Catalog 113, T-Z
311. THOMPSON, Hunter S. Hell's Angels. London: Allen Lane, 1967. The first book by the Gonzo reporter who later gained counterculture (and literary) immortality with his drug-soaked memoir, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Thompson developed his reporting-by-immersion approach with this book, spending a year hanging out with the California Angels, eventually getting beaten up by several of them. His account, written in an immediate and direct, first-person style, was an example of the "New Journalism" just then beginning to be practiced, and an attempt to convey, as closely as possible without being a member of the motorcycle club, the experience of being with the Hell's Angels -- their lives, their cares, their values. This is the extremely scarce first British edition: we have never seen another copy offered for sale. Owner initials on flyleaf and a few neat marginal notations; near fine in a very good, moderately rubbed and edgeworn dust jacket that has been internally strengthened. An extremely scarce edition of an important first book, which gives a view of one of the significant but little-understood elements of the Sixties youth movements.
312. TROCCHI, Alexander. Cain's Book. NY: Grove Press (1960). The uncorrected proof copy of this book, a landmark of drug literature and a book linking the fiction of the Beat era with the literature of the Sixties. Tall, wide galley sheets printed on rectos only, string-bound into plain cardboard covers with publisher's label and rubber stamps. A few changes made to text, although the source of the changes is uncertain. 8 3/4" x 12 3/8". An unusual format that suggests very few copies would have been done in this manner. Near fine.
313. (Ubu Gallery). Announcement. (San Francisco): (King Ubu) (n.d.)[1952]. Announcement for the first show at King Ubu Gallery, "Large Scale Drawings and Sculpture," on December 20, 1952. Featuring the work of eleven painters (Jess Collins, Elmer Bischoff, Lynn Brown, Harry Jacobs, Claire Mahl, David Moore, David Park, Philip Roeber, Hassel Smith, Fred Snowden, James Weeks) and one sculptor, Miriam Hoffman. Folded in fourths for intended mailing; fine.
314. UDALL, Brady. Letting Loose the Hounds. NY: Norton (1997). The first book by this Western writer, a collection of stories. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket with blurbs by William Kittredge, John Dufresne, Thom Jones and others. Laid in is an autograph note signed by the author.
315. UPDIKE, John. Rabbit Redux. NY: Knopf, 1971. Advance review copy of the second book in the author's highly praised Rabbit Angstrom series. Nominated for the National Book Award. This is a fine copy in fine dust jacket, with publisher's review slip and promotional photograph laid in.
316. UPDIKE, John. More Matter. NY: Knopf, 1999. His 50th book, a massive collection of essays and criticism from the previous eight years, running to nearly 900 pages, with a preface by the author. A generous and erudite collection, which helps explain the rather extraordinary degree to which Updike has been collected by contemporary bibliophiles. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
317. UPDIKE, John. Licks of Love. NY: Knopf, 2000. A collection of short stories and a novella, "Rabbit Remembered," a sequel to the Rabbit Angstrom sequence. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
318. (UPDIKE, John). The Best American Short Stories 1980. [Boston]: [Houghton Mifflin], [1980]. Unbound 8 1/2" x 11" sheets of this collection edited by Stanley Elkin and with stories by Updike, John Sayles, Donald Barthelme, Grace Paley, Peter Taylor, Mavis Gallant, Elizabeth Hardwick and others. Elkin's introduction bears copyeditor's marks throughout. Minor edgewear to a few pages; else fine.
319. (UPDIKE, John). CHEEVER, John. Expelled. (Los Angeles): Sylvester & Orphanos (1988). The first separate appearance of the first story of Cheever's to be accepted for publication, by The New Republic in 1930. Malcolm Cowley, the editor who accepted the story, provides an introduction; Updike provides an afterword. A miniature book designed by Warren Chappell; approximately 3" x 2 1/4". One of 185 copies signed by Cheever, Cowley, Chappell and Updike, whose afterword runs ten (miniature) pages. Fine in slipcase.
320. VONNEGUT, Kurt, Jr. God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, Or Pearls Before Swine. NY: HRW (1965). The uncorrected proof copy of Vonnegut's sixth book, one of the novels that began to earn him a small but passionate following in the mid-1960s, before his breakthrough to the status of "major author," which came when Slaughterhouse-Five was published. This is the earliest state of the proof: tall sheets ringbound in blue wrappers, printed on rectos only. Cardstock covers abraded and spotted; very good, in a custom quarter leather clamshell box. The later issue proof, also ringbound, was in beige wrappers. This copy is signed by the author in 1996, with a self-caricature. One of the earliest Vonnegut proofs we have seen, possibly the earliest.
321. VONNEGUT, Kurt. Slapstick. Franklin Center: Franklin Library (1976). The closest he had come, at that time, to writing an autobiography, and the first of his books to be issued in a limited edition. (There was also a limited edition done by the trade publisher). This is also the first of his books to be authored under the name of Kurt Vonnegut rather than Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., which he explains, along with a few ideas on dignity, language and leather bindings, in the introduction written for this edition. Leatherbound, all edges gilt, silk ribbon marker bound in. Fine.
VONNEGUT, Kurt. See "STEADMAN."
322. WALTERS, Minette. The Scold's Bridle. NY: St. Martin's (1994). The first American edition of the author's third novel. Her secone, The Sculptress, won the Edgar Award for Best Mystery of the year. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
323. WEBER, Katharine. Objects in Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear. NY: Crown (1995). Her well-received first book. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket. Laid in is a typed note signed by the author.
324. WEST, Nathanael. A Cool Million. NY: Covici Friede (1934). The third book by the author of Miss Lonelyhearts and the classic Hollywood novel, The Day of the Locust. This copy inscribed by the author to a Hollywood friend with the sardonic comment "Every picture a career" in 1939, and signed "Nat West." Moderate soiling to cloth and small bump to foredge; very good in very good dust jacket with several shallow chips and a few short edge tears. In custom folding chemise and slipcase. A scarce book and extremely uncommon signed: West died in a car accident in 1940, when he was 36 years old.
325. 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. Laid in is a typed note (unsigned) by Westlake, on his personal stationery and with typed mailing envelope.
326. WOIWODE, Larry. Poppa John. NY: FSG (1981). The uncorrected proof copy of this short novel about a failed actor, by the author of Beyond the Bedroom Wall and What I'm Going to Do, I Think, among others. Publicity information stapled inside front cover; fine in wrappers.
327. WOIWODE, Larry. Acts. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1993. The advance reading copy. A reflection on the Church, writing, and his own life. Fine in wrappers.
328. WOOLF, Virginia. The London Scene. NY: Frank Hallman (1975). One of 750 copies. With a typed letter signed by the publisher to Pauline Kael laid in, apologizing for previous comments (note on the letter, in Kael's hand, indicates "He phoned"). The letter is folded in fourths; else fine. The book is fine in a dust jacket with one closed edge tear.
329. YOUNG, Marguerite. Inscription. 1977. A Chinese "accordion" book, folding to 3" x 1"; the verso of the accordian having been inscribed by Young on each of the 43 tiny pages -- a full-book inscription, which begins: "Given to me by/ Anais Nin/ the smallest/ book in the/ world/ on publication of/ Miss MacIntosh, My Darling,/ which she said was/ the biggest book in the/ world - given this day/ October 28, 1977,/ to/ ____ ____ ..." and continues on through "the blasted apples of capitalism" to some heartfelt well-wishing. Approximately 125 words. Tiny, fragile, fine.