Catalog 133, P-R
239. PIÑERO, Miguel. Short Eyes. NY: Hill and Wang (1977). Second printing of this award-winning play. With the notes of film critic Pauline Kael on the half-title, along with a few of her marks in the text. Fine in wrappers.
240. PLATH, Sylvia. "LUCAS, Victoria." The Bell Jar. London: Heinemann (1963). Plath's largely autobiographical novel, which she published pseudonymously in hopes of avoiding the consequences of being recognized by her friends and neighbors, and their recognizing themselves in her book. The novel's clearcut exposition of its heroine's pain and attempted suicide was reinforced by its author's actual suicide (barely a month after publication), lending a mythic dimension to the book. Embossed owner stamp of poet, translator and editor Nathaniel Tarn; fine in a very near fine dust jacket with trace wear to the spine ends. A very attractive copy of one of the literary high spots of the second half of the twentieth century, and a scarce book in the original edition, especially in this condition.
241. -. Same title. London: Faber and Faber (1966). Later edition, and the first edition published under Plath's own name, preceding the American edition by a full five years. Mild foxing to top edge; near fine in a very good dust jacket with a few small spots on the rear panel and a little wear to the crown.
242. PORTER, Katherine Anne. The Leaning Tower and Other Stories. NY: Harcourt Brace (1944). A collection of stories by one of the leading writers of her generation. Two of Porter's books were National Book Award nominees and her Collected Stories, which included stories from this volume, won both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. Pencilled owner name to pastedown; foxing to cloth; very good in a very good, price-clipped dust jacket with two small tears mid-spine.
243. (POUND, Ezra). The Exile, No. 2. Chicago: Pascal Covici, 1927. The second issue of this influential magazine, edited by Pound. With contributions by Pound, Robert McAlmon, Carl Rakosi and others. Owner name in pencil; spine-faded; wrappers separating at spine; a good copy.
244. POWYS, John Cowper. Wolf Solent. NY: Simon & Schuster, 1929. The first American edition of his most famous novel. Two volumes in slipcase. Cloth slightly dusty, and faded where the jackets chipped; about very good copies in good, edge-chipped dust jackets, in a very good, slightly mottled slipcase. Uncommon with both the jackets and the slipcase still present.
245. (RACKHAM, Arthur). WAGNER, Richard. Siegfried & The Twilight of the Gods. London/NY: Heinemann/Doubleday Page, 1911. The limited edition of the Ring of the Niblung trilogy, with a prelude by Wagner and with 30 Arthur Rackham illustrations on tipped in plates protected by tissue guards. One of 1150 copies signed by Rackham. Dampstaining to rear cover and several page margins; foxing to endpages and tissue guards; text block shaken; and isolated rubbing lower front board edge; a good copy.
246. RAWLINGS, Marjorie Kinnan. Cross Creek. London: Heinemann (1942). The first British edition of this narrative by the Pulitzer Prize-winner author of The Yearling, about the land and people of Cross Creek, Florida, one of whom, a formerly close friend, won a lawsuit against Rawlings for invasion of privacy. Foxing to top edge; else fine in a good dust jacket with staining to the spine and chipping to the crown. A very presentable copy of an uncommon book produced to wartime standards.
247. REED, Lou. The Raven. NY: Grove (2003). A limited edition of this collection of lyrics and text based on Edgar Allen Poe, by the legendary rock singer, founder of the Velvet Underground and one of the most influential rock musicians of his generation. Photographs by Julian Schnabel. One of 250 numbered copies signed by Reed. Fine in a fine slipcase.
248. RICE, Anne. Interview with the Vampire. NY: Knopf, 1976. Her acclaimed first book, the first in the Vampire Lestat series, and one of the unlikeliest success stories of the publishing season. Modest hardcover sales of the book would not have led one to imagine the long-term popularity and success of Rice's later books in the Vampire Lestat series, nor did they predict the huge success this novel had in paperback, selling millions of copies. Even so, Rice's novels did not begin to approach such sales again until her next vampire novel, published after two mainstream historical novels. 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. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
249. -. Another copy. Very near fine in a fine dust jacket.
250. -. Same title. NY: Knopf, 1992. The limited reissue. One of 1000 numbered copies of the reissue that were signed by the author on a tipped in leaf. With a wraparound band announcing the publication of The Tale of the Body Thief. Although the colophon states that the first one thousand copies of the reissue (of which this is one) have been prepared and numbered for the ABA Convention in May 1992, the copyright page states "Second printing, October 31, 1992." Fine in a fine dust jacket.
251. -. Same title, the limited reissue "Twentieth Anniversary Edition." NY: Knopf, 1996. Fine in a fine dust jacket and publisher's slipcase, still shrink-wrapped. Signed by the author.
Tom Robbins' First "A" Item
252. ROBBINS, Tom. Guy Anderson. (Seattle): (Gear Works) (1965). Robbins applies his very visual writing style and highly developed sense of joy to an evaluation of the work of Seattle painter Guy Anderson. Precedes his first novel by six years. Signed by Robbins. Quarto; very near fine in stapled wrappers. Reproduces a number of Anderson's artworks, including a color print tipped inside the rear cover. An uncommon piece by one of the most popular writers to emerge from the counterculture of the 1960s, and especially scarce signed.
253. ROBBINS, Tom. Skagit Valley Artists. Seattle: Seattle Art Museum, 1974. Robbins provides the text, in his typical animated style, for this catalogue of an exhibition by 16 artists from the Skagit Valley of Washington state, including Guy Anderson, who was the subject of Robbins' first published book (prior to Another Roadside Attraction) and Aurora Jellybean (two years before the appearance of cowgirl "Bonanza Jellybean"). Minor spine-sunning; very near fine in stapled wrappers.
254. ROBBINS, Tom. Another Roadside Attraction. NY: Ballantine (1975). The fifth printing of the Ballantine paperback edition of his first novel, which had a small hardcover printing when originally published in 1971, but became a bestseller in paperback and a staple on college campuses in the 1970s. Inscribed by the author inside the front cover. Spine creased; edge stain and crease to cover; very good.
255. -. Same title (or at least the same story). Hot dog wrapper signed. Undated. Plain white hot dog wrapper inscribed by Robbins: "To Lindsey,/ one with everything./ Tom Robbins." Appropriate creases, but apparently unused; near fine.
256. ROBBINS, Tom. Even Cowgirls Get the Blues. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1976. The uncorrected proof copy of his second novel, which caused Robbins' cult following to mushroom. Signed by Robbins. This copy also has the holograph annotation "Kitkitdizze" on the flyleaf, which is the name of Gary Snyder's home in Northern California, in a calligraphic print that appears to be Snyder's handwriting. Title written on spine; near fine in wrappers.
257. -. Same title, Sissy-Schlicksalsjabre einer Tramperin. (Hamburg): Rowohlt (1984). A German paperback edition of Even Cowgirls Get the Blues. Trace rubbing to the rear spine fold; still fine in wrappers. Together with a big thumb bookmark printed with the author's name and the title in both English and German. 7" x 2 1/2" at the base. Fine. Uncommon ephemeral item.
258. -. Same title, different medium. (n.p.): Fine Line Features, 1993. 31 different versions of the poster for the film version of Robbins' book, directed by Gus Van Sant. Color photocopies used as proofs for deciding on the final posters -- i.e., most of these images were never used in promoting the film; all but one 8 1/2" x 11"; all but two in English. Fine.
259. ROBBINS, Tom. Jitterbug Perfume. NY: Bantam (1984). Near fine in a near fine, mildly edgeworn dust jacket. Together with the point of sale display: 13 1/2" x 14 1/2" cover art, with folding flaps to stand above display rack. Small creases; very good; frameable.
260. ROBBINS, Tom. Buntspecht. (Hamburg): Rowohlt (1988). A German paperback edition of Still Life with Woodpecker. Fine in wrappers, in (opened and torn) clear cellophane "cigarette" wrapper.
261. ROBBINS, Tom. "It's never too late to have a happy childhood." (Swan's Island): (Saturn Press) (n.d.). A greeting card, reprinting the last line of Still Life with Woodpecker, and illustrated with a dancing elephant for no discernible reason. Signed by Robbins. Fine, with envelope.
262. (ROBBINS, Tom). Vagabond 25. Ellensburg: John Bennett, 1977. A lengthy interview with Robbins. Signed by the author: "Tom Robbins (himself)." Stapled wrappers, with small tears near the staples and surface soiling to wrappers; still about near fine.
263. (ROBBINS, Tom). SIEGEL, Mark. Western Writers Series, No. 42. Boise: Boise State University (1980). Biography and critical commentary, some of it in the context of "western writing." 52 pages; stapled wrappers. Ordering information inked out on rear cover; else fine.
264. (ROBBINS, Tom). Skinny Legs and All. [NY: Bantam, 1990]. Point of sale display for this title. (No book included.) Cover art: 14" x 16" at longest point, meant to attach to display rack. Rubbed, mild edge wear; near fine. Suitable for framing if cropped.
265. -. Another copy. Folded in fourths; very good.
266. (ROBBINS, Tom). Magazine Articles. (various places): (various publishers) (1967-2000). Eight pieces by and about Robbins. Four articles and four interviews spanning four decades, as follows: article on testifying in favor of light shows before the Seattle City Council in Seattle, June 1967; brief story on the reappearance of Atlantis in Helix, Vol. 5, No. 3, c. 1968; interview in Rolling Stone, November 1977; brief essay on living in La Conner, WA in Pacific Northwest, April 1986; interview in Interview, November 1993; interview in Seattle Weekly, April, 1994; cover article on living in the Northwest in Seattle Times, August, 1994, (plus a newspaper ad for the same) and, lastly, an interview in High Times, June 2000. All issues are near fine or better. For the lot:
267. -. Same title: the November 1977 Rolling Stone interview and the April 1994 Seattle Weekly interview only. Both fine:
268. (ROBBINS, Tom). Blooper. (Chicago): Chicago Public Library, 2003. Newsletter of the Chicago Public Library for May 2003, announcing a reading by Tom Robbins, "author of such bestsellers as Welcome to the Monkey House." Robbins once said that he was determined not to read Vonnegut or Brautigan until he finished writing his first novel. He failed at not reading Brautigan, but the Vonnegut influence on his early work might be over-exaggerated. Fine in stapled wrappers.