Catalog 109, W-Z
386. WAUGH, Evelyn. Helena. London: Chapman & Hall, 1950. The first edition of this novel, which was reportedly Waugh's favorite of his own works and followed up on the success of The Loved One, published two years earlier. Spine slightly cocked, otherwise near fine in a dust jacket that is internally strengthened but still near fine. Inscribed by the author: "For ___ ___ /with deep gratitude for/ the pleasures of 'Homage/ & Cheshire'/ from/ Evelyn Waugh." A very nice inscription.
387. WAUGH, Evelyn. The Holy Places. London: Queen Anne Press, 1952. One of a total edition of 950 numbered copies. This copy has been inscribed by the author to Anne Ford, the publicity director of Little Brown who was Waugh's publisher in the U.S. Written in pencil on the front flyleaf is Ford's note to return the book to her, and her address in Boston. Laid in is a 3" x 4" black and white photograph of Waugh taken in his private residential garden, circa 1952. Very near fine in a darkened, very good jacket with several small chips and edge tears.
388. WELCH, James. Riding the Earthboy 40. NY: World (1971). The first book by this author of Blackfoot-Gros Ventre heritage, and one of the most important and accomplished Native American writers of the post-1968 generation. Riding the Earthboy 40, a collection of poems, was never properly distributed as the publisher folded at the time of publication. It was re-published five years later in a revised and expanded form by Harper & Row. This is the true first edition. Inscribed by the author. Laid in is an autograph letter signed, dated July 7, 1971, in which Welch apologizes for his demeanor during a writer's conference: "If I seemed hateful, it is because groups oppress and depress me." Welch goes on to re-state his appreciation of the friendship. A nicely personal inscription in an important first book. Fine in a fine dust jacket with trace wear at the crown.
389. WELCH, James. The Death of Jim Loney. NY: Harper & Row (1979). A review copy of his second and perhaps scarcest novel. Inscribed by the author in the month of publication with a little Indian drawing. Fine in a very near fine dust jacket with one small, closed edge tear.
390. WELSH, Irvine. Filth. London: Jonathan Cape (1998). The uncorrected proof copy of this novel by the author of Trainspotting. Fine in wrappers.
391. WEST, Nathanael. A Cool Million. NY: Covici Friede (1934). The third book by the author of the classic Hollywood novel The Day of the Locust. This copy is inscribed by West to his friend and fellow novelist, Robert M. Coates, on the day before publication: "Dear Bob -/ I offer you a first-class,/ slow-trailing coon hound/ from Kentucky -- a/ real hound with a/ beautiful bell-like voice -- / and you don't even/ reply. You ingrate/ Nathanael West/ June 18, 1934/ How about coming/ down here for the bass/ fishing?" One of 3000 copies printed. Cloth foxed and spine tanned; very good in a very good dust jacket with repairs at the edges and fully along one seam. In a custom folding chemise and slipcase.
392. WESTLAKE, Donald. What's the Worst that Could Happen? (NY): Mysterious Press (1996). The advance reading copy of this Dortmunder novel, one of the several series this prolific author has written over the years, comprising a variety of takes on the mystery genre, from hard-boiled and noir to caper novels. Signed by the author. Fine in wrappers.
393. (WHARTON, Edith). "More Love-Letters of an Englishwoman" in The Bookman, Vol. 12, No. 3. A parody of the then-recently published Love Letters of an Englishwoman, an anonymous, supposedly posthumous, collection of letters that was actually authored by Laurence Housman. Pages partially uncut, a few edgetorn in opening; near fine in wrappers with foredge tears.
394. WHITE, E.B. One Man's Meat. NY: Harper & Brothers (1944). A revised and expanded edition of his 1942 collection of short, inimitable essays -- most from his column in Harper's and a few from The New Yorker. White provides a new foreword for this edition. Fine in a good, price-clipped dust jacket, internally tape-strengthened along the top edge but splitting along the front flap fold. This volume is reduced in dimensions from the earlier, first edition, due to wartime production restrictions.
395. WHITE, E.B. The Second Tree from the Corner. NY: Harper & Brothers (1984). A reissue of this collection of essays, thirty years after the fact. Most of the essays originally appeared in The New Yorker. With a new introduction by White. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
396. WIESEL, Elie. All Rivers Run to the Sea. NY: Knopf, 1995. The advance reading copy of the first American edition of the Nobel Prize-winning author's memoirs. One of an unspecified number of copies signed by the author. Fine in wrappers and publisher's cardstock slipcase.
397. WILLIAMS, Tennessee. In the Winter of Cities. (Norfolk): New Directions (1956). A collection of poems by the author of A Streetcar Named Desire, The Glass Menagerie, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and other modern classics of the theater. Fine in a very good, price-clipped dust jacket with a bit of sunning and a couple of small edge chips.
398. WILLIAMS, Tennessee. Moise and the World of Reason. NY: Simon & Schuster (1975). A novel, this being one of an unspecified number of copies signed by the author on a tipped-in leaf. Fine in a fine dust jacket with a short crease on the front flap fold.
399. WILSON, Edmund. A Prelude. London: Allen, 1967. The first British edition of Wilson's journals. Inscribed by the author "with love," at Christmas, 1967. Slight dampstaining to covers, otherwise near fine in a very good dust jacket. Wilson's signature is uncommon.
400. WOLFE, Thomas. Look Homeward, Angel. NY: Scribner's, 1947. First thus, an illustrated edition of his landmark first book, originally published in 1929. Fine in a fine, internally tape-strengthened dust jacket. A very nice copy of a heavy, bulky book.
401. (WOOLRICH, Cornell). "IRISH, William." After-Dinner Story. NY: Lippincott (1944). A Queen's Quorum title, and a fragile wartime production, printed on thin, cheap paper. Label partially removed from front flyleaf; minor watermarks to lower rear pages; very good in a very good dust jacket with tiny chips at spine crown. Still, a very presentable copy of one of the high spots of the mystery novel, according to "Ellery Queen."
402. WYNDHAM, John. Re-Birth. NY: Ballantine (1955). A novella by the author of The Day of the Triffids and The Midwich Cuckoos (later filmed as Village of the Damned), about a post-nuclear holocaust society and a group of mutant children who are telepaths. Lines were taken from this book to become the Jefferson Airplane's counterculture anthem, "Crown of Creation." One of the very scarce Ballantine hardcovers of the period, with pages browning as usual from the acidity of the paper used; otherwise a very good copy in a dust jacket that has been internally reinforced in spots with tape. A nice copy of a scarce and fragile book, which had impact far outside of the field of science fiction.
403. YARBROUGH, Steve. Two Dogs. Candia: John LeBow, 2000. A story by Yarbrough, with an introduction by novelist John Dufresne. Of a total edition of 200 copies, this is one of 26 lettered copies handbound in boards and signed by Yarbrough, Dufresne and Ewa Yarbrough, who provides an illustration. Fine, without dust jacket, as issued.
404. -. Same title, the wrappered issue. One of 150 numbered copies signed by the author. Fine. A remarkable story by a writer from whom one can expect to hear much in the future.
405. YEATS, William Butler. The Trembling of the Veil. London: T. Werner Laurie, 1922. The limited edition of this volume of autobiography, published the year before Yeats was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature. This is one of 1000 numbered copies signed by the author. A bit of toning to page edges and a slight corner bump; very near fine in a very good, spine-darkened dust jacket chipped and threatening to continue to chip at the crown. An attractive copy of a handsome edition that was printed privately for subscribers.
406. YEATS, W.B. Plays in Prose and Verse. NY: Macmillan, 1924. The limited edition of this collection, one of 250 numbered copies signed by the author. Corners tender; near fine, without dust jacket. A gift inscription on title page reads "Calvert Coggeshall/ to E.E.," Coggeshall being an artist of some repute, and the recipient, "E.E.," being unknown to us.
407. (YEATS, W.B.). Selections from the Writings of Lord Dunsany. Churchtown: Cuala Press, 1912. Introduction by Yeats. One of 250 copies printed. Neat owner signature front flyleaf; else fine in a near fine glassine dust jacket with the title printed on the spine. A beautiful copy of this small volume, printed by the press that was founded by Yeats's sisters.