Catalog 125, F-G
102. -. Same title, the uncorrected proof copy. Fine in white printed wrappers with an invitation to the book launch laid in.
103. -. Same title. The advance reading copy of the first American edition, which apparently preceded other editions. NY: Harcourt (2002). Fine in wrappers.
104. FAULKNER, William. As I Lay Dying. NY: Cape/Smith (1930). The first issue (with the "I" misplaced on page 11) of one of Faulkner's early Mississippi novels, set in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County, and also a stream-of-consciousness novel, showing one of Faulkner's great strengths as a writer. Slight spine slant; else fine in a near fine dust jacket with several short edge tears (one internally tape-mended) and some faint dustiness to the front panel. A very attractive copy of this title, with none of the fading to the spine with which it is typically afflicted; the hinges are tight; the top edge stain is still a rich dark brown. By far one of the best-preserved examples we have seen, and one of the most important books in the Faulkner canon, by critical consensus.
105. FAULKNER, William. These 13. NY: Cape & Smith (1931). A collection of stories, Faulkner's first volume of short fiction, published after the critical successes of The Sound and the Fury, Sanctuary and As I Lay Dying. Slight sunning to the spine cloth; else a fine copy in a very good, spine-tanned dust jacket with light chipping at the corners and crown and a couple stray ink lines on the rear panel of the jacket.
106. FITZGERALD, Penelope. The Bookshop. (London): Duckworth (1978). The true first edition of this short novel, her second work of fiction. Short-listed for the Booker Prize and published in the U.S. as a trade paperback, but not until nearly 20 years after its original publication in the U.K. Light foxing to top edge; else fine in a near fine, slightly spine-faded, price-clipped dust jacket. A remarkably scarce book in its original edition.
107. FLANAGAN, Richard. Gould's Book of Fish. (Sydney): Pan Macmillan Australia (2001). An award-winning novel by the author of the well-received Death of a River Guide. An unusually designed book, subtitled "A Novel in 12 Fish" and printed in different colored inks. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
108. FORD, Richard. A Piece of My Heart. NY: Harper & Row (1976). The first book by the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Independence Day. Inscribed by Ford on the half-title page. Fine in a very near fine dust jacket with a small closed tear at the crown.
109. -. Same title, the first Vintage Books edition. NY: Vintage (1985). Light creasing; near fine in wrappers.
110. FORD, Richard. The Sportswriter. NY: Vintage (1986). His third novel, a paperback original, and his breakthrough book. Publication as a paperback original in the Vintage Contemporaries series brought Ford a readership ten times as large as the book would have had in hardcover; and his obvious talent lent credibility to what was at that time a fledgling series and an experiment, the results of which comprised a revolution in publishing -- the inauguration of the trade paperback format as the primary means for distributing literary fiction in this country. Ford's sequel to this novel, Independence Day, won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Fine in wrappers.
111. FORD, Richard. From The Sportswriter. (n.p.): Oxford/Salt-Works Press, 1986. A broadside excerpt from The Sportswriter. 8 1/2" x 11". One of 129 numbered copies signed by the author. One of the scarcer items in the Ford oeuvre, having been done both in a small edition and in a somewhat out of the way location, with most copies not making it into the book collecting mainstream. Fine.
112. FORD, Richard. Rock Springs. NY: Atlantic Monthly (1987). His fourth book, first collection of stories. After the critical and commercial success of The Sportswriter, Ford's next book was published by the newly launched fiction imprint of the Atlantic Monthly, with considerable fanfare and promotion. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
113. -. Same title, the first Vintage Contemporaries edition. NY: Vintage (1988). Fine in wrappers.
114. FORD, Richard. Wildlife. NY: Atlantic Monthly (1990). His fifth book, a novel. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
115. FORD, Richard. "A parent's view of what's wrong or right with his kid..." Memphis: Burke's Book Store/Wing and Wheel, 1995. A broadside excerpt from Independence Day. One of 75 numbered copies signed by the author. 7 1/8" x 12 1/2". Fine. An uncommon broadside: we have never offered one, nor seen another copy before.
116. -. Another copy, also signed by the author. Very slight edge crease; still fine.
117. FORD, Richard. Independence Day. NY: Knopf, 1995. A sequel to Ford's third novel, The Sportswriter, and winner of both the Pulitzer Prize and the PEN/Faulkner Award, a rare literary double. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
118. -. Same title, the advance reading copy. Signed by the author. Fine in cardstock slipcase.
119. FORD, Richard. Women with Men. NY: Knopf, 1997. The uncorrected proof copy of this collection of three novellas. A surprisingly small number of proofs seem to have been done, and few have shown up on the market. This is the first issue, with text on the last two pages that differs from that of the published book. One page corner creased in production; else fine in wrappers.
120. -. Another copy of the first issue proof. Signed by the author. Fine in wrappers.
121. (FORD, Richard). The Granta Book of the American Short Story. (NY)/London: Viking/Granta (1992). Ford edits and introduces this massive anthology with work by John Updike, Kurt Vonnegut, T.C. Boyle, Tobias Wolff, Joy Williams, David Leavitt, Lorrie Moore, Paul Bowles, Shirley Jackson, Wallace Stegner, Stanley Elkin, Donald Barthelme, William Gass, Richard Yates, James Salter, Tim O'Brien and many others. The copyright page bears both British and American information; based on the jacket price being in dollars, this is the American edition. Signed by Ford. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
122. FOX, Paula. The Western Coast. NY: HBJ (1972). A review copy of her third novel for adults. A thin strip of sunning to the spine base; still fine in a near fine, mildly sunned dust jacket with one short edge tear. Fox's memoir, Borrowed Finery, received excellent reviews and led to a rediscovery of some of her earlier writing, after she had in recent years mostly limited herself to writing books for children and young adults.
123. FRANCIS, Bruce. Scenic Route. Northridge: Lord John Press, 1990. The author's first book, a well-received horror novel. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
124. -. Same title. One of 250 numbered copies signed by the author. Fine without dust jacket, as issued.
125. -. Same title. One of 26 lettered copies signed by the author. Fine without dust jacket, as issued.
126. FRANCIS, Dick. The Danger. London: Michael Joseph (1983). A mystery novel set in the world of horse racing, a turf the author -- a former jockey himself -- knows well. Signed by the author. According to a Post Mortem Books colophon laid in, this is copy 38 of 100 copies signed by Francis on October 10th, 1983. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
127. -. Same title. NY: Putnam (1984). The first American edition. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket with a tiny nick at the top of the front flap fold.
128. FRANCIS, Dick. Bolt. NY: Putnam (1987). The first American edition, affectionately inscribed by the author. Fine in a dust jacket that has a tiny nick at the heel, otherwise fine.
129. FRANCIS, Dick. Hot Money. NY: Putnam (1988). The first American edition. Inscribed by the author in the month of publication. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
130. FRANCIS, Dick. The Edge. NY: Putnam (1989). The first American edition. Inscribed by the author in the month of publication. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
131. FRANCIS, Dick. Decider. NY: Putnam (1993). The first American edition. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
132. FRANZEN, Jonathan. The Twenty-Seventh City. NY: FSG (1988). The ambitious first book by the author of the National Book Award-winning The Corrections. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
133. GARDNER, John. Artwork. Undated. An original drawing by Gardner, entitled "The Oldest Judge in the World," depicting the lead-off character from his 1972 novel The Sunlight Dialogues. Signed by Gardner. Executed in four shades of colored pencil, measuring approximately 11" x 15". Framed, fine. Gardner's novels were notable, among other reasons, for their being illustrated -- something of a rarity in contemporary fiction, and harkening back to an earlier era of literature when such was the norm. Although Gardner himself generally did not do the illustrations for his books, he did have a strong belief in the importance of the interaction of the printed word and the visual image, and it is interesting to see an example of his own image of one of his characters.
134. GORDIMER, Nadine. Some Monday for Sure. London: Heinemann (1976). First thus; a paperback collecting thirteen stories from her five story collections from the preceding 25 years, with a new introduction by Gordimer. Long diagonal cover crease; else near fine in wrappers. No comparable U.S. edition, and an uncommon title.