Catalog 101, V-Z
354. WAKEFIELD, Dan. Island in the City. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1959. His first book, nonfiction about Spanish Harlem. Inscribed by the author. Near fine in a very good, spine-tanned and price-clipped dust jacket. An uncommon book by the author of Going All the Way and the recent, well-received New York in the Fifties, a memoir of the New York art and literary scene in the 1950s, an exceptionally fertile and influential period on postwar American culture.
355. WAKEFIELD, Dan. Between the Lines. (NY): New American Library (1966). Wakefield's third book, a collection of essays on a variety of subjects, from the sociological to the literary, which were first published in magazines in the early Sixties. Inscribed by the author. Fine in a very good, edgeworn dust jacket, with several chips at the spine crown and top of the front panel.
356. WAKEFIELD, Dan. Supernation at Peace and War. Boston: Little Brown (1968). An extended essay on the cultural and political polarization of the country taking place at that time, centered around the different postures toward the Vietnam war. An expanded version of an essay that first appeared in the Atlantic Monthly. Inscribed by the author. Very near fine in a very good dust jacket.
357. WAKEFIELD, Dan. Going All the Way. NY: Delacorte/Seymour Lawrence (1970). His highly praised, humorous first novel, about coming of age in Indiana, where the author grew up. Recently made into a well-received independent film. Inscribed by the author. Fine in a near fine dust jacket with slight wear at the spine crown.
358. WAKEFIELD, Dan. Starting Over. NY: Delacorte/Seymour Lawrence (1973). The uncorrected proof copy of his second novel. Inscribed by the author. Near fine in edge-sunned tall wrappers. Uncommon.
359. WAKEFIELD, Dan. All Her Children. Garden City: Doubleday, 1976. An account of the making of the popular TV soap opera, All My Children, and because of the popularity of the show one of Wakefield's best-loved books, albeit not one of his most well-known in the literary community. Inscribed by the author. Tiny nick to the cloth at the spine crown; fine in a near fine dust jacket. A nice copy of a cheaply-made 1970s Doubleday book.
360. -. Same title, the uncorrected proof copy. Inscribed by the author. Glue shadows on the front cover from a removed label (laid in); near fine in tall wrappers.
361. (WAKEFIELD, Dan). The Addict. Greenwich: Fawcett/Gold Medal (1963). An anthology on heroin addiction, edited, introduced and inscribed by Wakefield. Includes excerpts from Nelson Algren's The Man with the Golden Arm and William Burroughs' (as "William Lee") Junkie. Paperback original and, because of the cheap, acidic paper used, one of his less common titles in collectible condition. Near fine.
362. WAKOSKI, Diane. Typed Letter Signed. August 30, 1978. Written to the editor of Atropos, apparently concerning the acceptance of a submitted piece. In part: "I am glad you liked 'What I Learned About the World from Barry Lopez.' It is a secret, so don't tell, but the 'famous American poet' is **** **** [referring to an unnamed poet mentioned in the above-named piece]. I found myself hating what I saw as his hypocrisy under his humble quaker exterior. But then I discovered this hate made me appreciate his poetry more and made me braver about my own.... It could never be Jerry Rothenberg. He is an almost un-hatable man... most people would think **** impossible to hate, as well. But I do hate hypocrisy and I see him as saying one thing and doing something very different. What a petty person, I am." A short, revealing letter with good literary content. Folded in thirds for mailing; fine. With original mailing envelope.
363. (WAKOSKI, Diane). "The Magi" in The Wise Men Drawn to Kneel in Wonder at the Fact of So Little. Los Angeles: Black Sparrow Press, 1971. A Christmas Greeting with poems by Wakoski, Robert Kelly and David Bromige. Although not called for, this copy is signed by Wakoski and Kelly. Fine in saddle-stitched wrappers.
364. WALCOTT, Derek. The Fortunate Traveller. NY: Farrar, Straus & Giroux (1981). Long galley sheets of this collection of poems by the West Indian winner of the 1992 Nobel Prize for Literature. 24" x 7 1/2". Printed on rectos only. Mild edge-sunning; else fine. Scarce.
365. WALDMAN, Anne. Uh-Oh Plutonium! NY: Hyacinth Girls Music, 1982. A 45 rpm record featuring a bilingual rendition of a single poem by Waldman. (The B side is in French.) The text is printed on the sleeve, which is inscribed by Waldman to the poet Ai. Fine in a near fine sleeve. An unusual production and a nice literary association.
366. WALKER, Alice. The Third Life of Grange Copeland. NY: HBJ (1970). The second book, first novel by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Color Purple. Fine in a very slightly, spine-tanned, else fine dust jacket. A nice copy.
367. -. Same title, the first British edition (London: Women's Press, 1985), published after The Color Purple in the U.K. Fine in a near fine dust jacket.
368. WALKER, Alice. The Color Purple. NY: HBJ (1982). A later printing of her Pulitzer Prize- and National Book Award-winning novel, a surprise bestseller that was made into an award-winning movie. This copy is inscribed by the author to another African-American female poet. A nice association copy of Walker's breakthrough book, which established her as a major literary voice of our times and helped herald a renaissance of writing by African-American women. Remainder stripe; very near fine in a price-clipped dust jacket worn at the spine crown.
369. WALKER, Alice. Good Night Willie Lee, I'll See You in the Morning. (London): Women's Press (1987). The first British edition of this collection of poems originally published in the U.S. in 1979. No hardcover issue was done in the U.K. Fine in wrappers.
370. -. Another copy. Fine in wrappers, and signed by the author.
371. WALKER, Alice. To Hell With Dying. NY: HBJ (1988). Advance copy of this uncommon children's book, written by Walker and illustrated by Catherine Deeter. Unbound signatures, fine, laid into a near fine dust jacket. Scarce format.
372. WALKER, Alice. Her Blue Body Everything We Know. NY: HBJ (1991). The uncorrected proof copy. Near fine in wrappers. Together with a photocopy of 49 copyedited pages from the final section. Scarce.
373. WALKER, Alice. Finding the Green Stone. NY: HBJ (1991). Again, an advance copy of a children's book, written by Walker and illustrated by Catherine Deeter. Unbound signatures, fine, laid into a near fine dust jacket. Scarce.
374. WALKER, Alice. Possessing the Secret of Joy. NY: HBJ (1992). The photocopied typescript of this novel, submitted to Book of the Month Club for book club consideration well in advance of the book's publication or the issuance of proof copies. Preceded by three pages of publisher's promotional information. Label attached to bottom edge of pages, otherwise a fine set of sheets.
375. WALKER, Margaret. For My People. New Haven: Yale U. Press, 1942. The African-American author's first book, a collection of poems in the prestigious Yale Younger Poets Series, with an introduction by Stephen Vincent Benet. Inscribed by the author. Fine in a very near fine dust jacket with tiny chips at the spine extremities. The author won a Houghton Mifflin Literary Fellowship Award for her novel, Jubilee.
376. WARD, Robert. Autograph Card Signed. [1983]. A holiday card, bearing the news that "we sold Red Baker to Dial Press. Hosanna to the Highest!... Now I can get on with a new [book] and more lovely agony." Red Baker was the breakthrough book for Ward, who until then was best-known for the film made of his earlier novel, Cattle Annie and Little Britches. Fine.
377. (WARREN, Robert Penn). University of Colorado Bulletin. Vol XL, No. 12. (Boulder): (U. of Colorado) (1940). This issue of the Bulletin is a prospectus for the 11th Writers' Conference held at the University July 22 - August 9, 1940. Warren is listed as one of the faculty and there is a short description of his workshop along with a biographical piece on him and a photograph. Fine in stapled wrappers.
378. WATERS, Frank. Autograph Letter Signed. January 1, 1986. Written on personal stationery, 6 3/8" x 8 5/8". Waters returns two books; commiserates on surgery ("...it's cheaper to kick the bucket and start over again"); extends New Year's wishes and recommends the book Karan by B. Wongar, an Australian Aboriginal novelist, whose writings convey a sense of place somewhat similar to that which Waters himself strove for in writing about the American Southwest. Folded in half; else fine.
379. (WELTY, Eudora). MACNEIL, Robert. Eudora Welty. Seeing Black and White. (Jackson): U. of Mississippi (1990). A thoughtful essay by MacNeil about Welty's photography, from a speech given by him on the occasion of the publication of her book, Photographs. Fine in stapled wrappers and jacket.
380. WEST, Nathanael. Miss Lonelyhearts. NY: Liveright (1933). The first major novel by a writer whose short career and limited output are in dramatic contrast to his influence on American letters. This is the first issue: of a total edition of 2200 copies, only 800 had been issued when the publisher went bankrupt and the printer refused to deliver the balance of the order. They were later released under the Harcourt Brace imprint. A very scarce book and an American classic. Abrasion rear pastedown, possibly from the removal of a library circulation envelope; slight spine slant, one corner bump, and some sunning to the cloth; a very good copy, with the front flap of the dust jacket laid in. Copies in dust jacket of this title are almost impossibly scarce these days, with the price running well into five figures when they can be found.
381. WHITE, Randy Wayne. Sanibel Flats. NY: St. Martin's Press (1990). The uncorrected proof copy of the first in the author's acclaimed Doc Ford mystery series, and his first book to be published in hardcover and under his own name. A very scarce title even in the first edition, with copies of the trade edition having sold for $1000 and more; the proof is considerably scarcer still, and this is the only copy we've seen. Light cup ring on front cover over title; otherwise a tight, near fine copy in beige wrappers.
382. WIDEMAN, John Edgar. The Cattle Killing. [Boston/NY: Houghton Mifflin, 1996]. Photocopied typescript of a novel by this African American writer who has won the PEN Faulkner Award twice, among many other honors. Inscribed by the author, who describes it as "an early version." Fine in spiralbound cardstock covers. Scarce.
383. WOLFF, Tobias. In the Garden of the North American Martyrs. NY: Ecco (1981). The uncorrected proof copy of his second book, his first book published in this country, and the book that established Wolff immediately as a master of the short story form. Fine in wrappers and exhibiting, on the summary page, the $14.95 price that was printed on the earliest dust jackets, although the book was never sold at that price. Scarce: we have not seen another copy offered in years--since the book was first published.
384. WOUK, Herman. The Caine Mutiny: A Tale of the Second World War. (Garden City): (Doubleday) (1961). The uncorrected proof copy of Wouk's masterpiece of mutiny and cowardice aboard a U.S. Navy minesweeper in the Pacific theater of the Second World War. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1952 and basis for the compelling and memorable 1954 movie starring Humphrey Bogart, as well as a critically acclaimed remake in 1988 directed by Robert Altman. Perfectbound into oversized wrappers with the first blank and title page detached but present. 6 7/8" x 11 3/4". Moderate edgewear, sunning, and spine-creasing; a very good copy. The Caine Mutiny is Wouk's most acclaimed novel and the published trade edition is one of the most difficult Pulitzer Prize novels to locate. The proof copy is immeasurably scarcer: we've never seen another one offered and, given the bulky nature of the production, it is likely that few have survived. A rare advance state of one of the most acclaimed war novels of the century.
385. YATES, Richard. Signed Contract. NY: Doubleday, 1955. A contract for the rights to include Yates's story "The Best of Everything" in Prize Stories 1956: The O. Henry Awards. The story had first appeared in the October 1954 issue of Charm. Signed by Yates and dated August 27, 1955. Precedes his first book by six years. One page, previously folded in approximate eighths; the author's name is written in the top corner, presumably for filing purposes; near fine.
386. YATES, Richard. Revolutionary Road. Boston: Little Brown (1961). The author's highly praised first book, which was nominated for the National Book Award. Inscribed by the author in 1975 and signed "Dick Yates." Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Yates was an important influence on a number of younger writers and, while he never received quite the commercial success that some of his protegés did, he was widely regarded as a "writer's writer"--which may be the highest praise that can be given to a literary author. Books signed or inscribed by Yates are quite uncommon.
387. YATES, Richard. Eleven Kinds of Loneliness. Boston: Little Brown (1962). His second book, generally considered his scarcest, a highly regarded collection of short stories. Inscribed by the author in 1975. Dusty top edge; a very near fine copy in lightly spine-tanned dust jacket.
388. -. Same title, the first British edition (London: Deutsch, 1964). Offsetting to endpages; near fine in a very good, price-clipped dust jacket. Uncommon.
389. YATES, Richard. Disturbing the Peace. (NY): Delacorte/Lawrence (1975). A review copy of his fourth book, third novel. Inscribed by the author in the month of publication. Fine in a fine dust jacket, with review slip, photo and promotional sheet laid in. A beautiful copy.
390. -. Same title, the uncorrected proof copy. Inscribed by the author in the month of publication. Fine in wrappers.
391. YATES, Richard. The Easter Parade. (NY): Delacorte/Lawrence (1976). A review copy. Inscribed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket, with review slip and photo laid in. Surprisingly scarce in the first edition, in fine condition.
392. -. Same title, the first British edition (London: Eyre Metheun, 1978). Fine in a fine dust jacket. Uncommon.
393. YATES, Richard. Typed Note Signed. June 6, 1978. A short letter written to Jerome Klinkowitz, critic, bibliographer (of Barthelme and Vonnegut), and editor, apologizing for not responding sooner to a request for work to be considered in Klinkowitz's newest book of criticism. Yates does, belatedly, offer A Good School for consideration. Four brief paragraphs, with minor holograph corrections, and a postscript in which Yates send regards to a mutual acquaintance. Folded in thirds for mailing, else fine; with envelope.
394. YATES, Richard. A Good School. (NY): Delacorte/Lawrence (1978). Inscribed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
395. -. Same title, the uncorrected proof copy. Inscribed by the author. Slight edge sunning; else fine in wrappers.
396. YATES, Richard. Liars in Love. (NY): Delacorte/Lawrence (1981). The author's second collection of stories. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
397. -. Same title, the uncorrected proof copy. Fine in wrappers.
398. YATES, Richard. Typed Note Signed. December 18, 1981. Two paragraphs, written to Jerome Klinkowitz, agreeing to be interviewed for an essay Klinkowitz has proposed. In part: "I don't go to ballgames, but we could meet here at my place or in my second home, which is a bar and restaurant about fifty yards away. As far as I know I'll be here all summer, trying to finish a novel, so you could pick the date." Folded in thirds for mailing; else fine. With envelope included.
399. YATES, Richard. Typed Note Signed. December 14, 1983. A half page, again to Jerome Klinkowitz, offering a new novel (possibly Young Hearts Crying) for inclusion in his next project. Yates also writes: "Fitzgerald is indeed the American writer I admire most, and The Great Gatsby is my favorite American novel; in all of world literature, though, Flaubert's Madame Bovary remains the best book I've ever read." Folded in approximate twelfths for mailing; else fine. With one holograph correction. A nice letter, with good literary content. Mailing envelope included.
400. YATES, Richard. Autograph Letter Signed. April 3, 1984. One page, written on both sides, to Jerome Klinkowitz, expressing gratitude for an excellent analysis of his, Yates', work. In part: "I had no idea you'd be giving the book such a close reading -- or that your reading, in each case, would turn up exactly the qualities I wanted most to be revealed.... If I have a favorite place in the essay, it's the sentence where you say that if writing were baseball, A Good School would be a perfect game." Yates goes on to rather emphatically point out one mistake: "Nowhere in Revolutionary Road is it ever suggested that Frank Wheeler might write a novel in Europe -- that idea is explicitly ruled out, in fact, along with the notion of his becoming a painter, in one of April's more impassioned speeches." Yates covers how the error can be corrected and then reiterates what a "heartening piece of work" Klinkowitz has produced. Folded in thirds for mailing; envelope included. Fine.
401. (YATES, Richard). Stories for the Sixties. NY: Bantam (1963). A paperback original edited, introduced, and inscribed by Yates: "With all best wishes/ for the eighties." Collects the fifteen top stories from a field of 4500 in an Esquire-Bantam contest of unknown writers. Judith Rossner's first book appearance. Acidifying pages; near fine.