Catalog 110, Q-T
333.RANDALL, Margaret. Giant of Tears. NY: Tejon Press, 1959. One of 500 copies of her first book, this copy unnumbered. Inscribed by the author: "To Joel [Oppenheimer?] -- / The light doesn't shine every/ day -- but the dark days have their own beauty -- / and in ugliness there/ is also beauty -- / Love from Meg/ 1/5/60." A couple tape marks on the prelims and some light dust-soiling to covers; near fine in wrappers.
334.RANKIN, Ian. Death is Not the End. (London): Orion (1998). A novella by the Scottish mystery writer, featuring the same protagonist as in his series of novels, Detective Inspector John Rebus. Rankin is widely considered one of the best detective novelists in Britain today, if not the best. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
335.RANKIN, Ian. Dead Souls. (London): Orion (1999). Another in the Inspector Rebus series. The previous entry in the series won the Macallan Gold Dagger award for fiction. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket, with publisher's "Special Introductory Price" sticker.
336.RANKIN, Ian. Set in Darkness. (London): Orion (2000). The latest John Rebus novel. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
337.RAY, Janisse. Ecology of a Cracker Childhood. (Minneapolis): Milkweed Editions (1999). A memoir of a woman who grew up poor in the rural South and later became an environmental activist. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket, with blurbs by Wendell Berry, Bailey White and Peter Matthiessen, among others.
338.RICE, Anne. Interview with the Vampire. NY: Knopf, 1976. Her acclaimed first book, the first in the Vampire Lestat series, and the first book of a literary career that can only be described as remarkable: Rice's vampire novels are unprecedented bestsellers as well as being critically acclaimed, and even her erotic novels of sado-masochism have achieved a kind of mainstream success that defies prediction. This is the scarcest of the books, particularly in nice condition, as the gold foil dust jacket is notoriously prone to wear. This copy has a remainder mark at the bottom of the text block and a bookstore stamp on the front flyleaf; otherwise a fine copy in a very good, worn but very presentable jacket.
339.RICH, Adrienne Cecile. A Change of World. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1951. Her first book, a volume in the Yale Series of Younger Poets and with an introduction by W.H. Auden. Two cards laid in: one says "Sent at the request of Mrs. Fiske Warren." The second is an autograph note signed by Rich, written on two sides of an index card and addressed to a "Mrs. Roberts," in which Rich declines an invitation to the Manuscript Club dinner due to a prior engagement. The cards are fine; the book is edge-sunned with some faint staining to the boards and slight corner bumps; very good.
340.ROWLING, J.K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. (NY): Scholastic Press (1998). The advance reading copy of the first American edition of the first volume in the acclaimed Harry Potter series, which has enjoyed unprecedented commercial success and has seen the prices of the first editions in the series rise to astonishing levels in an extremely short time. A publishing phenomenon as well as a unique phenomenon in the already volatile world of "hypermodern" first editions. Fine in wrappers.
341.SATTERTHWAIT, Walter. The Hanged Man. NY: St. Martin's (1993). A mystery novel set in the American Southwest and featuring detective Joshua Croft. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
342.SATTERTHWAIT, Walter. Accustomed to the Dark. NY: St. Martin's (1996). Another Joshua Croft mystery. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
343.SCHONBERG, Leonard. Deadly Indian Summer. Santa Fe: Sunstone Press (1997). A novel set among the Navajo featuring a Navajo doctor, by a writer who is from Montana and is himself a doctor. Signed by the author. Spine base bump; else fine in like dust jacket.
344.SCHONBERG, Leonard. Fish Heads. Santa Fe: Sunstone Press (1999). His second novel, this one set in the South Pacific and also featuring a doctor as its protagonist. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
345.SETTLE, Mary Lee. Celebration. NY: FSG (1986). The first trade edition of this novel (preceded by the Franklin Library edition). Inscribed by the author to another well-known writer: "For ____,/ who is/ a long time whisperer-and-/ laugher-and- understander/ togetherer -/ Much love/ Mary Lee." One page corner turned; fine in a near fine, edge-sunned dust jacket. An excellent literary association copy.
346.SHAARA, Michael. "Wainer." (n.p.):(n.p.)(n.d.)[1952]. Fifteen page typescript of a story submitted to the science fiction magazine Galaxy, with a sixteenth page that consists of a story blurb by Shaara: "Certainly, life has a meaning -- though sometimes it takes a lifetime to learn what it is." The first page is dated in pencil "9/23/52" and the text has been copy-edited; the story appeared in the April, 1954 issue, by our count his fourth appearance in Galaxy (after "Orphans of the Void" in June, 1952; "Soldier Boy," in July, 1953; and "The Book" in November, 1953). The pages have been folded in fourths and bear a small puncture in the upper right quadrant, partially affecting fewer than a dozen letters throughout. Near fine. Shaara won the Pulitzer Prize in 1975 for his novel Killer Angels, which is widely considered the best Civil War novel ever written. Early in his career he wrote science fiction, and we have seen very few examples of manuscript material by him appear on the market.
347.SIMON, Claude. The Invitation. Elmwood Park: Dalkey Archive (1991). The first American edition of a 1987 novel by this Nobel Prize-winning author. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
348.SKINNER, Robert. Daddy's Gone A-Hunting. (Scottsdale): Poisoned Pen Press, 1999. A New Orleans mystery, the third in this author's well-received series featuring nightclub owner Wesley Farrell. Signed by the author. Very slight corner bumps; else fine in a fine dust jacket.
349.SMITH, Lee. Fancy Strut. NY: Harper & Row (1973). Her third novel. Apparently a review copy, as the flyleaf bears the label of a known reviewer. Near fine in a near fine dust jacket.
350.SNYDER, Gary. Typed Note Signed. May 9, 1996. An aerogramme to Diane di Prima, written from Japan, agreeing to something, with the exception being that she leave off the "respectfully yours." Snyder adds: "the cherry blossoms having departed for the Other Shore, the azalea blossoms send back their answer." He closes: "yours fraternally in the workers & peasants struggle." Folded in fourths for mailing, and mildly edgetorn in opening; very near fine. A wonderful association between two of the most important poets of postwar America.
351.(SNYDER, Gary). Alcheringa, Vol. 2, No. 2. (Boston): Boston University, 1976. A special issue reporting on a First International Symposium on Ethnopoetics at the University of Wisconsin. Contributions by Jerome Rothenberg, Dennis Tedlock, Nathaniel Tarn, Fredric Jameson, George Quasha, David Antin, and Snyder, whose piece is on "The Politics of Ethnopoetics." Quarto; near fine in wrappers.
352.SOYINKA, Wole. Art, Dialogue and Outrage. NY: Pantheon Books (1994). The first American edition of the 1986 Nobel Prize winner's essays on literature and culture. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
353.STAFFORD, Jean. The Mountain Lion. NY: Harcourt Brace (1947). Her second novel. One page edge-creased; else fine in a very good dust jacket with modest rubbing and edge wear. Stafford's Collected Stories won the 1970 Pulitzer Prize for fiction.
354.STEADMAN, Ralph. Kentucky Derby 1970. (Lexington): (Petro Graphics III) (1970). A 30th anniversary silkscreen print commemorating the day Steadman met Hunter S. Thompson while on assignment at Churchill Downs. One of 77 copies signed by the artist. Approximately 30" x 22". Also included is a 13" x 20" silkscreened "colophon" giving the story. Both items are rolled; else fine.
355.STONE, Robert. Dog Soldiers. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1974. The uncorrected proof copy of his second book, winner of the National Book Award and one of the best novels to link the impact of the Vietnam war on American society in the Sixties to the dark side of that era -- the official corruption and the underside of the drug experiences of a generation. Filmed as Who'll Stop the Rain, starring Nick Nolte, whose character, Ray Hicks, is based in part on Neal Cassady, friend and collaborator with Stone's longtime friend, Ken Kesey, as one of the Merry Pranksters of 1960s counterculture legend. This is the first issue proof, in plain orange printed wrappers. Signed by the author. Staple puncture to first blank; faint spine fade and crown bump; else fine.
356.-. Same title, the second issue proof, in gold-brown wrappers with a publisher's letter to booksellers reproduced on the front cover. Ink notes on rear cover; spine lean; near fine.
357.STRALEY, John. Death and the Language of Happiness. NY: Bantam (1997). The fourth mystery by this award-winning novelist; set in Sitka, Alaska, and featuring detective Cecil Younger. Signed by the author, with the added word "Sitka" beneath the publisher's logo. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
358.THEROUX, Alexander. Darconville's Cat. Garden City/London: Doubleday/Hamish Hamilton (1981). A hybrid edition created from the American edition, with a Hamish Hamilton sticker added to the title page and a price in sterling affixed to the rear panel. Nicely inscribed by the author to another well-known writer. Slight bowing to boards; near fine in a modestly rubbed, near fine dust jacket.
359.TRUDEAU, Garry. Doonesbury Deluxe. NY: Henry Holt (1987). The simultaneous wrappered edition. Warmly inscribed by Trudeau to a well-known writer in the year of publication, "with admiration and ardency -- ." Quarto; near fine.
360.TRUDEAU, Garry. Planet Doonesbury. Kansas City: Andrew McMeels (1997). Inscribed by Trudeau to a well-known writer, "from my planet to yrs." Quarto. Faint corner bump; else fine in self-wrappers.
361.TYLER, Anne. Breathing Lessons. Franklin Center: Franklin Library, 1988. The true first edition of this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. Bound in leather, stamped in gold and silver, with gilt page edges and a silk ribbon marker bound in. Signed by the author. With a special introduction by Tyler for this edition in which she draws parallels between disaster movies and family life. Fine.
362.TYLER, Anne. Saint Maybe. Franklin Center: Franklin Library, 1991. The true first edition, leatherbound, gilt stamped, with silk marker and gilt page edges. Signed by the author, with a special introduction by her for this edition on the role playing involved in the writing process. By comparison with the trade edition, which had a first printing that numbered in the six figures, this is a scarce edition: the Franklin Library prospectus assures that no book will have a printing larger than 7500 copies, and several more recent ones for which we have obtained figures came in at half that number. Fine.
363.TYLER, Anne. Ladder of Years. Franklin Center: Franklin Library, 1995. The true first edition, a leatherbound limited edition with a special introduction by Tyler relating the genesis of the book. Page edges gilt, silk ribbon marker bound in. Signed by the author. Fine.