Catalog 142, U-V
237. UPDIKE, John. Pigeon Feathers and Other Stories. (London): Deutsch (1962). The first British edition of Updike's fifth book, and second collection of stories. Inscribed by the author: "to ___ ___/ a Happy Birthday from John and Mary Updike (with added drawing of candle-lit three-layer cake). Crease to flyleaf and flaking to spine gilt; near fine, lacking full jacket but with rear flap tipped to front pastedown. An unusual inscription, one of the few we've ever seen with an illustration and doubtless the only one with a birthday cake... Updike studied art for a number of years, even submitting some of his drawings to The New Yorker for publication. He won a fellowship to study art in Oxford, England, after graduating from Harvard.
238. UPDIKE, John. Of the Farm. (London): Andre Deutsch (1966). The first British edition of this short novel by Updike, his fourth, set in southeastern Pennsylvania, where he grew up. Minor production crease to spine; else fine in a fine dust jacket. A very nice copy of one of his more uncommon UK editions.
239. UPDIKE, John. Buchanan Dying. NY: Knopf, 1974. His first play, about President James Buchanan. Inscribed by the author, with an added "arf arf" given to the Borzoi dog on the title page. Fine in a fine, price-clipped dust jacket.
240. UPDIKE, John. Emersonianism. Cleveland: Bits Press (1984). A talk given by Updike at UC-Davis in 1983, then revised for a talk to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and later published in The New Yorker. This version reverts to the format of a talk, and was proofread by the author for this edition. One of 203 copies signed by the author. Attractive letterpress edition; fine without dust jacket, as issued.
241. UPDIKE, John. Facing Nature. NY: Knopf, 1985. A collection of poetry. Inscribed by the author: "For ___ ___/ my genial host/ many thanks, John Updike. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
242. UPDIKE, John. Still Looking. NY: Knopf, 2005. The uncorrected proof copy of this collection of essays on American art. Quarto; fine in wrappers.
243. UPDIKE, John. Terrorist. NY: Knopf, 2006. Two versions of the advance reading copy, with textual variations between the two. One in pictorial wrappers; fine. The other copy with additional prelims and black wrappers with white lettering; one corner crease, else fine. For the two:
244. (UPDIKE, John). THURBER, James and WHITE, E.B. Is Sex Necessary? (NY): Perennial (2004). First thus, the 75th anniversary edition of Thurber and White's classic, here issued with an introduction by Updike. This edition only published in wrappers. Fine.
245. VAN VECHTEN, Carl. The Tattooed Countess. NY: Knopf, 1924. A novel of America at the turn of the century -- the setting is the author's native Iowa -- by the author of Nigger Heaven and Spider Boy, among others. This is the first trade edition; there was a simultaneous limited edition as well. Mild offsetting to the endpapers, trace dulling to the spine gilt; otherwise a fine copy in a very good dust jacket with modest sunning and rubbing and only minor wear. An attractive period dust jacket by Ralph Barton.
246. VIDAL, Gore. Weekend. (NY): Dramatists Play Service (1968). A little-known two-act play by Vidal. Near fine in spine- and edge-sunned stapled wrappers. We have never seen another copy of this offered for sale.
247. VOINOVICH, Vladimir. The Life and Extraordinary Adventures of Private Ivan Chonkin. NY: FSG (1969)[1977]. The first American edition. Inscribed by the author in 1981. Upper corners bumped; near fine in a dust jacket with an open tear at the upper rear corner; else near fine.
248. (VOLLMANN, William T.). MILLER, Ken. Photographs. Photographs of Vollmann by Miller, who has provided author photos for several of Vollmann's books. Miller is known for his photographs of society's outcasts, and his collaborations with Vollmann are a natural match for both; Vollmann wrote the text for Miller's first book of photographs, Open All Night. Gritty black-and-white images printed by the photographer in small limited editions, and signed by him.
a. Bill, Doc, Lisa, Haight St. 1984. Vollmann and two natives of the Haight on a bus stop bench. No. 1 of 40 numbered copies signed by Miller. Black & white; approximately 15" x 11". Matted to 25" x 20". Fine.
b. Bill on Haight St. 1984. Vollmann appears standing on a sidewalk in 1980's attire. No. 2 of 40 numbered copies signed by Miller. Black & white; approximately 13" x 18". Matted to 20" x 25". Fine.
c. Inuit Mask & Bill. 1993. Inuit Mask and Bill (on left). No. 1 of 40 numbered copies signed by Miller. Black & white; approximately 18" x 13". Matted to 25" x 20". Fine.
d. Kidnapping for Spin Magazine. 1993. Vollmann staring out from the back of a pickup in Thailand. No. 1 of 40 numbered copies signed by Miller. Black & white; approximately 19" x 14". Matted to 25" x 20". Fine.
e. Sacramento to San Francisco Rt. 80. 1994. Vollmann in camouflage jacket looking into the camera with a cloudscape as background. No. 1 of 40 numbered copies signed by Miller. Black & white; approximately 19" x 14". Matted to 25" x 20". Fine.
249. VONNEGUT, Kurt. God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater. NY: HRW (1965). Vonnegut's sixth book, one of the novels that began earning him a small but passionate following in the mid-1960s, before his breakthrough to the status of "major author," which came when Slaughterhouse-Five was published. Yellowing to boards; near fine in a fine dust jacket.
250. -. Same title, the first British edition. London: Cape (1965). By all appearances, considerably scarcer than the U.S. edition. Signed by the author. Minor foxing to endpages and sunning to spine; near fine in a near fine, rubbed dust jacket. In custom slipcase.
251. VONNEGUT, Kurt. Slaughterhouse-Five. (NY): Delacorte (1969). His masterwork, a powerful fictional memoir of his experiences during the Allied fire-bombing of Dresden, Germany. The first printing was 10,000 copies. Signed by the author with a self-caricature. On all three major lists of the top books of the 20th century. Boards a bit splayed; very slight foxing to foredge and top edge; still near fine in a near fine, modestly foxed dust jacket. In custom clamshell box.
252. VONNEGUT, Kurt, Jr. Happy Birthday, Wanda June. Hollywood: The Wanda June Co., 1971. Vonnegut's screenplay for the 1971 film based on his stage play, which opened off-Broadway in 1970 and later made it to Broadway for a successful, although relatively short, run. This copy is identified on the front cover as a "Rehearsal Script" and dated March 25, 1971. Signed by Vonnegut on the front cover, with the added comment: "Genuine Relic." 8 1/2" x 11" sheets, printed on rectos only. Several pencilled corrections in text; claspbound in cardstock covers; faint coffee ring on rear cover; near fine. Rare.
253. VONNEGUT, Kurt. Slapstick. (n.p.): Delacorte (1976). The first trade edition of this autobiographical novel. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
254. VONNEGUT, Kurt. How to Write with Style. (Elmsford): (International Paper) (1980). An offprint of Vonnegut's contribution to International Paper Company's unusual ad campaign, with essays on various subjects by well-known writers and other celebrities (James Michener on how to use a library; John Irving on how to spell; etc.). A broadsheet; 17" x 11"; folded in half, with a bit of sunning and splitting at the fold; near fine. Uncommon.
255. VONNEGUT, Kurt. Id omlás (Timequake). Budapest: Magyar Konyvklub (1998). The first Hungarian edition. Signed by the author with smoking self-caricature. Vonnegut's portrait of Kilgore Trout serves as a frontispiece illustration for this edition. Fine in pictorial boards, without dust jacket, as issued. In custom slipcase. Probably the only signed Hungarian edition of this title to come on the market, ever.
256. VONNEGUT, Kurt. A Man without a Country. NY: Seven Stories Press (2005). A collection of essays written over the last five years, with illustrations by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
257. (VONNEGUT, Kurt). BIJOU, Bob. Consider It Among Friends. (Vancouver): (Poppin Publications) (1970). Photographs by Bijou, with text excerpted from Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle. Apparently only published in Canada, and an unusual appearance of Vonnegut's writing, in a book of counterculture-tinged photographs. Lightly bumped; near fine in wrappers.
258. (VONNEGUT, Kurt). The Suicide Bombers. Nottingham: Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation/Spokesman Press, 2005. Issued as Spokesman 87. With essays about Iraq by John Berger, Arundhati Roy and Robert McNamara, among others. Vonnegut contributes three poems dismissive of human evolution in general, without specifically targeting Iraq. Fine in wrappers.