Catalog 142, W-Z
260. WALDMAN, Anne. Journals and Dreams. (NY): Stonehill (1976). An advance review copy of the hardcover issue of this collection of poems. Inscribed by the author in the month following publication. Fine in a dust jacket edge-sunned on the rear panel, else fine.
261. WALLACE, David Foster. The Broom of the System. (London): Abacus (1997). The uncorrected proof copy of the first British edition of his first book, published in the U.S. in 1987 and published in the U.K. after the success of Infinite Jest. Lower corner crease front cover; else fine in wrappers. Uncommon.
262. WALLACE, David Foster. Girl with Curious Hair. NY: Norton (1989). His second book, a collection of stories. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
263. WALLACE, David Foster. Infinite Jest. Boston: Little Brown (1996). A huge book (nearly 1100 pages), which impressed many critics and readers with its scope and its satirical critique of popular culture as well as with the author's erudition. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
264. -. Same title. The advance reading copy. There were reportedly 1000 copies of this issue sent out for promotional purposes. This copy is signed by the author. Fine in wrappers.
265. WALLACE, David Foster. A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again. Boston: Little Brown (1997). A collection of essays and other short pieces. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
266. -. Same title. The limited edition. One of 100 numbered copies signed by the author on a tipped-in leaf. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
267. -. Same title, the uncorrected proof copy. Textual variations exist between this and the published version. Signed by the author. Author and title written on top page edges; faint corner crease front cover; otherwise fine in wrappers.
268. WALLACE, David Foster. Brief Interviews with Hideous Men. Boston: Little Brown (1999). Stories. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
269. WATSON, Brad. Last Days of the Dog-Men. NY: Norton (1996). Stories. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
270. WELTY, Eudora. On Short Stories. NY: Harcourt Brace (1949). A small volume printed as a Christmas greeting for friends of the author and publisher, limited to 1500 copies. Although not called for, this copy is signed by Welty. Ownership signature front pastedown; spine a bit faded with minor shelf wear; still a near fine copy, in decorated paper-over-boards.
271. WELTY, Eudora. The Eye of the Story. NY: Random House (1977). The uncorrected proof copy of this collection of essays and reviews. Signed by the author. "Welty" written on spine; near fine in wrappers. An uncommon proof, especially signed.
272. WELTY, Eudora. Acrobats in a Park. Northridge: Lord John, 1980. A limited edition of an early story by Welty, written around 1935 but not published until more than 40 years later. With an introduction by her. Of a total edition of 400 copies, this is one of 300 numbered copies in quarter cloth and marbled paper boards, signed by the author. Fine.
273. WELTY, Eudora. One Writer's Beginnings. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1984. Her memoir, and the first book by Harvard University Press to make it to the bestseller list. Signed by the author. Small date and initials title page; else fine in a near fine, spine- and edge-sunned dust jacket.
274. -. Same title. The uncorrected proof copy. Signed by the author. Additional gift inscription. Near fine in wrappers. The proof lacks the illustrations of the finished text. Again, a scarce proof, especially signed.
275. WELTY, Eudora; TYLER, Anne; DICKEY, James and CHAPPELL, Fred. For Reynolds Price. (n.p.): Privately Printed, 1983. A tribute, printed in an edition of 150 copies. Fine in saddle-stitched wrappers and mildly spine-sunned gold foil dust jacket.
276. (WELTY, Eudora). The Art of Willa Cather. Charlottesville: University of Virginia, 1980. Welty's contribution, "The House of Willa Cather," makes up more than two-thirds of this tribute to Cather. Printed in an edition of 1500 copies, this copy is signed by Welty. Fine in stapled wrappers and dust jacket. Scarce signed.
277. WERFEL, Franz. Hearken Unto the Voice. NY: Viking, 1938. The first American edition of this novel by the Austrian author of The Song of Bernadette, among others. Warmly inscribed by the author. Very good in a very good dust jacket. Books signed by Werfel, one of the major modernist European authors of the first half of the last century, are scarce.
278. WILLETT, Jincy. Winner of the National Book Award. NY: St. Martin's (2003). A highly praised comic novel. Signed by the author and dated the month after publication. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
279. WINTERSON, Jeanette. Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit. NY: Atlantic Monthly (1985). The uncorrected proof copy of the first American edition of the author's highly praised first novel, winner of the Whitbread Prize. Only issued in softcover, and proofs of original softcovers tend to be considerably scarcer than their counterparts with hardcover publication. Fine in wrappers.
280. WOLFE, Thomas. Look Homeward, Angel. NY: Scribner, 1929. Wolfe's first book, published in an edition of 5540 copies. This is a well-worn copy of the first edition, lacking the dust jacket, but it is inscribed by the author in the month of publication with a significant association: "To/ Mrs H. A. Watt/ with friendship and thanks/ Thomas Wolfe/ October 30, 1929." Mrs. Watt was the wife of Homer Watt, the Chairman of the English Department at NYU, and the person who gave Wolfe a job as an English teacher there while he was working on this book. Watt himself published a number of books, mostly geared toward the college and academic market; but perhaps most significantly, his correspondence with Thomas Wolfe was published by the NYU Press in 1954. Together with: TERRY, John Skally, ed., Thomas Wolfe's Letters to His Mother. [NY: Scribner, 1943.] A posthumous collection of Wolfe's letters, edited and with an introduction by Terry. With a long, full-page inscription from the author to Homer Watt that reads, in part: "...During one of the most trying periods in the life of Thomas Wolfe, you gave him interesting work which made it possible for him to keep his self-respect and to hold body and soul together..." Signed copies of Wolfe's first novel are quite scarce, and strong association copies especially so. A significant copy of this important book.
281. WOOLRICH, Cornell. Nine Nights in a New York Hotel. Unpublished. Woolrich's own re-working of his 1958 book Hotel Room, with his handwritten changes to a disassembled copy of that book, and original typescripts of two new, additional chapters for the book, entitled Episode 2, "The Fiancee without Future (1900)" and Episode 3, "The Fault-Finder (1915)." A total of 27 new pages of text, initialed by Woolrich on the first page of Episode 2. The typescripts are near fine, with Episode 2 being the ribbon-copy, with a few small holograph changes, and Episode 3 being a carbon-copy, with a couple of small holograph changes reproduced. The copy of Hotel Room has had its front cover and spine removed; on the half-title -- the top page visible of the book -- Woolrich has changed the title of the book, changed the titles of each chapter and handwritten a new table of contents including the two new stories, and changed "Cornell Woolrich" to "William Irish," his pseudonym. In addition, Woolrich has also changed the chapter titles as they appear throughout the book -- e.g., chapter "4 The Night of February 17, 1924" being changed in holograph to chapter "6 The Rub-out (1924)." Woolrich has also simplified the dedication page of the book. Hotel Room was a collection of stories, each of which took place in the same room of a hotel over a number of years. Woolrich apparently decided to update the book by adding two new stories and changing all the titles. Woolrich lived for many years in a hotel room with his mother, and this book was dedicated to her. This was probably intended to be the setting copy for a new version of this book, which was ultimately never published. As far as we know, the two stories included here in typescript have never been published, and the book itself is unique -- the only copy created.
282. WRIGHT, Austin Tappin. Islandia. NY: Farrar & Rinehart (1942). An advance copy in wrappers of one of the classic novels of fantasy of the 20th century. Islandia is a massive (over 1000 pages) novel of a fully imagined continent, with its own history, literature, culture and politics. Like other classics of fantasy -- such as Tolkien's Lord of the Rings or Frank Herbert's Dune sequence -- it uses the reflections of an imagined society's assumptions to shed light on our own world. Aldous Huxley's utopian novel, Island, doubtless derived its name from this novel, which posits a rich and wise cultural heritage against our own narrow and limited world views. This copy is stamped "Sample Copy Not for Resale" on top edge; owner name of bookseller Nathalie W[ahr] S[allade] to front flap. Modest foxing to page edges; slight rubbing to edges and folds; near fine in self-wrappers. An advance issue of a landmark book.
283. "YORK, Jeremy." CREASEY, John. Safari with Fear. London: Andrew Melrose (1953). First edition of this pseudonymous novel, with authorial corrections throughout, presumably for a later edition. Tape shadows across front endpages; near fine in a very good, mildly spine-faded dust jacket with modest edge wear.