Catalog 128, E-G
93. ECO, Umberto. Postscript to the Name of the Rose. San Diego/NY: HBJ (1984). The first American edition of this short nonfiction volume, about the writing of his bestseller, and his thoughts on the purposes of fiction. Inscribed by the author. Remainder mark lower edge of pages, otherwise fine in a fine dust jacket.
94. ECO, Umberto and CARMI, Eugenio. The Three Astronauts. San Diego/NYL HBJ (1989). The first American edition of this children's book with text by Eco and art by Carmi. Remainder stripe to top edge; else fine in a near fine dust jacket with two edge tears.
95. (EGGERS, Dave). Timothy McSweeney's Quarterly Concern #11. (Brooklyn/Iceland): (McSweeney's) (2003). T.C. Boyle, Joyce Carol Oates, Alison Smith, Robert Olmstead, Denis Johnson, Lawrence Wechsler, and others. Leatherbound, elaborate production, with DVD of outtakes and interviews bound in. Fine.
96. EHRLICH, Gretel. "To rise above treeline is to go above thought..." Berkeley: Black Oak Books, 1991. A broadside excerpt from Islands, the Universe, Home printed on the occasion of a reading by the author. 6 1/2" x 13". Faint crease to upper margin; else fine.
97. ELLISON, Ralph. Invisible Man. NY: Random House (1952). His first book, winner of the National Book Award and one of the most celebrated African-American novels of all time. In a poll conducted in 1965, 200 critics, authors and editors judged Invisible Man to be "the most distinguished single work" published in the previous 20 years. Signed by the author in 1986. Slight buckle to spine cloth and trace loss to the spine lettering; one page corner turned; still a fine copy in a very good, edgeworn dust jacket with small chips to the corners of the spine and a quarter-sized abrasion on the rear panel. A high spot of 20th century American literature -- both a classic of African-American fiction and a book that transcends such a racial identification to stand as a literary landmark on its own terms.
98. EUGENIDES, Jeffrey. The Virgin Suicides. NY: FSG (1993). The advance reading copy (marked "Uncorrected Proof") of the first book by this New Yorker 20 and Granta 20 author. Fine in wrappers.
99. FORD, Richard. Wildlife. NY: Atlantic Monthly (1990). His fifth book, a novel. Warmly inscribed by the author in 1992: "For _______/ with my warm wishes/ for you, and Merry/ Christmas/ Richard Ford." One lower corner bump; mottling to lower cloth edge and verso of jacket; near fine in a near fine dust jacket.
100. FORD, Richard. The Sportswriter. NY: Knopf, 1996. The reissue, and the first American hardcover edition, of his third novel and breakthrough book, which was published a decade earlier as a paperback original in the Vintage Contemporaries series. Signed by the author on the title page. Fine in a fine dust jacket with one slight corner nick.
101. FORD, Richard. Good Raymond. London: Harvill (1988). The first separate publication of this piece on Raymond Carver, which first appeared in The New Yorker. No comparable U.S. edition, and thus a scarce Ford "A" item. Fine in stapled wrappers.
102. (FORD, Richard). Writers on Writing. Hanover: Middlebury/New England (1991). An anthology of essays on writing by 25 writers who have participated in the writers' workshop Bread Loaf, including, among others, John Irving, Tim O'Brien, Stanley Elkin, Francine Prose, Joyce Carol Oates, and Richard Ford. Signed by Ford at his contribution, "Reading." Faint blue to foredge; very near fine in a very near fine dust jacket. Most of these essays had not appeared in book form prior to this publication.
103. FORSYTH, Frederick. The Day of the Jackal. NY: Viking (1971). The first novel by this thriller writer, made into a successful movie. Signed by the author in 1976, "Freddie Forsyth." Stain to extreme lower page edges and lower rear board; near fine in a very good, price-clipped dust jacket with light edge wear and some faint dampstaining to the lower rear cover. Forsyth apparently does not sign books often, other than the handful of limited editions that have been produced of his work, and signed copies of his most famous book are decidedly scarce.
104. FRAZIER, Charles. Cold Mountain. NY: Atlantic Monthly (1997). A Civil War novel, the author's first book, and a publishing phenomenon: after a modest 25,000 copy first printing, the book went into dozens of additional printings, eventually selling more than a million copies in hardcover and winning the National Book Award -- a rare combination of literary and commercial success for any work of fiction, let alone a first novel. Fine in a very near fine dust jacket with a slight crease to the top edge, and with the John Berendt blurb attached on a label to the front panel (not exactly an issue point, as some copies had this affixed on publication day, while others didn't).
105. GALVIN, James. Imaginary Timber. Garden City: Doubleday (1980). The first book by this highly praised poet, whose unconventional memoir, The Meadow, was called by William Kittredge "one of the best books ever written about the American West." Inscribed by the author. Only issued in softcover. Faint fingerprint rear cover; else fine in wrappers.
106. GALVIN, James. Fencing the Sky. NY: Henry Holt (1999) A novel, the author's first, after three books of poetry and a highly praised prose work that was a cross between a memoir, a novel, and a book of natural history. Signed by the author on the title page and additionally inscribed by Galvin: "Happy Birthday, Jim/ Jim." Fine in a fine dust jacket.
107. GARDNER, John. Fulgentius's Exposito Vergiliana Continentia and the Plan of Beowulf: Another Approach to the Poem's Style and Structure. [Carbondale]: Southern Illinois University [1970]. An offprint from Papers on Language & Literature, Vol. 6, No. 3, printed for use by the author. 35 pages; stapled; fine. Very scarce: authors' offprints are usually limited to 25 copies or fewer and, while we have seen multiple copies of other Gardner offprints, this is the only copy of this one that we've encountered.
108. GARDNER, John. Rumpelstiltskin. Dallas: New London Press (1978). Stapled signatures of this libretto, with a 1978 copyright date, published in an edition of 1000 copies that were for sale at the performances of the opera in Philadelphia, on December 26-30. Eventually published in book form in 1979 in a limited edition of 250 numbered, signed copies and 750 trade copies. Fine and, although not called for, signed by the author.
109. GARDNER, John. The Art of Living. NY: Knopf, 1981. A review copy of this collection of short stories, published shortly before Gardner died in a motorcycle accident. Fine in a very near fine dust jacket with edge-sunning to the flaps, with publisher's review slip laid in.
110. GARDNER, John. On Books. (n.p.): Castle Press/George Houle, 1981. A broadside printing Gardner's paean to the finely printed book. Designed by Herb Yellin and printed in an edition of 100 numbered copies. Signed by Gardner. 11" x 15". Rolled; else fine. An uncommon piece, done in a small signed edition the year before Gardner died.
111. GARDNER, John. Lies! Lies! Lies!: A College Journal of John Gardner. (Rochester): University of Rochester Libraries (1999). A limited edition, printing, in facsimile, Gardner's college journal. Of a total edition of 2000 copies, only half of which were hardcover, this is one of 200 numbered hardcover copies signed by Thomas Gavin, who provides the introduction. Quarterbound in cloth and marbled paper boards; fine without dust jacket, as issued.
112. -. Same title, the uncorrected proof copy. Fine in wrappers. Rare.
113. (GARDNER, John). "Writers on Writing." (Rochester): (University of Rochester) (1973). Pamphlet printing the text of a panel discussion featuring Gardner, Judith Rascoe and George P. Elliot and moderated by L.J. Davis. The discussion took place during the 1973 University of Rochester Writers Workshop and was locally televised. Fine in stapled wrappers; illustrated with photographs. The only appearance in print of this talk by Gardner, Rascoe (author of the novel Yours and Mine, and screenwriter for the film adaptations of Robert Stone's first two novels) and Elliot, a novelist and National Book Award finalist.
114. (GARDNER, John). "Songs for the End of the World" in The Music of Warren Benson. [Rochester]: Eastman School of Music, 1980. Program for a concert by Benson in the Kilbourn Concert Series, printing the text of a six-poem song cycle that Gardner wrote for Benson to feature the French horn. With an additional half-page program note by Gardner. Four sheets, folded to make an 8-page pamphlet. Fine. Laid in is an invitation to a reception honoring the composer. Scarce.
115. GIBBONS, Kaye. Ellen Foster. Chapel Hill: Algonquin, 1987. Her highly acclaimed first novel, which won the Sue Kaufman Prize for First Fiction of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters and was awarded a special citation by the Ernest Hemingway Foundation. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
116. GOLD, Ivan. Nickel Miseries. NY: Viking (1963). The author's first book, a collection of stories. Inscribed by the author. Gold reportedly struggled with alcohol problems for many years, as chronicled in his second and third books, the novel Sick Friends and its sequel, published twenty years later, Sams in a Dry Season. His work has been praised by Philip Roth and Robert Stone, and it was Gold's favorable review of Stone's first novel, A Hall of Mirrors, on the front page of The New York Times Book Review that helped establish Stone's reputation as a writer of great importance. Slight edge sunning to rear board; still fine in a near fine dust jacket with a bit of rubbing and a couple small edge tears.
117. GOLDEN, Arthur. Memoirs of a Geisha. NY: Knopf, 1997. A highly praised first novel written from the point of view of a young geisha, which became a surprise bestseller, staying on the bestseller lists for over a year and going into more than 35 printings, a rarity for a literary novel. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
118. GORDIMER, Nadine. Jump. NY: FSG (1991). The first American edition of this book, the eighth collection of stories by the South African Nobel Prize winner. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
119. (GORDIMER, Nadine). "City of the Dead, City of the Living" in Granta 6. (Cambridge): Granta (1983). An early issue of this important journal of contemporary writing. Signed by Gordimer at her contribution. Spine sunned; near fine in wrappers.
120. GURGANUS, Allan. Breathing Lessons. (Durham): (North Carolina Wesleyan College Press), 1981. A single short story, printed in an edition of 500 copies, 50 of which were numbered and signed. The first separate publication by the author of the acclaimed Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All. This copy, unnumbered, is inscribed by the author on the rear cover in 1990. A bit of smudging to the inscription; trace rust near the staples; else fine in stapled wrappers. Scarce.
121. GURGANUS, Allan. Good Help. Rocky Mount: North Carolina Wesleyan College Press, 1988. A section of Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All, issued as a limited edition before that book came out. One of 1000 copies, of a total edition of 1026. In addition to being signed by the author, as the entire edition was, this copy is inscribed by the author. Fine in wrappers, with illustrations by Gurganus.
122. GURGANUS, Allan. The Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All. NY: Knopf, 1989. The author's highly regarded first novel, a surprise bestseller and one of the publishing events of the year. Warmly inscribed by the author in 1990 to "a soul mate and kindred spirit." Fine in a fine dust jacket.
123. GURGANUS, Allan. Blessed Assurance. Rocky Mount: North Carolina Wesleyan College Press, 1990. A limited edition printing one of the stories that would appear in his 1991 collection White People. One of 2000 copies, signed by the author. Fine, without dust jacket, as issued.
124. -. Another copy. Signed and additionally inscribed by Gurganus in the year of publication: "To ___ ___ -- / a fellow bookman/ and a great force/ for the good./ Yr. admirer,/ Allan Gurganus." Fine, without dust jacket, as issued.
125. GURGANUS, Allan. White People. NY: Knopf, 1991. A collection of short fiction, winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Award. Warmly inscribed by the author in March, 1991. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
126. GURGANUS, Allan. The Practical Heart. (Rocky Mount): North Carolina Wesleyan College Press, 1993. One of 1000 numbered copies signed by the author. This copy is additionally inscribed by Gurganus in 1994: "To ___,/ a fellow bookman,/ an impractical heart -- / With warmest regards/ from your old friend -- / Allan." Fine in pictorial boards, without dust jacket, as issued.
127. GURGANUS, Allan. Plays Well with Others. NY: Knopf, 1997. Inscribed by the author in the year of publication. Crown bump; near fine in a fine dust jacket.
128. GURGANUS, Allan. It Had Wings. (n.p.): Horse and Buggy Press, 1997. An illustrated limited edition of his widely anthologized short story, which was set to music by Bruce Saylor. Printed in an edition of 335 numbered copies, with illustrations by, and signed by Gurganus. This copy is additionally warmly inscribed "in love and friendship" by the author. Fine in wrappers handmade from abaca fibers. An attractive production.
129. GUTERSON, David. Snow Falling on Cedars. NY: Harcourt Brace (1994). His first novel, a well-written and touching story of a murder trial on an island in Puget Sound in the aftermath of World War II. The evocative prose captures an era, depicting the conflicting sensibilities of the island's Japanese-American community and its white, patriotic fishermen. On the basis of this book, Guterson was included on the list of Granta's 20 best young American writers. Winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket.