Catalog 156, S-U
157. SALLIS, James. Manuscript and Correspondence Archive. ca. 1990s. Copies of various pieces of writing by the noted mystery writer (and poet), who is, among many other things, the author of the story, and later the novel, that were the basis for the well-reviewed film Drive. The materials here belonged to Sallis's friend Robert Skinner, of Xavier University Library, himself also the author of a highly praised series of mystery novels. A notable association, made all the more so by the fact that both Sallis and Skinner have written mystery series that feature non-white protagonists**Sallis an African-American, Lew Griffin; and Skinner a Creole, Wesley Farrell, who has been passing for white**and they also each have written books on Chester Himes, the expatriate African-American mystery writer whose novels laid the foundation for mystery series featuring black detectives with his books that featured Harlem cops "Coffin" Ed Johnson and "Gravedigger" Jones. Sallis wrote a biography and Skinner edited a book of interviews and compiled a bibliography. The Sallis archive includes:
the typescript (printout) of "George Pelecanos," which was published as the introduction to the 1999 St. Martin's paperback edition of Pelecanos' The Big Blowdown. With a few minor changes between this version and the published one. 4 pages.
the typescript (printout) of "Introduction," published in the 1994 Avalon paperback edition of Chester Himes' A Case of Rape. 7 pages.
the typescript (printout) of "Career Moves." 4 pages. Six vignettes about looking for work. Published in Potato Tree, 2007.
the typescript (printout) of "Day's Heat." Fiction. 20 pages (plus a blank, numbered 21st page), 4170 words. Published in Sallis' collection A City Equal to My Desire, 2000.
the typescript (printout) of "Uncles and Fireflies." An essay that pays tribute to his uncle; possibly unpublished. 4 pages.
the typescripts (printouts) of three poems, one page each: "Dawn in the Country's Still Heart," "Our Drive into the Country's Still Heart," and "Reading the World."
a typed letter signed to Robert Skinner, dated August 27, 1992. Touches on his own writing and on Skinner's work on Himes's unfinished novel Plan B (which Sallis calls Plan A). With mailing envelope.
a holiday invitation, 1993, hand-addressed; a signed birthday card, undated, with envelope; an autograph postcard signed, 1995, from New York; a signed holiday card, undated; a signed holiday card, with added sentiment, 1995, with envelope; a signed holiday card, 1997, with envelope.
a flyer announcing the publication party of Sallis' Black Hornet, a Lew Griffin novel; a flyer for a 1995 Sallis reading, which prints his poem "Art of Biography"; an unused promotional postcard featuring the cover art for Moth, another Lew Griffin novel; photocopy of a promotional flyer from No Exit Press, with mailing envelope; 3 promotional flyers from 1997; a 1999 printout of Iain Sinclair's review of Sallis' Eye of the Cricket, again a Lew Griffin novel, from Waterstones website.
Approximately 75 pages of printouts of emails from Sallis to Skinner, May 1996 to October 1997 (plus one page from 1999), and one printed email signed, 2000, that Sallis had to mail when it kept being bounced back to him. With envelope.
All items fine. For all:
158. SAYLES, John. Thinking in Pictures. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1987. The uncorrected proof copy of this book of nonfiction, about the making of his film Matewan. Includes the screenplay for the movie as well**making this the only place in print where Sayles's talents as a filmmaker and as an author are shown in combination. Fine in wrappers.
159. SETTLE, Mary Lee. The Love Eaters. London: Heinemann (1954). The true first edition of her first novel. Settle is the author of the highly-acclaimed Beulah quintet, which is considered one of the finest sets of American historical novels ever written, and she also won the National Book Award for her novel Blood Ties. After winning the award, she founded the PEN/Faulkner Award, which is judged by other writers rather than publishing insiders. This copy is inscribed by the author: "For Bob's book on April 10 1965 instead of 1955 but never mind - Here we are - Love from Mary Lee." A fine copy in a very good dust jacket with modest edge wear. An extremely scarce first novel by an important Southern author; we have only seen this edition a handful of times, and never with an inscription from the author.
160. (SHTEYNGART, Gary). Eat, Memory. NY: Norton (2009). A collection of food essays from The New York Times. Signed by Shteyngart, the author of Absurdistan, among others, at his contribution, "The Sixth Sense," which concerns a garlic quest. Other authors include Kiran Desai, Tom Perrotta, George Saunders, Ann Patchett, Chang-Rae Lee, Colson Whitehead, James Salter, Billy Collins, and others. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
161. SIMON, Neil. Plaza Suite. NY: Random House (1969). An early play by one of the most admired and successful playwrights and screenwriters of his time, who won two Tony Awards for Best Play and earned four Academy Award nominations, among numerous other awards. Plaza Suite was directed by Mike Nichols when it opened on Broadway, with George C. Scott and Maureen Stapleton starring. Nichols won a Tony Award for Best Director for his work on the play and Scott and Stapleton each received Tony nominations. Stapleton also starred in the 1971 film version, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination. The film was directed by Arthur Hiller. This copy is inscribed by Simon to film director Tony Harvey: "To Tony - I hope you do it - Neil." Harvey had directed The Lion in Winter in 1968, for which he received an Oscar nomination, and Simon's inscription indicates a desire at that time for Harvey to direct the film adaptation of the play. Page edges foxed; crown cloth sunned; indent to upper rear board; about near fine in a rubbed and spine-faded dust jacket. A nice association copy, and a small but notable bit of film history.
162. SMILEY, Jane. A Thousand Acres. NY: Knopf, 1991. An advance reading excerpt, printing the first six chapters from her then-forthcoming Pulitzer Prize-winning book. Signed by the author. Fine in stapled wrappers. Originally released together with an excerpt from Norman Rush's Mating.
163. SMITH, Clark Ashton. Typescript of "The Mirror in the Hall of Ebony." Undated. A one-page prose poem, typed, and signed "Clark Ashton Smith/Auburn, California." Folded in thirds at one point but now in a custom binder, bearing the bookplate of horror writer Stanley Wiater, from whose library this came. Fine, with a letter laid in to Wiater from Roy Squires, the noted science fiction collector and dealer, from whom Wiater purchased it. Squires' lengthy letter**two typewritten pages**comments extensively on the appallingly high prices "being asked**and paid**for the more desirable Arkham House books," in 1972, and then goes on to justify the high price Wiater had just paid for the Clark Ashton Smith manuscript, and says that he knows of only four prose poem manuscripts by Clark Ashton Smith in existence**this one; one that he himself still had; and two that Smith's widow had at that time. Squires goes on to comment on the disparity in prices between Smith and H.P. Lovecraft, which he thinks is greater than it should be, and a number of other book-related subjects. This version of the prose poem differs in a number of particulars from the published version, which was included in The Abominations of Yondo (Arkham House, 1960) and Poems in Prose (Arkham House, 1965). A very rare typescript by one of the most important American horror writers of the 20th century, with a long, illuminating letter from one of the great collectors and dealers in the field, and from the library of a horror writer who has been a three-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award, given by the Horror Writers of America.
164. (SMITH, Zadie and SAUNDERS, George). The Book of Other People. (NY): Penguin (2007). The first American edition of this anthology of original stories edited by Zadie Smith and with contributions by Smith, George Saunders, Vendela Vita, Dave Eggers, Jonathan Safran Foer, Edwidge Danticat, Aleksandar Hemon, A.M. Homes, Nick Hornby, Jonathan Lethem, A.L. Kennedy, Hari Kunzru, David Mitchell, Colm Toibin, ZZ Packer, Heidi Julavits, Toby Litt and others. For the writers, the assignment was to "make somebody up." The proceeds from the book benefitted 826 New York, part of the chain founded by Dave Eggers to help kids with writing skills. Only issued in wrappers in the U.S. This copy is signed by Zadie Smith, Vendela Vita, and George Saunders, who has added a peace sign with a human form. Fine.
165. SNYDER, Gary. Earth House Hold. (NY): New Directions (1969). Essays on spirituality and the natural world. Only 2500 copies printed. This copy is inscribed by Snyder to Clayton Eshleman: "For Clayton in Ypsilanti, in friendship, Gary/ III.92." Eshleman's signature on front flyleaf, with the notations: "NYC May 2, 1969/ Revisited Ypsilanti Nov. 1988." Also with Eshleman's notes throughout. An influential book: Snyder, a Pulitzer Prize winning poet, here presents essays and journal entries on spirituality and ecology**"earth house hold" being a play on the roots words of ecology. A seminal text of the environmental movement and, in particular, the notion of Deep Ecology. Also a nice association copy between two prominent poets, one a Pulitzer Prize winner, the other a winner of the National Book Award for one of his books of translation. Both, in addition, have had an interest over the years in ethnopoetics, and in tribal and prehistoric arts and have broken new ground in bringing these subjects into the contemporary dialogue on poetry and art. A thread pulling at the spine cloth, a few small stains to covers; still a near fine copy in a near fine, foxed, parchment dust jacket, an unusual production.
166. SOUTHERN, Terry. Red Dirt Marijuana and Other Tastes. (NY): New American Library (1967). A collection of stories by the author of Candy, Dr. Strangelove, The Magic Christian and other volumes that helped define the literature and popular culture of the 1960s. This copy belonged to the writer Geoffrey Wolff and bears his marginal markings and several comments. Wolff is the author of several novels as well as a number of acclaimed volumes of nonfiction including The Duke of Deception, about his con man father, and Black Sun, a biography of Harry Crosby, the expatriate writer and publisher of the Black Sun Press in Paris in the 1920s and '30s. Fine in a near fine dust jacket with light edge wear and slight fading to the spine lettering.
167. SOUTHERN, Terry. Two Notes Signed; Two Notes Unsigned. 1987-1994. Four pieces of correspondence written to Nelson Lyon, Southern's former Saturday Night Live collaborator. The first is a typed note, unsigned on Southern's "Peeg" stationery (the "Peeg" being Southern's fictitious yacht), dated March 3, 1987, with holograph corrections; the second, also on "Peeg" stationery, is an undated autograph note, unsigned, as follows: "Nels, get cracking, before we blow this due to your weirdness!! Return o'post Nels!! Return o'post!! Mayday! Mayday?" The third is an autograph note signed written on shirt cardboard, referring, according to Lyon, to the idea of updating Faulkner's As I Lay Dying: "Nels **/ Isn't this just possibly the directorial/production break for which we were waiting?!? Please check it out before I send it to Jackie Waters! See his Serial Mom. Yours in haste and admiration. Ter." And, lastly, an autograph note signed written on the back of a tax table correction form, discussing Lyon's alma mater, Columbia University, where Southern had his final job: "...Science, Socio Studies, and Poli Sci studies distilled to their quiet essence for even the most untutored mind..." The first letter is folded once and a bit edge-sunned; else all items are fine. Lyon got Southern a job at Saturday Night Live in the 1980s, when Southern was hard-pressed for work. Lyon was also co-producer of the William Burroughs album Dead City Radio, in which Burroughs collaborated with John Cale, Sonic Youth and others. He was also a longtime friend of Timothy Leary, and was the person who arranged for Leary to call Burroughs on the phone one last time on the day Leary died. A notable bit of Terry Southern material, placed in the context of the various connections that extend outward from the recipient, Nelson Lyon. For all:
168. STOPPARD, Tom. Rough Crossing. London: Faber and Faber (1985). A review copy of the hardcover edition of Stoppard's adaptation of Ferenc Molnár's Play at the Castle. Bar code sticker on rear pastedown under flap; slight top edge foxing and the typical age-toning to the pages; very near fine in a fine dust jacket with the slightest crimp to the crown. Review slip laid in.
169. STRAUB, Peter. If You Could See Me Now. NY: Coward McCann & Geoghegan (1977). The third book by the award-winning author of Ghost Story, among many others. Inscribed by the author to fellow horror writer Stanley Wiater. With Wiater's Gahan Wilson-designed bookplate on the front pastedown. Mild foxing to edges of text block; near fine in a near fine dust jacket with slight rubbing. A nice association copy.
170. STYRON, William. Lie Down in Darkness. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill (1951). His first book. Inscribed by Styron to the writer Jonathan Carroll: "with best wishes/ William Styron/ 27 September 1971/ (Twenty years, to the month, after publication)." The date is nine years before Carroll's first published book, The Land of Laughs. Laid in is a typed note signed by Styron in which he agrees to the signing. The book is unevenly sunned on the cloth and bears a few small stains; very good in a jacket with modest edge wear including one edge tear, and a vertical crease to the spine; still very good. The note is folded, else fine, with a chipped mailing envelope included. A nice association copy of an important first novel.
171. TAYLOR, Peter. The Collected Stories of Peter Taylor. NY: FSG (1969). A collection by an author whose reputation was built largely on the strength of his stories and who won, in the last years of his life, both the Pulitzer Prize and the PEN Faulkner Award. Reviewed in Newsweek by Geoffrey Wolff, to whom this copy belonged. With Wolff's ownership signature a handful of Wolff's marginal comments and markings. Mottling to boards, some play to the text block; a very good copy in a good, sunned and (coffee) stained dust jacket with moderate edge wear.
172. THOMPSON, Hunter S. Hell's Angels. London: Allen Lane/Penguin, 1967. The first British edition of Thompson's first book, which he wrote after spending a year hanging out with members of the famous motorcycle gang, and ended up getting beaten up by several of them. One of the first examples of the participatory journalism that Thompson perfected (and later named gonzo journalism). Signed by Thompson in full on the dedication page, with the additional notation "WC 0904"**i.e., Woody Creek, September, 2004. Also signed by Ralph Steadman, "in honor of my friend who tried to be a biker but preferred fame and a wheelchair kitchen command centre," with an original drawing of Thompson on the title page. Foxing to cloth; near fine in a near fine, mildly rubbed dust jacket with some foxing to the flap folds. Thompson at one point thought that the British edition had only been issued in paperback, as he had never seen a hardcover of it; the U.K. hardcover is probably his scarcest trade edition, and signed copies are virtually unknown. In a custom clamshell case.
173. THOMPSON, Hunter. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. NY: Random House (1971). Thompson's second book, epitomizing the "Gonzo journalism" that the author invented and which, by a surprisingly universal consensus, he elevated to the status of art. A classic of the freewheeling, drug-ingesting Sixties era, illustrated with hilarious and scary pen-and-ink drawings by Ralph Steadman. Basis for the 1998 Terry Gilliam movie, with Johnny Depp, Benicio Del Toro and Tobey Maguire. This copy belonged to the writer Geoffrey Wolff and bears his underlinings, marginal markings and a couple of comments. Edge-sunning to boards; near fine in a very good dust jacket with fading to the title lettering on the spine and slight edge wear. A writer's working copy for review.
174. THOMPSON, Hunter S. Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72. (San Francisco): Straight Arrow (1973). Thompson's third book and the second of his "Fear & Loathing" accounts. In this one, Thompson covers the Nixon/McGovern race for the Presidency, bringing to the campaign a sense of humor and horror that is simultaneously both off-the-wall and entirely appropriate to its subject. Signed (initialed) by Thompson and by Ralph Steadman, who did a number of illustrations for the book. A bit of shelf wear to the corners; else fine in a near fine, first issue dust jacket with a bit of internal foxing, mild edge wear and some fading to the red of the spine. In a custom clamshell case. Laid in is an ad from Rolling Stone for the book, which is itself an interesting period piece. Very uncommon signed, and especially in the first issue dust jacket. It would appear that Thompson, who was notoriously erratic about signing books and most other things, did not have many opportunities over the years to sign copies of this title.
175. -. Another copy. This copy is signed by Ralph Steadman and Kurt Vonnegut. Steadman, who contributed a number of illustrations to the book, has added devil's horns, a jester's cap, and a cigarette holder to the title page illustration and written "Part Devil, Part Jester," dating his signature on August 20, 2005 at Owl Farm, Woody Creek, the day of Hunter Thompson's memorial blastoff. Vonnegut has written, on July 28 of that year: "Hunter Thompson is the most creatively crazy of the New Journalists. His ideas are brilliant, and honorable and valuable ** the literary equivalent of cubism. All rules are broken." In addition to his signature, Vonnegut has added a signed self-caricature. Modest handling to boards; near fine in a near fine, first issue dust jacket with minor edge wear. In custom clamshell case.
176. -. Another copy. Blended stain to rear free flyleaf, lower corners bumped; near fine in a good, price-clipped, first issue dust jacket that is abraded and stained on the verso but outwardly presents as only heavily creased, with some partial fading to the red of the spine.
177. TWAIN, Mark. My Watch. An Instructive Little Tale. Waltham: Waltham Watch Company [c. 1915]. Apparently the first separate appearance of this piece that was published in Sketches New and Old in 1875. Printed as a promotional piece for the Waltham Watch Company, ca. 1915 (based on the rear cover advertisement for the new Waltham Wrist Watch with the "disappearing eye," which was patented in 1915). Contre Coup Press published this title as limited edition in 1999. Four tiny numbers in the upper margin of the last page, and a small blank label taped there; else fine in stapled wrappers.
178. (UPDIKE, John). QUENEAU, Raymond. We Always Treat Women Too Well. NY: New York Review Books (2008). First thus, a reprint of Queneau's 1947 novel (published in Paris under the pseudonym Sally Mara). Here published with a six-page introduction by Updike, which follows his 1981 review of Queneau's book in The New Yorker and was collected in Hugging the Shore. Fine in wrappers.