Catalog 133, L-M
193. (LAWRENCE, T.E.). T.E. Lawrence by His Friends. Garden City: Doubleday Doran, 1937. A biography of Lawrence of Arabia as "seen through many eyes." Short contributions by dozens of individuals who knew Lawrence. Pencilled owner name and marginal markings; foredge foxing; light surface wear to cloth; a good copy in a fair dust jacket chipped at the corners and folds and internally tape repaired the length of the rear spine fold.
194. LEAVITT, David. The Lost Language of Cranes. NY: Knopf, 1986. His second book, first novel. Inscribed by Leavitt to another writer and his wife "with warmest regards." Fine in a near fine dust jacket with a tear at the lower rear flap fold.
195. (LEE, Harper). FOOTE, Horton. The Screenplay of To Kill a Mockingbird. NY: Harvest/Harcourt, Brace & World (1964). A paperback, printing the text of Foote's 1962 Academy Award-winning screenplay of Lee's 1960 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. With a full-page "Word from Harper Lee" commending Foote's adaptation of her novel, in part: "If the integrity of a film adaptation can be measured by the degree to which the novelist's intent is preserved, Mr. Foote's screenplay should be studied as a classic." Very small owner markings on this page and front cover; minor rubbing; about near fine in wrappers. Very uncommon.
196. LEVERTOV, Denise. Overland to the Islands. Highlands: Jonathan Williams, 1958. An early collection of poetry, her fourth book, printed as Jargon 19. This is the Authors Edition, one of 50 copies, of a total edition of 500. While this edition is called for to be signed by Levertov on the front flap of the dust jacket, this copy lacks its jacket and is inscribed by Levertov on the first blank. Fine in plain white wrappers.
197. LEWIS, C.S. The Great Divorce. NY: Macmillan, 1946. A theological meditation on the "divorce" between Heaven and Hell, written in the form of a parable, by the author of the "Chronicles of Narnia" and The Screwtape Letters, among many other works. Mild foxing; near fine in a very good, foxed and lightly edgeworn dust jacket.
198. LIEBLING, A.J. The Sweet Science. NY: Viking Press, 1956. The first American edition. "Boxing and Boxiana -- A Ringside View." Essays on boxing by the renowned journalist, all of which originally appeared in The New Yorker and helped give that magazine its reputation for incisive journalism that rose to high literary standards. Owner name; cocked; very good in a good, spine-faded and chipped dust jacket.
199. LINDSAY, Norman. Hyperborea. London: Fanfrolico Press (1928). A limited edition of "two fantastic travel essays," published by a fine press founded by the author's son, and taking its name from one of Lindsay's works. One of 725 numbered copies, with illustrations by the author. Pencilled gift inscription; general handling to boards; a near fine copy, without dust jacket.
200. LOPEZ, Barry Holstun. Giving Birth to Thunder Sleeping with His Daughter. Kansas City: Sheed McMeel (1978). His second and perhaps scarcest book, a retelling of Native American tales of Coyote the Trickster, subtitled "Coyote Builds North America." Signed by the author. Lopez revivifies the tales, restoring their humor and vitality, and thus their power to affect the contemporary reader, rather than recounting them in the dry manner of an anthropologist dissecting a "subject." Like Jamie D'Angulo's Indian Tales and Howard Norman's translations of Swampy Cree Indian tales, this book helped to forge a link between the oral narrative traditions of Native American tribes and the realm of written, and printed, literature -- a fusion that is ongoing and is producing some of the most subtle and energized writings of recent years. A fine copy in a near fine dust jacket with trace rubbing at the spine ends. A very nice copy of a book whose dust jacket shows wear readily.
201. LOPEZ, Barry. "Our goal is simple..." (n.p.): Third Place Books, 2004. A broadside excerpt from Resistance, printed on the occasion of a reading by the author. One of 100 numbered copies signed by the author. 17 1/2" x 11 1/4" Fine.
202. MACHEN, Arthur. The Bowmen and Other Legends of the War. London: Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent, 1915. A collection by one of the preeminent writers of supernatural fiction in the early part of the 20th century. First thus, combining "The Bowmen" with other tales and a new introduction by the author. Spine creased and crown chipped; very good in stiff wrappers.
203. MAILER, Norman. Cannibals and Christians. NY: Dial Press, 1966. A collection of essays and articles from the 1960s, touching on political, literary and other matters. Near fine in a very good, spine-rubbed dust jacket.
204. MAILER, Norman. Harlot's Ghost. NY: Random House (1991). Mailer's massive novel about the CIA and contemporary America. Inscribed by the author to a Random House sales representative and with a typed note, unsigned, that reads: "Since you are going to be selling my book, I would like you to read it. Since I would like it even more if you read with pleasure, I inscribe this copy to you." Fine in a fine dust jacket. Together with a copy of a scarce red variant dust jacket, which was reportedly printed at Mailer's request, and done in small quantities. The red jacket is flat, folded at the rear spine fold; fine.
205. MATTHIESSEN, Peter. The Shorebirds of North America. NY: Viking (1967). The extremely scarce signed limited edition of this title: one of 350 numbered copies signed by Matthiessen, editor Gardner Stout, painter Robert Clem and Ralph Palmer, who provided species accounts. Bound in full leather. Very near fine in slipcase. A landmark volume; the definitive work on the subject, and one of Matthiessen's few signed limited editions. A very nice copy of this attractive and fragile book.
206. MAXWELL, William. The Folded Leaf. NY: Harper & Brothers, 1945. The scarce third novel by an author who has been an editor at The New Yorker for 50 years and who was called by one prominent book trade publication "the greatest living American writer." A coming-of-age story of two Midwestern boys. Owner name in pencil on the front flyleaf; a near fine copy in a very good, edge-chipped dust jacket. Uncommon in any jacket, as the book was produced under wartime paper restrictions, and the thin, cheap paper dust jacket seldom survives.
207. McCARTHY, Mary. Memories of a Catholic Girlhood. NY: Harcourt, Brace (1957). A memoir by one of the great American women of letters of the 20th century. Illustrated with her family photographs. Foxing to top edge and stains to foredge; near fine in a very good, spine-tanned dust jacket with light edge wear.
208. McCULLERS, Carson. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1940. Her first book, which was a runner-up for the Houghton Mifflin Literary Fellowship Award, and which earned its young writer -- she was 23 at the time it was published -- immediate critical acclaim and literary recognition. Binder's glue shadows at hinges; slight spine slant; near fine in a very good, lightly spine-sunned dust jacket with modest edge wear and rubbing to the folds. A nice copy of a bulky book that rarely turns up in collectible condition.
209. McPHERSON, Sandra. Patron Happiness. NY: Ecco Press (1983). The hardcover issue. Inscribed by the author to another poet in the year of publication: "For ____ -/ reunion in a church -/ our real miracles being/ in poetry." Fine, with portions of the dust jacket clipped and pasted to the boards and endpages.
210. MENCKEN, H.L. Prejudices. Fifth Series. NY: Knopf (1926). A collection of essays. Rear hinge cracked; handling to boards; fading to spine gilt; still about very good, lacking the dust jacket.
211. MERWIN, W.S. A New Right Arm. (Oshkosh): Road Runner Press (n.d).[c. 1963]. The first separate appearance of an essay that first appeared in Kulchur #11, in 1963, and was written in 1962 at the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Acidic pages darkening; very good in spine-tanned stapled wrappers. Previous owner gift inscription.
212. MERWIN, W.S. Sir Gawain & the Green Knight. NY: Knopf, 2002. A new verse translation by Merwin of this Arthurian tale. Signed by Merwin in 2003. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
213. (MORRISON, Toni). Dreaming Emmett. (Albany): (Capital Repertory Company) (1986). Program for the world premiere of Morrison's first play to receive a full production. At the time, Morrison was the Albert Schweitzer Professor of Humanities at the State University of New York at Albany. The program contains a brief biography of Morrison and a full page of "Notes," that describe conditions in Mississippi in the 1950s. Laid in is a flyer announcing the establishment of a SUNY scholarship fund in the memory of children lost to racial violence and dedicates the play "For Martin [Luther King] with love on your birthday." The flyer is signed in facsimile by Morrison and others. Near fine in stapled wrappers. Scarce.