the author to poet and playwright Jim Schevill and his wife, Margot, in the year of publication. Trace bump to crown; else fine in a very near fine dust jacket.
195. PATON, Alan. Cry, the Beloved Country. NY: Scribners (1950). Later printing of the American edition of Paton's first novel, a modern classic of racial prejudice under South Africa's apartheid system -- a bellwether book for race relations in this country as well as a searing exposé of conditions in Paton's own country. Inscribed by Paton for the author and literary critic Van Wyck Brooks in 1954, and bearing Brooks's ownership signature. A very good copy in a very good dust jacket, and an excellent literary association copy of one of the great books of the postwar era.
196. PATON, Alan. Too Late the Phalarope. NY: Scribners, 1953. The first American edition of this novel, which also explores South Africa's racial situation, and views it as a tragedy. Between the publication of Cry, the Beloved Country and this book, Paton founded the South African Liberal Party, which opposed apartheid and presented a non-racial alternative to government policy, although such a change in South Africa's political system was still decades away. Inscribed by the author to Van Wyck Brooks in 1954, and bearing the ownership signature of Brooks. Near fine, lacking the dust jacket. Books signed by Paton are notably scarce, and significant literary associations even more so.
197. PAZ, Octavio and Charles Tomlinson. Air Born/Hijos del Aire. Mexico City: Pescador, 1979. The edition in wrappers. Not signed on the colophon, but inscribed by Paz to Roman Jakobson and his wife, Christine "with friendship and admiration." Jakobson is widely considered one of the greatest linguists and thinkers of the 20th century and his influence has been pervasive. A wonderful association copy between one of the great Latin American Nobel Prize winners and one of the most important intellectual figures of the century. Near fine.
198. PHILLIPS, Jayne Anne. Sweethearts. Carrboro: Truck Press, 1976. Her first book, a collection of poems. This is one of 400 copies in wrappers, of a total edition of 410. Inscribed by the author to Seymour Lawrence in 1978: "For Sam -/ the bowler with heart -/ thanks (from/ all of us)/ for loving words./ Jayne Anne." Sunned; otherwise a near fine copy of a book that is an unusual size and usually turns up well-worn as a result. Lawrence published Phillips' first collection of fiction in 1979 (see below), and she was presumably working on it with him at this time. A nice association.
199. PHILLIPS, Jayne Anne. Counting. NY: Vehicle Editions (1978). The issue in wrappers of her second book, a collection of poems and prose poems, one of 474 copies of a total edition of 500; inscribed by the author to Seymour Lawrence in the year of publication. Additionally, laid in is an autograph postcard signed "the counter." The postcard is fine; the book near fine.
200. PHILLIPS, Jayne Anne. Black Tickets. (NY): Delacorte Press/Lawrence (1979). The uncommon hardcover issue of her well-received first collection of stories. Inscribed by the author to Seymour Lawrence: "For Sam Lawrence/ love to the wizard/ who discovered the witch --/ and a toast/ to a long future/ with gratitude/ & deepest respect,/ Jayne Anne/ New York/ Oct 23, 1979." Pages browning slightly with age, but much less so than is usual for this title: near fine in a dust jacket worn at the crown.
201. -. Same title. The uncorrected proof copy. Inscribed by the author to Seymour Lawrence and signed "the witch." Spine sunned; else fine in wrappers.
202. PHILLIPS, Jayne Anne. How Mickey Made It. St. Paul: Bookslinger Editions, 1981. The trade edition in saddle-stitched wrappers of this small press publication of a single story, one of 1000 copies in wrappers, of a total edition of 1151. Inscribed by the author to Seymour Lawrence. Near fine.
203. PIERRE, Chief George. Autumn's Bounty. San Antonio: Naylor (1972). A novel by a chief of the Colville Confederated Tribes of Washington state, dealing with a chief and tribe facing the controversial question of "termination" -- the ending of federal control over Indian reservations and the resultant freedoms, and losses, the policy would entail. This is the seemingly more common issue, in reddish-brown cloth. (There was also an issue in a deeper brown, textured binding.) This copy belonged to Charles R. Larson, author of the landmark book American Indian Fiction, "the first critical and historical account of novels by American Indians." Larson's pencilled notes are in evidence throughout; Autumn's Bounty is included on pp. 137-140 of Larson's text. Fine in a spine-tanned dust jacket with a couple closed edge tears; about near fine. A significant association copy of this novel.
204. PORTER, Katherine Anne. The Leaning Tower and Other Stories. NY: Harcourt Brace (1944). A collection of stories by one of the leading writers of her generation. Two of Porter's books were National Book Award nominees and her Collected Stories, which included stories from this volume, won both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. Lengthily inscribed by the author to Seymour Lawrence in 1961, in part: "This is the/ one that surprised everybody/ and sold, who knows why?/ ...it was the war, and/... everything/ happened strangely that year!.../ Keep this for a souvenir/ until we can get the two/ others... to join with/ it in One Volume." Very good, lacking the dust jacket.
205. PORTER, Katherine Anne. A Defense of Circe. NY: Harcourt Brace (1955). One of 1700 copies printed as a New Year's greeting for the friends of the author and her publishers. Inscribed by the author to Seymour Lawrence. Marbled papers split exposing the spine weave. Only good, without dust jacket, as issued.
206. PORTER, Katherine Anne. A Christmas Story. (n.p.): Mademoiselle, 1958. A Christmas story by Porter about her niece, who died at the age of five. The story first appeared in 1946, and was reissued again in 1967 by Delacorte, when Seymour Lawrence was publisher there. This copy is signed by the author and additionally inscribed to Lawrence. Boards sunned; joints split and portions of the spine chipped away. Well-worn; only good; without dust jacket, as issued.
207. PORTER, Katherine Anne. The Collected Essays. NY: Delacorte Press/Lawrence (1970). Inscribed by the author to her publisher, Seymour Lawrence in the month of publication. Some minor dampstaining; very good in a mildly worn, slightly spine-faded dust jacket, about very good.
208. PRICE, Richard. Ladies' Man. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1978. His third book, a darkly comic novel of sexual obsession. Inscribed by the author to film critic Pauline Kael. Price's film credits include Bloodbrothers, The Wanderers (films adapted from his first two novels), The Color of Money, Sea of Love and Ransom, among others. Page edges foxed; a near fine copy in a very good dust jacket creased on the spine and worn at the crown. With three reviews of the novel laid in. A wonderful association copy between one of our finest novelists, who is perhaps ironically more well-known as a screenwriter than as a novelist because of the much wider audience for works in that medium, and one of the most highly esteemed film critics of the last 40 years.
Dedication Copy
209. PRITCHETT, V.S. A Careless Widow. NY: Random House (1989). A collection of short stories by one of the finest story writers, critics and essayists of his generation. This is the dedication copy of the first American edition, inscribed by Pritchett to his wife, Dorothy: "For my darling Dorothy/ from VSP," and additionally signed in full. The book's dedication reads "For my wife." With Pritchett's bookplate on the front pastedown. Dampstaining to spine; near fine in a very good dust jacket, heavily dampstained on verso but outwardly exhibiting only a bit of spine fading. Oddly, the book is also inscribed by Pritchett to photographer Sally Soames "with admiration" in 1993, although this inscription has been crossed out. Soames published a book of photographs of writers in 1995.
210. PYNCHON, Thomas. V. Phil: Lippincott (1963). Pynchon's first book. Inscribed by the author to the father and step-mother of Richard Fariña, author of Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me, and a longtime close friend of Pynchon from their days together at Cornell in the 1950s: "For Richard + Lillian,/ with affection/ Thomas Pynchon." Pynchon and Fariña had both gone to Cornell, where both were writers. After graduation, Fariña became well-known on the folk music circuit at the height of its influence; he married Joan Baez's sister, and Richard and Mimi Fariña released a pair of well-received folk albums, one of which alluded to Thomas Pynchon's V. Pynchon and Fariña remained close through the years, even while Pynchon lived in Mexico after the publication of V. Between the literary celebrity accorded Pynchon as the preeminent postmodern American writer and Fariña's status as a folk music icon, their friendship was a defining element of the era. This copy, by virtue of the family connection linking the two friends, is one of the best association copies imaginable, short of Richard, Jr.'s own copy, if it even exists. Pynchon is notoriously reclusive; autographed copies of his books are rare, and we have never seen a signed U.S. edition of V. before, let alone an association copy of this caliber. The book has the usual edge- and spine-sunning typical with the pale purple cloth; near fine in a mildly rubbed dust jacket with the gold faded on the spine and the price altered in ink on the front flap. Laid in is a sheet of personalized "Richard Farina" notepaper, edge-sunned to match the book, helping to authenticate the provenance.
Dedication Copy of an Award-Winning Play
211. RABE, David. Streamers. NY: Knopf, 1977. The dedication copy of this play set in an Army barracks in the early days of the Vietnam war. Winner of the N.Y. Drama Critics' Award for Best American Play of 1976. Inscribed by the author to Mike Nichols, in the month of publication: "For Mike [Nichols]/ (the director, the/ one I know) the/ best./ My best./ David/ Apr. 29, 1977." The printed dedication of the book reads "For Mike Nichols and Wylie Walker." Nichols directed such films as Catch-22, Carnal Knowledge, Silkwood and Primary Colors, among many others. Slight sunning to top board edges; else fine in a fine dust jacket.
212. RAKOSI, Carl. The Collected Prose of Carl Rakosi. Orono: National Poetry Foundation (1983). The issue in wrappers of this collection of prose by the Objectivist poet. Inscribed by the author to Joel Oppenheimer, one of the foremost of the Black Mountain poets. Fine.
213. RAPHAELSON, Samson. The Human Nature of Playwriting. NY: Macmillan, 1949. A book on playwriting by the author of The Jazz Singer, among others. Inscribed by the author to John Mason Brown, the noted author and literary critic. Fine in a very good dust jacket.
214. ROSEN, Richard. Fadeaway. NY: Harper & Row (1986). A basketball mystery, featuring the Boston Celtics. The author's second book; his first, Strike Three, You're Dead, won an Edgar Award for Best First Mystery Novel. Warmly inscribed by the author to Andre Dubus in the year of publication. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
215. ROTHENBERG, Jerome. A Seneca Journal. (NY): New Directions (1978). A collection of poems by the founder of Alcheringa, a literary journal of ethnopoetics, inscribed by the author to poet Amiri Baraka in 1979. An excellent association between Rothenberg, whose poetry and magazine helped publicize ethnic poetry and bring it into the mainstream, and Baraka, one of the most highly praised African-American poets of the postwar era. Fine in wrappers.