Catalog 105, N-O
380. NEMEROV, Howard. A Commodity of Dreams. NY: Simon & Schuster, 1959. A collection of stories by a writer who is more well known for his poetry and criticism, and who was Poetry Consultant to the Library of Congress. A good copy in a very good dust jacket.
381. NEMEROV, Howard. Stories, Fables and Other Diversions. Boston: Godine, 1971. One of 3000 copies. Fine in a very near fine dust jacket.
382. NEUGEBOREN, Jay. Corky's Brother. NY: FSG (1969). A review copy of his third book, a collection of stories and a novella, set in the ghettos of New York City. The title novella won the Transatlantic Review Novella Award and is the story of a baseball player, displaying, as did Neugeboren's first book, the author's propensity for using sports as a metaphor for, and a window onto, the problems of the larger society. Inscribed by the author in 1976. Fine in dust jacket.
383. -. Same title. The uncorrected proof copy. Inscribed by the author in 1976. One corner crease, slight dust soiling; still near fine in tall, ringbound wrappers.
384. NIN, Anais. Under a Glass Bell. NY: Dutton, 1948. First Dutton edition. A collection of stories, which includes two of the novellas from Winter of Artifice. Inscribed by the author. A near fine copy, lacking the dust jacket.
385. -. Same title, second printing of the paperback reissue (1959), done by the author's own press. This copy bears the 1959 ownership signature of novelist Larry McMurtry. Near fine.
386. NORMAN, Howard. The Woe Shirt. Lincoln: Penmaen Press (1980). Caribbean folk tales by Paule Barton, translated by Norman, and illustrated by Norman Laliberte. Printed in an edition of 2000, with 100 copies specially bound and, according to the colophon, signed by the translator and illustrator. Apparently, the illustrator only signed 70 of the hundred copies. The book's designer, Michael McCurdy, apparently signed the remaining ones plus 16 of the ones that had already been signed by Norman and Laliberte. This copy is one of the 30 or so signed by Norman and McCurdy only. Fine in an acetate dust jacket.
387. OATES, Joyce Carol. The Wheel of Love and Other Stories. London: Gollancz, 1971. The first British edition of her third collection of stories. Inscribed by the author to another novelist, "with very best wishes," in London in 1971, and signed "Joyce." A nice literary association. Near fine in a near fine dust jacket.
388. OATES, Joyce Carol. The Goddess and Other Women. NY: Vanguard (1974). Her fifth collection of short stories. Oates was nominated for the National Book Award in 1968, 1969, 1972 and 1990, and she won the Award in 1970, for her novel, Them. Fine in a near fine, mildly spine- and edge-tanned dust jacket.
389. OATES, Joyce Carol. The Hungry Ghosts. Los Angeles: Black Sparrow, 1974. Seven short stories, published as a limited edition. Although this issue is not explicitly identified on the colophon, this is one of 50 deluxe numbered copies in a special binding, signed by the author. Fine in acetate dust jacket and publisher's slipcase.
390. OATES, Joyce Carol. The Girl. Cambridge: Pomegranate, 1974. Of a total edition of 300, this is one of 50 numbered copies handbound by Arno Werner and signed by Oates and by the illustrator, Karyl Klopp. With a 24-page blank signature bound in at the back to make the spine fit properly. A few of these deluxe copies were damaged after production and rebound in a heavier binding. This copy, bound in red leather and black cloth, is one of those. An extra, unsigned title page/colophon folio is laid in, which varies slightly from the finished colophon. A rare variant of an edition that was small to start with, and a very attractive production. Fine.
391. OATES, Joyce Carol. Triumph of the Spider Monkey. Santa Barbara: Black Sparrow, 1976. Although an issue that is not explicitly identified on the colophon, this is one of 50 numbered copies, comprising the deluxe issue of this title, signed by the author. Fine in acetate dust jacket, but apparently without the plain black slipcase.
392. -. Same title. A review copy of the simultaneous issue in wrappers. This copy is inscribed by the author in the year after publication. Fine.
393. OATES, Joyce Carol. Queen of the Night. Northridge: Lord John, 1979. A single story, published as a limited edition. Of a total edition of 350 copies, this is one of 300 numbered copies signed by the author. Fine in acetate jacket.
394. OATES, Joyce Carol. Funland. Concord: Ewert, 1983. A single short story, with a short introduction by the author. Copy "A" of 40 deluxe copies bound in quarter cloth and paste paper over boards -- the only hardcover issue of this title, of a total edition of 150 copies. Signed by the author and the illustrator, Gillian Tyler. Fine without dust jacket, as issued. Extremely scarce.
395. OATES, Joyce Carol. Haunted: Tales of the Grotesque. (NY): Dutton (1994). The uncorrected proof copy of this collection of stories. Fine in wrappers.
396. OATES, Joyce Carol. Will You Always Love Me? Huntington Beach: Cahill, 1994. A short story and a small volume, quarterbound in dark blue leather and marbled paper-covered boards. Of a total edition of 101 copies, this is one of 26 lettered copies signed by the author. Fine without dust jacket, as issued.
397. -. Same title. One of 75 numbered copies, quarterbound in brown leather and marbled paper, and signed by the author. Fine.
398. O'BRIAN, Patrick. The Walker and Other Stories. NY: Harcourt Brace (1955). The first American edition of the third book by the author of the popular Aubrey/Maturin series of historical novels. This is a collection of short fiction. Light bump to spine crown; else fine in a very good, sunned dust jacket with one nearly invisible short edge tear on the rear panel. A nice copy of an uncommon early book by the author of the Aubrey/Maturin series.
399. O'BRIAN, Patrick. The Rendezvous and Other Stories. NY: Norton (1994). The uncorrected proof copy of the first American edition of this volume, which was published in the U.K. as Collected Short Stories. Prints "all the stories that O'Brian wishes to preserve." Fine in wrappers.
400. O'BRIEN, Tim. Typescript of "Underground Tests." March 18, 1985. Twenty-two pages, with a typed letter signed transmitting the pages. According to the letter, this is a later draft of this story, reworked and retyped by O'Brien following editorial suggestions. All pages fine, with several bearing additional holograph corrections. The letter is also fine save for the mark of a paper clip, and it also bears holograph additions: two postscripts entreating that the editor keep the original title ("To Be Wanted" had been suggested) and reinsert Ebenezer's "buffalo" speech. Manuscript material by Tim O'Brien is very uncommon.
401. O'BRIEN, Tim. The Things They Carried. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1990. O'Brien's fifth book, a collection of related stories of the Vietnam war and its aftermath that share a number of characters as well as a common narrator -- a "Tim O'Brien" whose experience bears certain similarities to the author's own, as well as a number of differences. Selected as one of the 12 best books of the year, in all categories, by the editors of The New York Times Book Review. Not quite a novel in the standard sense but more tightly structured than the usual collection of stories, it is a powerful meditation on war and death, and on the place that storytelling has in bringing these ultimately unfathomable experiences within our grasp. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
402. -. Same title, a review copy of the first Canadian edition. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1990. Fine in a fine dust jacket. A scarce edition.
403. -. Another copy of the Canadian edition. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
404. -. Same title. The uncorrected proof of the Canadian edition, which consists of the proof of the American edition with a McClelland and Stewart label mounted over the Houghton Mifflin information on the first page. Trace edge crease; very near fine in wrappers.
405. -. Same title. (NY): Penguin (1991). A paperback reprint. Fine in wrappers and signed by the author.
406. -. Same title. (Toronto): McClelland & Stewart (1991). One of O'Brien's own copies of the Canadian paperback reprint. Fine in wrappers and signed by O'Brien, "My Copy."
407. -. Same title. (London): Flamingo (1991). A British reprint edition. Fine in wrappers.
408. O'BRIEN, Tim. Typescript of "The People We Marry." [1992]. Eighteen-plus pages of typescript of this story, which is the first published version of a section of his novel In the Lake of the Woods, and bears the title that that book originally had. Published in Atlantic magazine in January, 1992. The pages are folded in half vertically, slightly rumpled, with a large chip missing from the first page, not affecting text; near fine. The first page is marked, in holograph, "My reading copy," and is signed by O'Brien. Together with the author's copy of the galley sheets with numerous holograph corrections and revisions by O'Brien. Folded, with corner creases and with (authorial?) cup rings and coffee stains; very good. Also together with a copy of the Atlantic in which the published story appeared. The manuscript of the earliest version of an acclaimed novel -- Time magazine's book of the year for 1994.
409. O'BRIEN, Tim. Typescript of "Ambush!" [1993]. Thirty-six pages of photocopied typescript of a story that appeared in Boston magazine in April, 1993, with several holograph changes from 1993, and the author's holograph revisions to the story "(made in May 95) for any future publication." The pages are fine, as is the magazine, and each is signed by the author. The story recounts the British attack at Concord in the Revolutionary War and O'Brien's own experiences in Vietnam, drawing surprising parallels. The revisions done since the magazine publication of the story have not appeared in print to date.
410. O'BRIEN, Tim. Tomcat in Love. (n.p.): (n.p.) (1995). The photocopy of an early draft of the first chapter, which was submitted to The New Yorker as an untitled story. With a photocopied cover letter projecting the themes and questions of the full novel. The distribution list on the cover sheet suggests that six copies only were made of this manuscript submission and this copy includes an original "post-it" note, passing this copy to its recipient. Fine. As might be expected, the text of this chapter was revised between this draft and the final publication of the book.
411. (O'BRIEN, Tim). "Landing Zone Bravo" in Denver Quarterly, Vol. 10, No. 3. (Denver): (U. of Denver) (1976). A short story that was later incorporated, much changed, into Going After Cacciato. Page edges darkening; coffee stain on page in O'Brien's piece; very good in wrappers. Signed by O'Brien at his contribution.
412. (O'BRIEN, Tim). "The Way It Mostly Was" in Shenandoah, Vol. 28, No. 2. (Lexington): (Washington and Lee University) (1976). An excerpt from Going After Cacciato, while it was still in progress. Signed by O'Brien at his contribution. Very good in wrappers.
413. -. Another copy. Light speckling to rear cover; else fine in wrappers.
414. (O'BRIEN, Tim). "Going After Cacciato" in Ploughshares, Vol. 3, No. 1. (Cambridge): Ploughshares (1976). Another piece from O'Brien's National Book Award-winning novel, while it was in progress. Signed by O'Brien at his contribution. Near fine in wrappers.
415. (O'BRIEN, Tim). "The Things They Carried" in The Horizon Reader. NY: St. Martin's (1992). Later printing of this massive (1290+ pages) anthology designed for academic use, signed three times by O'Brien. Fine in wrappers.
416. (O'BRIEN, Tim). "The Things They Carried" in The Story and Its Writer. Boston: Bedford Books, 1995. Later printing. Another textbook short story anthology. Signed twice by O'Brien. Near fine in wrappers.
417. O'CONNOR, Frank. Collected Stories. NY: Knopf, 1981. Posthumously published collection of the Irish writer's stories. Introduction by Richard Ellman. Fine in a fine dust jacket nicked on the front flap. A very nice copy of a large (700+ pages) book.
418. OFFUTT, Chris. Out of the Woods. (NY): Simon & Schuster (1999). The uncorrected proof copy of this book by the Granta 20 author, a collection of stories. Fine in wrappers.
419. OLSEN, Tillie. Tell Me a Riddle. London: Faber & Faber (1964). The first British edition of the author's first book, a highly praised collection of stories. Inscribed by the author to Seymour Lawrence under the front flap: "For the Lawrence of WAKE who still is/ Tillie Olsen/ June 1965." Laid in is an autograph note signed: "This for you personally & your wife who looks/ like my Karla / I hope you can reissue these someday, with other/ pieces/ And other books./ TLO/ A scrawled on picture where we met." Included is a 3 1/2" square black and white photo of Olsen at her desk ("scrawled on" only on verso). The note is on 4" x 6" paper; paperclip imprint, else fine. The book is near fine in a very good dust jacket with tiny chipping at the extremities. An important first book: Olsen has been widely seen as one of the most important American women writers of the postwar era, and her relatively small body of work has had a disproportionate influence both because of its quality and because of the political reality that there has been so little of it, largely due to the societal double standard imposed on women, who have been expected to subsume their careers, literary or otherwise, to the demands of raising a family, keeping house, etc. Olsen began writing in the 1930s but didn't publish a book for nearly thirty years because of the demands of economic survival. The title story of this collection won the O. Henry Award for the best story published the year it came out and later became one of the most widely taught and anthologized stories of the modern canon. Olsen's hope was realized: Lawrence re-published this book in 1969, enabling a new generation of readers to discover her work, which was long out of print by then. He also published her next books, as she had hoped.