Catalog 94, P-R
325. PATTERSON, James. Hide & Seek. Boston: Little Brown (1996). The uncorrected proof copy of this bestselling thriller. One slight corner turn; fine in wrappers.
326. PATON, Alan. Typed Letter Signed. July 30th, 1968. One page, written to Joel Wells, editor of The Critic, a Catholic literary quarterly. Paton, the South African author of the classic, Cry, the Beloved Country, responds to Wells's request that he consider writing an article for The Critic on race relations. This correspondence took place during the "long hot summer" of 1968, when most of America's cities were torn by race riots following the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy; Wells writes to Paton, in part: "our own racial sins are very much on our minds and in the streets." Paton replies "We have similar problems to your own in South Africa, and no one can really offer clear-cut solutions; the most that one can do in South Africa in these days is to re-affirm what one believes, and that is all I can hope to do in such an article." A thoughtful and revealing letter by an important author. An aerogramme, creased from folding, with a 1" vertical tear along the crease at the middle of the bottom edge, not affecting any text. Together with the retained carbons of four of Wells's letters to Paton, three before his letter and one after, spanning the period from February to August, 1968. Autograph material by Paton, whose bestselling novel comprises one of the most powerful statements on race relations published in this century, is quite scarce.
327. PERCY, Walker. The Thanatos Syndrome. Franklin Center: Franklin Library, 1987. The limited first edition of Percy's last novel, with a special introduction written by the author for this edition. Leatherbound; all edges gilt; with a silk ribbon marker bound in. Fine, and signed by the author.
328. PEERY, Janet. Alligator Dance. Dallas: Southern Methodist University Press (1993). The author's first book, a collection of stories that was nominated for the National Book Award, an uncommon occurrence for a volume of fiction published by a university presss. Fine in a near fine dust jacket and signed by the author.
329. PHILLIPS, Jayne Anne. Machine Dreams. NY: Dutton/Lawrence (1984). Her first novel, a well-received book about the effect on a family of the Vietnam war and its aftermath. Near fine in a near fine dust jacket and signed by the author.
330. PLATH, Sylvia. "LUCAS, Victoria." The Bell Jar. London: Heinemann (1962). The uncorrected proof copy of her pseudonymously published first novel. Plath committed suicide barely a month after the publication of this novel in England and it was not published in the U.S. for nearly a decade. By that time it had become an underground classic, one of the most influential books of a generation, and Plath herself a martyred heroine in the eyes of the nascent women's movement. Plath published pseudonymously in hopes of avoiding the consequences of being recognized by her friends and neighbors, and their recognizing themselves in her book. The Bell Jar is largely autobiographical, and deals with a young woman who feels herself alienated from others and from the world--and thus ultimately from herself--as though she were living her life within a glass "bell jar." The book's clearcut exposition of its heroine's pain and her attempted suicides was reinforced by its author's actual suicide, the two factors combining to establish the novel firmly as a contemporary classic of the literature of women's oppression. Copies of the first edition itself are very scarce; proof copies of this book are virtually unheard of. The spine is mildly creased and tanned; about a near fine copy in wrappers. A modern rarity and a high spot of postwar literature.
331. PLATH, Sylvia. Crossing the Water. London: Faber & Faber (1971). A posthumously published collection of poems from the period between The Colossus and Ariel. Fine in a very slightly spine-sunned, but still fine, dust jacket.
332. PLATH, Sylvia. Winter Trees. London: Faber & Faber (1971). A posthumous collection of poems, all of which were written in the last nine months of her life. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
333. PLATH, Sylvia. Autograph Letter Signed. Two pages, on one leaf, to her mother, dated 2/3/51 (or 52?), on Smith College letterhead, both sides covered. An effusive letter describing a holiday visit with a friend in New Hampshire, from which she has just returned, calling it "the nicest weekend I ever had!" Her concern with the quality of her descriptive prose is evident throughout, and her efforts to convey accurately and expressively her experience on the weekend she learned to ski bears quoting at length: "... Then we went out into the most beautiful world imagineable[sic]! Snow had fallen in a fine powder last night, and the sun was out in a snow-blue sky. A white-New-England church is so lovely--and it was one of those heavenly dry-cold days, with blinding sun and snow and sharp blue shadows. The air was swimmingly blue." She describes the exhilaration of skiing in almost existential terms: "... None of the wobbly-ankled insecurity of skates!... Skiing, if you can do it well, must be pretty close to feeling like God..." Virtually all of Plath's correspondence to her mother has long been institutionalized, and the appearance of such a letter on the market is truly rare. Touchingly signed "your happy girl, Sylvia." Two of Plath's misspellings have been underlined in red pencil, presumably by her mother. Otherwise, fine.
334. (PLATH, Sylvia). American Poetry Now. Critical Quarterly Poetry Supplement No. 2. (London): (Oxford U. Press) [1961]. Edited by Plath, who also provides an introduction, the bulk of which is given over to permissions to reprint. Among the poets she has included are Anne Sexton, Adrienne Rich, and Denise Levertov. Fine in stapled wrappers.
335. PORTER, Katherine Anne. A Christmas Story. (n.p.): Mademoiselle, 1958. A Christmas story by Porter about her niece, issued as a gift book. The story first appeared in 1946, and was reissued after this, in 1967, with an additional note that the niece had died at the age of five. This copy has a signature on the gift inscription page; the boards are lightly sunned; several pages were creased in production. Still a near fine copy, without dust jacket, as issued.
336. POUND, Ezra. Exultations. London: Elkin Mathews, 1909. Pound's fourth book, published a year after his first. Gallup A4. 1000 copies were printed, although some number of these, fewer than 500, were later bound up with remainder sheets of his third book, Personae, and issued in a single volume in 1913. Ownership signature and date (1919) on flyleaf; boards worn at spine extremities; modest foxing to edges; still about near fine, without dust jacket, as issued.
337. POUND, Ezra. The Spirit of Romance. London: J.M. Dent [1910]. His first prose work, a collection of critical essays adapted from lectures Pound had given in London. Gallup A5. The first issue, with gilt top edge, olive brown cloth, and untrimmed edges. Bookplate front pastedown and offsetting to endpages; very mild foxing to pages; cloth a bit worn at the spine extremities. Very good, lacking the dust jacket.
338. POUND, Ezra. Canzoni. London: Elkin Mathews, 1911. Gallup A7. This is the first issue, in grey cloth. Boards slightly bowed, spine a bit tanned; still near fine, without dust jacket, as issued. A nice copy.
339. POUND, Ezra. Sonnets and Ballate of Guido Cavalcanti. Boston: Small, Maynard (1912). Translated and introduced by Pound. Gallup B4. The U.S. edition precedes the U.K. edition. The imitation vellum spine has a small horizontal crack at the head; otherwise a near fine copy, without dust jacket, as issued.
340. POUND, Ezra. Lustra. Privately Printed [1916]. The unabridged text. First edition, first impression. One of 200 copies numbered in manuscript by Pound and stamped with his ink chop. Some minor wear and surface soiling to boards; very good, without dust jacket, as issued. Gallup A11. This first edition contains nine poems that were omitted from the reprint because of the publisher's concerns, and includes the original title of one poem, "Coitus," which was changed in the later edition. According to Gallup, although the book "was technically not published [i.e., "privately printed"], [copies] were sold by Elkin Mathews to those who requested the unabridged text when ordering the book." A scarce volume.
341. -. Same title, the first edition, second impression, with the abridged text, having nine fewer poems than the first impression. One of about 800 copies printed, this being one of the "remaindered" copies, with publisher's information stamped in blind rather than blue on the rear cover. Gallup A11b. Owner name on front flyleaf. Near fine, without the plain glassine jacket.
342. POUND, Ezra. Certain Noble Plays of Japan. Churchtown: Cuala Press, 1916. Gallup A12. One of 350 copies, printed and published by Elizabeth Corbet Yeats at the Cuala Press, in Ireland. Introduced by William Butler Yeats. Pages uncut. Fine, without dust jacket, as issued. A nice copy of an attractive volume.
343. POUND, Ezra. Typed Note Signed. June 16, 1917. Written to Lady Gregory, acknowledging receipt and acceptance of her play. In part: "It has given me an excellent morning. The hell fire and piety parts are especially delightful..." Two paragraphs, two holograph corrections, and signed in full, "Truly yours, Ezra Pound." Folded in sixths for mailing, fragile at one fold; still very near fine. With hand-addressed mailing envelope. An excellent literary association.
344. POUND, Ezra. Typed Letter Signed. February 9, 1927. An extremely encouraging and revealing rejection letter, in which Pound rejects a poem yet requests a manuscript, and in so doing offers glimpses of his own editorial philosophy. Typed on letterhead; folded in eighths; bearing a couple faint smudges; boldly initialed by Pound. Near fine.
345. POUND, Ezra. A Draft of Cantos XXXI-XLI. London: Faber & Faber (1935). The first British edition of this work that was published in the U.S. as Eleven New Cantos XXXI-XLI. Owner name stamped multiple times on the front endpapers; otherwise a near fine copy in a very good dust jacket with small chips at the corners and extremities and a few small spots. Gallup A37c.
346. POUND, Ezra. The Chinese Written Character as a Medium for Poetry. London: Stanley Nott (1936). Written by Ernest Fellosa, and with a foreword and notes by Pound. Gallup B36. Surface soiling to the imitation vellum binding; otherwise near fine, lacking the dust jacket.
347. POUND, Ezra. The Pisan Cantos. (NY): New Directions (1948). Gallup A60. Offsetting to endpages; near fine in a fair dust jacket that is heavily strengthened internally but still splitting along the flap folds. Laid in is the publisher's pamphlet, "Notes on the Cantos," which is fine in stapled wrappers.
348. POUND, Ezra. Confucius. The Unwobbling Pivot & the Great Digest. Calcutta: Orient Longmans (1949). Gallup A58b. The first Indian edition. Translated and with notes by Pound. One of 1100 copies, with a dedication by Pound not in the original edition. Near fine in wrappers.
349. POUND, Ezra. The Spirit of Romance. (Norfolk): New Directions [1953]. A reissue of Pound's fifth book, done in an edition of 500 copies. Very good in a very good jacket, with surface wear at spine folds and a few edge tears.
350. POUND, Ezra. Thrones. (New York): New Directions (1959). The first American edition of Cantos 96-109. Tiny spots on foredge; else fine in a very near fine dust jacket. Gallup A77b. A very attractive copy.
351. POUND, Ezra. A Lume Spento and Other Early Poems. (NY): New Directions (1965). Gallup A83. One of the "earliest copies," according to Gallup, with a descriptive label set into the back cover. Minor wear to corners; near fine, with a supplied acetate jacket.
352. POUND, Ezra. Drafts & Fragments of Cantos CX-CXVII. (NY): New Directions (1968). A small volume printing for the first time in book form several of the portions of the Cantos on which Pound had been working for some time. Fine in a fine dust jacket. Gallup A91.
353. -. Same title, the limited edition. Gallup A91c. One of 310 copies signed by the author. A fine copy in a very good, sunned slipcase splitting at one joint and bumped at one corner.
354. POVERMAN, C.E. On the Edge. Princeton: Ontario Review Press (1997). The uncorrected proof copy. Fine in wrappers with review slip and author photo laid in.
355. POWERS, J.F. Prince of Darkness and Other Stories. Garden City: Doubleday, 1947. His first book, a collection of stories, one of which won an O. Henry Award in 1944. Fine in a near fine jacket. A nice copy of a scarce first book.
356. POWERS, J.F. The Presence of Grace. Garden City: Doubleday, 1956. His second book, a collection of stories that was nominated for the National Book Award. Near fine in a near fine, spine-sunned dust jacket.
357. POWERS, J.F. Morte D'Urban. Garden City: Doubleday, 1962. His third book and first novel, winner of the National Book Award. Slight foxing to top edge; else fine in a near fine dust jacket. Laid in is a New York Post clipping on Powers from March, 1963.
358. PRICE, Reynolds. Typed Letter Signed. July 19, 1972. Approximately 250 words on the topic of Philip Roth and his book The Breast: "He has always been for me the younger American novelist by whom I fell most tested...his work has been alarmingly protean--each book moving, firmly and irrevocably, beyond the territory annexed in the previous..[The Breast] shows that the movement of his work has, after all, been toward comedy...a faith in justice, specific justice--that offenses are punished appropriately by whatever powers witness and temporarily tolerate our lives." Folded for mailing and bearing several pencil and ink editorial marks, presumably signifying where a publicity comment could be carved from the text; near fine.
359. PRICE, Richard. Clockers. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1992. A powerful novel of drug dealers and street life in a contemporary urban housing project; basis for the Spike Lee film. Fine in a fine dust jacket and signed by the author.
360. REID, Alistair. Weathering. NY: Dutton (1978). Poems by this Scottish writer, as well as translations by him of several Latin American writers' works, including Neruda and Borges. Inscribed by the author in the year of publication. Fine in a very mildly sunned, still fine dust jacket.
361. RENDELL, Ruth. The Bridesmaid. NY: Mysterious Press (1989). The advance reading copy of this mystery by one of the preeminent writers in the field--winner of three Edgar Awards and four Gold Daggers from England's Crime Writers Assocation. Signed by the author on a publisher's bookplate tipped to the inside front cover. Fine in wrappers.
362. RENDELL, Ruth. The Crocodile Bird. NY: Crown (1993). The advance reading copy of the first American edition of this novel by a writer who is considered the master of the psychological suspense thriller. Fine in wrappers and signed by the author on a tipped-in bookplate.
363. RICE, Anne. The Tale of the Body Thief. NY: Knopf, 1992. The advance reading copy of the fourth book in her acclaimed Vampire Lestat series. Fine in wrappers, and signed by the author. Reportedly, only about "50 or so" of these advance editions were signed.
364. RICE, Anne. Violin. NY: Knopf, 1997. Her latest novel, published in October. This is the advance reading copy of the trade edition. Fine in wrappers.
365. -. Same title, the limited edition (New Orleans: B.E. Trice, 1997). Of a total edition of 401 copies, this is one of 50 deluxe copies signed by the author. Fine in slipcase.
366. -. Same title. One of 325 numbered copies signed by the author. Fine in slipcase.
367. RICE, Anne. Pandora. Ny: Knopf, 1998. A new collection of vampire tales, due to be published in March. This is the uncorrected proof copy. Fine in wrappers.
368. ROTH, Phillip. Typed Letter Signed. No date. Five paragraphs to his editor at Holt Rinehart Winston, touching briefly on "TGAN" (The Great American Novel), the New York Mets, Milan Kundera, and, at some greater length, on novelist Alan Lelchuck. HRW note across the top: "file Roth MLAAM (My Life as a Man)." Folded in thirds for mailing; else fine.
369. ROTH, Phillip. Typed Note Signed. October 27 [1973]. Three paragraphs to his editor at Holt Rinehart Winston, transmitting a response (not present) to his most recent book. In part: "Well, here's somebody who `got' the book, and figured out what the stories are there for." The last paragraph relays his plans to stay in Connecticut for the winter and "get something new underway. I have some ideas." Folded in thirds for mailing. The year is written in ink, probably by someone at HRW; otherwise fine.
370. ROTH, Philip. American Pastoral. Boston/NY: Houghton Mifflin, 1997. The uncorrected proof copy of his most recent novel. Fine in wrappers. Roth's previous three books have collectively won the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Pen/Faulkner Award, and the National Book Award, an unprecedented accomplishment in contemporary American literature.
371. ROY, Arundhati. The God of Small Things. (London): Flamingo (1997). The first novel by this young Indian author, winner of the Booker Prize, and reprinted numerous times. Interestingly, after being informed of her winning the Booker, the author stated publicly that she did not see herself as a writer, that writing this novel was about her past and was now behind her, and that she had no particular intention of writing another. One of the most highly praised novels of the year. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
372. -. Same title, the first American edition (NY: Random House, 1997), which was also something of a surprise bestseller in this country and was reprinted a number of times. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
373. RUSHDIE, Salman. Shame. London: Cape (1983). First edition of the second in his series of books dealing with Islam and the countries of the East, beginning with Midnight's Children and ending with The Satanic Verses. Shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Very near fine in a fine jacket, and signed by the author.
374. RUSHDIE, Salman. Haroun and the Sea of Stories. London: Granta (1990). A small novel, written while the author was in hiding, about a father and son, and reportedly dedicated to his own young son, whom he was unable to see at the time, for reasons of security. Fine in a fine dust jacket and signed by the author.
375. RUSHDIE, Salman. Good Advice is Rarer Than Rubies. (n.p.): Pantheon (1994). An advance excerpt from his story collection, East, West, printed in an edition of 2000 copies to be given away for promotional purposes. Signed by the author on a tipped-in label, as issued. Fine in stapled wrappers, in publisher's folding card-stock chemise.
376. RUSHDIE, Salman. The Moor's Last Sigh. NY: Pantheon (1996). The American edition of his latest book. Fine in a fine dust jacket, and signed by the author.
377. -. Same title. One of 1000 numbered copies of the advance reading copy. Fine in wrappers in publisher's two-part, sliding cardstock box. Signed by the author.
378. RUSSO, Richard. Straight Man. NY: Random House (1997). The latest novel by the author of Nobody's Fool. This is one of an unspecified number of "Preview Editions" distributed to the sales force. Letter laid in to the sales force; "Preview Edition" sticker on front panel. Fine in a fine dust jacket and signed by the author.
379. -. Same title, the uncorrected proof copy. Fine in wrappers.