Catalog 140, K-L
100. KELLER, Helen. Typed Letter Signed. September 22 [1902]. Written to Mr. [William V.] Alexander, editor of Ladies Home Journal, who had requested a series of articles from Keller that were later published as The Story of My Life. Keller humbly thanks Alexander for payment for the last article; in part: "I only wish I could have made the story of my life more worthy of the generous praise it has received...It has meant a great deal in my life, and in Miss Sullivan's too -- the thought of the happiness that she says my compliance with your request has brought her is sweeter even than the thought of the kindness shown me in the letters that come constantly from old friends long silent and new friends whose words go to the heart..." Two 5" x 8" pages, typed with blue ribbon and signed "Helen Keller." A very early letter by Keller, preceding her first book, with exceptionally good content. Fine.
101. KELLER, Helen. The Story of My Life. NY: Doubleday, Page, 1903. Her most famous book, an autobiography and inspirational story of her overcoming her disabilities. Signed by the author and dated May 14th, 1903. Front hinge starting; cloth rubbed at edges and folds; a very good copy, lacking the dust jacket. A scarce book signed.
102. (KENT, Rockwell). VAN WYCK, William. The Canterbury Tales of Geoffrey Chaucer. NY: Covici-Friede, 1930. Two volumes of this translation by Van Wyck, with the original text and the modern translation printed side by side. With decorations by Kent and numerous full-page illustrations by him. Of a total edition of 999 copies, this is one of 924, signed by the artist. One of the most spectacular volumes illustrated by Kent, whose style of illustration was particularly suitable to the extravagant characters described by Chaucer. 10 1/2" x 15 1/2". Bookplates front pastedowns; spines slightly darkened, with some soiling in the gutters. Overall, near fine.
103. KEROUAC, Jack. Correspondence with Steve Allen. April 1958 - February 1959. Two typed notes from Kerouac to television personality Steve Allen. The first, dated April 14, 1958, from Orlando, is typed upside down on 8-1/2" x 11" white lined paper and requests that Allen "arrange another evening like the one you planned" as Kerouac had been unable to keep their proposed date due to having to pick up his "mother & cats to take them back to the new house I bought in Long Island." The note is unsigned, but is folded in sixths for mailing and the original hand-addressed mailing envelope is stapled on verso. The second note, signed in full, is on a half sheet of paper, approximately 8-1/2" x 4-1/2", and is dated February 19, 1959. Kerouac apologizes for declining a gift from Allen, a subscription to The Independent which had offended his mother with an article on the Pope. He further inquires about his and Allen's record coming out, informs Allen of his first full-length book of poems [Mexico City Blues], and enthuses about Harpo Marx and the Three Stooges. Also included is a retained copy of Allen's dictated reply, in part: "I sent your subscription on to Groucho Marx so all is well." Together with two 8" x 10" black and white photographs of Kerouac and Allen together at Allen's piano, with a copy of On the Road on top. Kerouac's appearance on the Steve Allen Show gave a kind of mainstream legitimacy to him, and by extension to the other Beat writers, and he collaborated with Allen on the record album, "Poetry for the Beat Generation." Other than folds and staple holes, all items near fine.
104. KEROUAC, Jack. Doctor Sax. NY: Grove (1959). A novel that is part of his Duluoz saga, a multi-volume, semi-autobiographical account of the author's life and times. Most of Kerouac's friends, family and acquaintances appear in his novels, thinly disguised: he had intended to write the sequence as a self-invented genre that stuck strictly to the "truth," albeit with the free-flowing rhythm and style of his inventive, spontaneous prose -- but was persuaded early on that the legal and logistical difficulties of such an approach were insurmountable. As such he followed through on the plan, simply changing the names of the various characters he chronicled. Inscribed by the author to Jeff Cru, the nephew of Henri Cru, one of Kerouac's early close friends and the real life counterpart of both "Remi Boncoeur" and "Deni Bleu." The inscription reads: "Dear Jeff/ This is the final/ Baroque version/ of the Faust/ Legend, mixed with/ some New England/ Gothicism/ Jack Kerouac." This is the softcover issue of the book; there was a small simultaneous hardcover edition published as well. Wrappers lightly scratched and rubbed on hinges; still very good.
105. KESEY, Ken. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. (NY): Penguin (1976). A later printing of the paperback edition, fully marbled and signed by Kesey. Both covers, spine, and page edges colored by Kesey. Signed in the lower right corner of the new cover art. An attractive example of the psychedelic, and also "bookish," art that Kesey explored in the later years of his life. Fine in wrappers.
106. KEYES, Daniel. Flowers for Algernon. NY: Harcourt Brace World (1966). His first novel, one of David Pringle's 100 Best Science Fiction novels. The touching story of a mentally deficient janitor whose intelligence is surgically enhanced -- temporarily -- first appeared as a short story which was then adapted for television. Winner of the 1966 Nebula Award; the short story that preceded the novel won the 1960 Hugo Award. Signed by the author. One faint corner stain to board; still a very near fine copy in a near fine dust jacket with light edge wear. An uncommon book in the first edition, especially signed.
107. KING, Stephen. Carrie. Garden City: Doubleday, 1974. His first novel, basis for one of the defining movies of the '70s. Signed by the author. Mild splaying to boards; else fine in a near fine dust jacket with slight creasing to the top edge. Scarce signed.
108. KING, Stephen. Night Shift. Garden City: Doubleday, 1978. One of the rarest King titles. This copy has been inscribed by King in 1982 to fellow horror writer Stanley Wiater: "All best from a very guilty (but determined) Stephen King." Wiater's bookplate and address label on front pastedown; stray pen mark (not a remainder mark) lower page edges; else fine in a near fine dust jacket with light wear to the crown.
109. KING, Stephen. The "Dark Tower," Complete Set. (West Kingston)/Hampton Falls: Donald M. Grant [1982-2004]. The deluxe editions of all seven volumes of King's "Dark Tower" epic, published over a span of 22 years with limitations ranging from 500 copies for the first volume, The Gunslinger, to 1500 copies for The Dark Tower. As such, there can be no more than 500 complete sets in total, an extremely small number for a writer as popular and widely collected as King is. This set is uniformly numbered #237, and each volume is signed by King and the respective illustrator of each volume. The titles include: The Gunslinger, The Drawing of the Three, The Waste Lands, Wizard and Glass (two-volume set), Wolves of the Calla, Song of Susannah and The Dark Tower (two-volume set). Each title is fine in a fine dust jacket and slipcase. For the set:
110. KLEIN, Joe. "Anonymous." Primary Colors. NY: Random House (1996). The uncorrected proof copy of the anonymous novel closely based on Bill Clinton's Presidential campaign. The question of the identity of the book's author became the hot issue among Washington insiders as soon as the book was published and continued unabated until a sleuthing reporter from the Washington Post identified Klein by the handwriting on a marked set of galleys. Signed by the author: "Best wishes/ Anonymous/ JK." The only signed copy of the proof that we have seen. Fine in wrappers.
111. KOSINSKI, Jerzy. The Painted Bird. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1965. His highly praised first novel, a powerful tale of a young Polish boy trapped during German occupation in World War II. Inscribed by the author: "To/ Martha Otterson -/ with friendship and admiration/ Jerzy Kosinski/ New York, October 1, 1965." This is the first issue, with an extraneous line at the top of page 270, although the line has been crossed out. Faint water line rear cover and slight fading to board edges; near fine in a very good, price-clipped dust jacket with a couple small edge chips and some blended dampstaining to the rear panel.
112. LAWRENCE, D.H. Amores: Poems. London: Duckworth [1916]. A collection of poems published in an edition of only 900 copies. Inscribed by the author in the year of publication to the poet Dollie Radford: "To Dollie Radford/ from D.H. Lawrence/ with love/ at the beloved Zennor/ 1st August 1916." Lawrence and Radford had an extensive correspondence during the years 1915-1917 (she died in 1920), much of which time Lawrence lived at Zennor, the cottage in St. Ives, Cornwall, that he and Frieda rented. This is the first issue, with the ads in the rear. Offsetting to endpages, mild rubbing to boards; a near fine copy in a crisp, attractive, near fine dust jacket with two edge tears internally tape-mended and the "five" abraded from the price in shillings on both the spine and the front cover. Extremely rare in dust jacket and in this condition, let alone as an association copy. In custom folding chemise and slipcase.
113. LAWRENCE, D.H. Bay. (Westminster): (Beaumont Press) (1919). A collection of poems with illustrations by Anne Estelle Rice, one of the great American modernist artists. This was the first deluxe edition of Lawrence's work, printed and bound by a fine press. The total edition was 200 copies, with the first eighty being signed by the author and by the illustrator and with the 10 plates hand-colored by Rice. Of those eighty copies, this is one of 30 printed on Japanese vellum with a vellum backstrip, the smallest limitation of the edition, this being Copy Number 1. Fine. In custom quarter leather clamshell case.
114. (LAWRENCE, D.H.). The Story of Doctor Manente. Florence: Orioli (1929). A novella by the Italian Renaissance writer Lasca, translated and introduced by Lawrence. The colophon states the limitation as 1200 copies but Lawrence reportedly had 2400 copies printed because of "over-optimism," according to Roberts. This copy is out-of-series, i.e. unnumbered, but is inscribed on the front free endpaper by Lawrence to Lady Ottoline Morrell: "Ottoline from D.H.L." Ottoline Morrell was a patroness of the arts and a longtime friend of Lawrence -- he had dedicated his 1916 poetry collection, Amores, to her -- and she served as the model for Hermione in Women in Love [1920], which caused a falling-out between her and Lawrence. They resumed contact in 1928, when Lawrence heard of her illness and wrote to her in an attempt to "start afresh," as he put it. Paper vellum boards bowed and dampstained; small edge tear to front flyleaf; a good copy in a very good, spine-tanned, printed brittle dust jacket with a tiny tear at mid-spine. In custom clamshell case. Not an uncommon book, but an important association copy.
115. LE CARRÉ, John. Call for the Dead. NY: Walker (1962). The first American edition of Le Carré's first book, which introduced George Smiley. Signed by the author. This is the correct first American edition, with a white dust jacket printed in red, black and purple, not the ubiquitous later book club edition that is often mistaken for a first. Slight spine roll; else a fine copy in a fair dust jacket with only several small edge chips but split along the front flap fold.
116. LEIBOVITZ, Annie. Photographs, 1970-1990. (NY): HarperCollins (1991). A retrospective of her photographs from the first 20 years of her career. Inscribed by the artist in New York, October 1991: "For ______.../ if not for you.../ all my love/ Annie." In her career, Leibovitz has been a freelance photographer and the chief photographer for Rolling Stone magazine; in 1975 she was the concert tour photographer for the Rolling Stones; and in 1980 her now-iconic photograph of a nude John Lennon on a bed with his fully clothed wife, Yoko Ono, was the last picture of Lennon taken before his death. Fine in a fine dust jacket with a small corner nick at the spine base.
117. LEONARD, Elmore. Escape from Five Shadows. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1956. Leonard's third book -- like his first two, a Western. Inscribed by the author twice, once on the title page and once on the half title, both inscriptions to noted collectors, one of whom wrote the first Harry Crews bibliography. Minor, blended stain to rear board; owner name rear flyleaf; near fine in a near fine, mildly spine-dulled, price-clipped dust jacket with slight shelf wear to the spine ends. An extremely scarce book, in part, no doubt, because it is not particularly well-made. Notwithstanding small imperfections, a very attractive copy.
118. LEVY, D.A. North American Book of the Dead. Cleveland: Free Lance Press, 1965. Probably the best-known book by the quintessential hippie-poet of the 1960s, a key figure in the Cleveland underground and a writer whose suicide at a young age ensured him a kind of literary immortality that probably would have surprised him. Published by his own press and, as noted by his bibliographer, "a typically bad Free Lance production with horrendous errors throughout." This copy is warmly inscribed by the author in the year of publication to a fellow poet: "to will inman/ for being/ and for being/ a good friend/ + a perhaps a/ great human being/ d.a. levy/ 65." Folded once vertically, and edge-darkened; very good in stapled wrappers with an old ink price written on the front cover.
119. LONDON, Jack. Typed Letters Signed. 1910-1912. Four letters from London to the secretary of the Vallejo Yacht Club concerning, primarily, his yawl "Roamer" and his skiff. The letters revolve around the maintenance and care of "Roamer" and London's joining the Vallejo Yacht Club in order to see to her care. London and his wife, Charmian, spent much time on "Roamer," and it has been said that sailing her was his first and best method for dealing with depression. Each letter is signed in full; the last, which is on a half sheet of paper, bears two holograph corrections, including the substitution of "port" for "starboard." The letters are folded for mailing; else fine. A nice view of a personal aspect of London's life that was enormously important to his writing life.
120. LONDON, Jack. Autographed Photograph. c. 1912. A black & white image of a young Jack London, printed onto cardstock with a decorative border and London's name printed beneath the image. Signed by London in the bottom margin with the inscription "Yours for the Revolution, Jack London," the customary phrase he used for closing his letters. Additionally, dated "Jun. 16, 1912." Approximately 6" x 8 1/2", mounted and framed to 11 1/2" x 14". Wood frame a trifle chipped; image fine.
121. LOWELL, Robert. Land of Unlikeness. (Cummington): Cummington Press, 1944. The first book by the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning author, published in a limited edition by Harry Duncan at the Cummington Press. This is one of 224 copies of a total edition of 250. Inscribed by the author to Anne Sweeney, the daughter of James Johnson Sweeney, longtime curator of the Museum of Modern Art. Spine and cover edges a little faded, tips of boards worn, some internal foxing, up to the title page. Overall about very good, lacking the plain tissue dust jacket. A nice association copy of an uncommon first book.
122. LOWRY, Malcolm. Under the Volcano. Paris: Correa, 1950. A French reprint edition [Au-Dessous du Volcan] of Lowry's classic, one of the great books of 20th century literature, a tale of a British consul drinking himself to death in the shadow of Mexico's twin volcanoes, Popocatepetl and Ixtaccihuatl. A few years after the book's publication, Lowry died in his sleep after drinking heavily. Under the Volcano was his last book published during his lifetime. This edition has a preface by Lowry written in 1948 that was not in the earlier English-language editions, and is inscribed by the author to novelist David Markson, a close friend during the last years of his life: "To David Markson/ with kind regards/ from Malcolm Lowry. June 20th 1951." Markson's master's thesis, in 1952, was on Under the Volcano and was the first critical assessment of it after the original reviews; twenty-five years later Markson published the first book-length critical study of the novel, entitled Malcolm Lowry's Volcano - Myth, Symbol, Meaning. In the interim, one of Markson's own novels, Going Down, was published to critical acclaim and comparisons with Lowry's masterpiece. Lowry inscriptions are extremely scarce; only a handful have turned up over the years, always to close friends or relatives. Pages browning with age, but still a very good copy in original wrappers. In custom clamshell box.
123. LOWRY, Malcolm. Autograph Letter Signed. Undated, c. 1953. Written to his friend, fellow writer and translator Hoffman ("H.R.") Hays, from a Vancouver address. Two densely written pages, covering both inner panels of a Christmas card, explaining his failure to adequately respond to Hays' having sent Lowry his novel Envoys. In his defense, Lowry delves into his own immediate need to write rather than to read; his family history with regard to his father's legal battles around growing cotton in Peru; and his own convalescence with a broken leg and ankle. He then offers a page of response while simultaneously claiming that he is not yet prepared to respond. Approximately 500 words. Signed, "Malcolm." A little corner creasing; fragile along the card's fold; near fine. Again, autograph material by Lowry is very uncommon.