skip to main content

Catalog 143, B

NOTE: This page is from our catalog archives. The listings are from an older catalog and are on our website for reference purposes only. If you see something you're interested in, please check our inventory via the search box at upper right or our search page.
12. BARTHELME, Donald. Sixty Stories. NY: Putnam (1981). The definitive collection of his short fiction, selected from all his previous books and including nine previously uncollected stories. Barthelme was one of the most highly regarded writers in the 1960s and his stories, most of which were published in The New Yorker, were widely admired and helped define a postmodern sensibility both particular to its time and influential since. One of 500 numbered copies signed by the author. Mild sunning to spine cloth, else fine in a near fine, edge-sunned slipcase.

13. (Beats). The Beat Scene. NY: Corinth, 1960. One of the earliest anthologies of the Beat generation -- photos of and texts by such writers as Ginsberg, Corso, Kerouac, Ferlinghetti and others. Edited by Elias Wilentz who, with his brother Ted, co-owned the Eighth Street Bookshop in Greenwich Village, which promoted the Beats during the 1950s and 60s, and was a hangout for them when they were in New York. About near fine in wrappers, with a typed note signed by Wilentz laid in, giving the addresses of two Beat-influenced literary magazines, and informing his correspondent that the other one he had asked about had ceased publishing.

14. BELL, Madison Smartt. The Washington Square Ensemble. NY: Viking (1983). The first book by this Tennessee native, a graduate of the renowned Hollins College writing program. This novel was characterized by one prominent New York editor as the most accomplished first novel he had read since Thomas Pynchon's V. Spotting to top edge of text block; else fine in a fine dust jacket.

15. BELL, Madison Smartt. The Year of Silence. NY: Ticknor & Fields, 1987. His fourth novel, fifth book. Signed by the author. Fine in a near fine dust jacket with slight creasing at the top edge.

16. BELLOW, Saul. Herzog. (London): Weidenfeld & Nicolson (1964). The uncorrected proof copy of the first British edition of the Nobel Prize winner's second book (of three) to win the National Book Award. Spine slightly concave, otherwise this is a fine copy in wrappers, in a spine-faded, near fine dust jacket. Very uncommon proof; few copies would have been done, and likely very few have survived. This is the only copy we've seen.

17. (Book Collecting). TARG, William. Abacus Now. NY: Targ Editions, 1984. "Footnotes to Indecent Pleasures [his earlier book], & observations on Fine Book Printing, Book-collecting & Matters personal including How to Survive in the Computer Age. With a Checklist of the first twenty-four titles in Targ Editions." One of 200 copies signed by the author and by the printers Ronald Gordon, Leslie Miller and Leonard Seastone, each of whose fine press printed a portion of the book. Fine in a very good glassine dustwrapper.

18. BLAKE, William. Songs of Experience. (NY): (Minton, Balch) (1927). Attractive facsimile edition, reproduced from a copy in the British Museum. Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Uncommon, especially in dust jacket.

19. BOWLES, Jane. In the Summer House. NY: Random House (1954). A play by the author of Two Serious Ladies, and the wife of Paul Bowles. In the Summer House and Two Serious Ladies were the only books she published in her lifetime, yet such writers as John Ashbery, Tennessee Williams and Truman Capote considered her one of the finest writers in the English language. In 1957 she had a stroke, at the age of 40, and her health deteriorated after that until she died in 1973. This play was first produced in 1953 and the book was published in 1954. After the play received mixed reviews on Broadway, Bowles returned to Tangier. This copy is inscribed by the author to noted playwright Hugh [Wheeler], a three-time Tony Award winner and author of Sweeney Todd, among others: "Please come back to Tangier. I miss this play so... You can't miss a book because it's in your house (a novel). I don't know what to do. Love - Jane." An interesting inscription, and an excellent association copy. Books signed by Jane Bowles are extremely uncommon, and lengthy inscriptions like this are even more so. Fine in a near fine, mildly spine-darkened dust jacket with some minor spotting to the rear panel.

20. (BOWLES, Paul). The Oracle. (Jamaica): (Jamaica High School) (1926-1927). Eight issues of Bowles's high school magazine, of the 15 issues in which he appeared and comprising 25 of his 43 contributions, as follows (parenthetical references correspond to the Jeffrey Miller bibliography): November 1926 (Miller C9-11); December 1926 (C12-14); January 1927 (C15-16); April 1927 (C19-20); May 1927 (C21); June 1927 (C21-23); October 1927 (C24-28); November (C29-35). Over the eight issues, Bowles contributes twelve poems, one translation, four book reviews, and one story; he also edits two "Poet's Corners" and supplies five "By the Way" columns. These issues date from Bowles's junior and senior years in high school and predate his first book, Two Poems, by six years or more. Except for some faint sunning of the edges; the issues are all fine in stapled wrappers. An exceptional set of a very uncommon journal -- the finest such run we've encountered.

21. (BOWLES, Paul). No Exit. NY: Caedmon Records (1968). A double LP recording of Bowles' adaptation of Sartre's play, as performed by Donald Pleasance, Anna Massey and Glenda Jackson. Bowles adapted Sartre's play from the original French in 1957 (the adaptation was first published in 1958). A performance of it was recorded in 1957. This recording, from a 1966 performance directed by Pulitzer Prize-winner Howard Sackler, was issued in 1968. Boxed set, including a twelve-page informational booklet, with photographs of the performance and essays by William Barrett and John Simon. Fine in a near fine box. Miller G14b. Uncommon.

22. BOYLE, T. Coraghessan. Descent of Man. Boston: Little Brown (1979). His first book, a highly praised collection of stories. Fine in a near fine dust jacket with rubbing at the spine crown (as is usual for this title).

23. BOYLE, T. Coraghessan. Greasy Lake. (NY): Viking (1985). His second collection of stories. Signed by the author. The faintest of foredge foxing and a little shelf wear to the spine ends; very near fine in a fine dust jacket.

24. BOYLE, T. Coraghessan. Budding Prospects. NY: Viking (1984). A humorous novel of marijuana growing in the northern California wilds. For whatever reason, this is one of his less common titles. We suspect that Water Music did not sell as well as its publisher had hoped, and the print run for this, his second novel, was cut back considerably from his first. Faint foxing to top edge else fine in a very near fine dust jacket with a small nick to the front panel.

25. BOYLE, T.C. I Dated Jane Austen. (Augsburg): Marlo Verlag (1997). The first separate appearance of a story that first appeared in the Georgia Review in 1979. One of 500 copies, illustrated with woodcuts by Sophie Dutertre. Fine in self-wrappers, with a one sheet, four-page author/illustrator biographical supplement laid in, also illustrated by Dutertre. Uncommon.

26. (BROOKNER, Anita). GALLANT, Mavis. Home Truths. London: Cape (1985). The first British edition, with the ownership signature of Anita Brookner. Cocked (i.e., well-read); else fine in a fine dust jacket.

27. BROWN, Dan. The Da Vinci Code. NY: Doubleday (2003). The publishing sensation of the past decade -- a surprise bestseller that stayed on the hardcover bestseller lists for so long that its paperback publication was delayed by more than two years while the hardcover continued to sell, literally, millions of copies. A novel of a historical conspiracy involving the Catholic church, secret societies, and a cryptic code laid out by Leonardo da Vinci, the novel had unprecedented success -- not just for its author but for any work of fiction in recent years -- selling over 12 million copies in hardcover before the paperback edition was released in early 2006. Also the basis for a 2006 movie, which itself was a considerable commercial success. Fine in a fine dust jacket.

28. -. Another copy. Fine in a very near fine dust jacket with a short tear at the upper rear spine fold.

29. BUKOWSKI, Charles. Dangling in the Tournefortia. Santa Barbara: Black Sparrow, 1981. A collection of poetry and prose poems. Of a total hardcover edition of 1200 copies, this is one of 100 numbered copies signed by the author, handbound in boards by Earle Gray and with an original signed painting by Bukowski bound in. Additionally, Bukowski has illustrated the colophon with, in addition to his signature, a sun and a bird and a caricature of himself smoking next to a bottle of liquor. Modest page edge foxing; else fine in a rubbed, original acetate jacket. An attractive and elaborate production.

30. BUKOWSKI, Charles. Ham on Rye. Santa Barbara: Black Sparrow, 1982. An autobiographical novel, widely considered one of Bukowski's best books and, given its fictional veneer, one of the best postwar American autobiographies. There were 1226 hardcover copies done, of which this is one of 100 numbered copies signed by the author, with an original signed painting bound in. Foredge foxing; else fine in a rubbed, original acetate jacket. Publisher's prospectus laid in. The issues of Bukowski's books with his paintings bound in have become scarce in recent years.

31. BUKOWSKI, Charles. There's No Business. Santa Barbara: Black Sparrow, 1984. A story by Bukowski, with illustrations by underground cartoonist R. Crumb. Of a total edition of 426 copies, this is one of 400 numbered copies signed by Bukowski and Crumb. A fine copy in the original acetate dust jacket, which has clouded somewhat with time.

32. BURKE, James Lee. Two for Texas. (Huntington): (Cahill) (1992). The publisher's archive for the first hardcover edition of this historical novel, first published as a paperback original a decade earlier, well before the author's critical and commercial success with his Dave Robicheaux mystery novels. This edition had a new introduction by Burke on the writing of historical novels such as this one. The archive includes the printer's blue proofs signed by Burke; nine original Joe Servello woodcuts plus mock-ups of both the title page and the tailpiece; two author "check copies" of the volume consisting of folded & gathered sheets laid into the boards, each signed by Burke and illustrator Joe Servello on the colophon, and one signed by Burke on the title page; and one autograph note signed by Burke, which spans three post-it notes. All elements fine. Again, a unique and attractive archive.

33. BURKE, James Lee. Cimarron Rose. (London): Orion (1997). The British, and true first, edition of this novel, a departure from his Dave Robicheaux series and winner of the 1998 Edgar Award for Best Mystery Novel of the year. Fine in a fine dust jacket. Signed by the author on the verso of a business card, laid in.

34. BURROUGHS, William S. The Ticket That Exploded. Paris: Olympia (1962). The correct first edition, published in paperback in Paris five years prior to the U.S. edition. Issued in Maurice Girodias' "Traveller's Companion" series -- a line of paperbacks that was largely dominated by softcore and hardcore pornography that could not be sold at all in the U.S. at that time -- few copies migrated to the U.S. until well after Burroughs' popularity here was established and the landmark censorship cases of the early 1960s (including that of Naked Lunch) had been settled in favor of increased permissiveness in printed matter. This copy is inscribed by Burroughs to Ted Berrigan: "For Ted Berrigan/ Pearl Harbor Bombed Dec 7, 1942/ come 11/ William S. Burroughs/ Dec 11, 1964, S.D./ N.Y." An excellent association copy: while Burroughs was generous with signing books, true association copies seldom show up on the market. In this case, not only is the association a good one, but the inscription, with its "7 come 11" reference to shooting craps, is also particularly good. A little musty; near fine in a near fine, lightly foxed dust jacket. In custom three quarter leather clamshell case made by Peter Geraty.

35. BURROUGHS, William S. The Last Words of Dutch Schultz. NY: Viking (1975). "A Fiction in the Form of a Film Script," in which Burroughs takes the semi-coherent last words of a 1930s gangster as the point of departure for an imagined view of the dying man's inner life. There was a British limited edition with the same name that preceded this volume by five years, but it was substantially different in both form and content. Faint foxing to top edge, else fine in a very near fine dust jacket with one short edge tear.

36. BURROUGHS, William S. Blade Runner (A Movie). Berkeley: Blue Wind, 1979. The hardcover edition of this treatment for a science fiction movie, based on a 1974 novel by Alan Nourse, The Bladerunner. The famous Ridley Scott movie of the same name, which was based on a Philip K. Dick novel, got its name from this book, although not the story: the script writer found this Burroughs book, liked the title, and the producers negotiated rights to the name. One of 100 numbered copies signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket.

37. BURROWAY, Janet. Opening Nights. NY: Atheneum, 1985. A novel by the author of the Pulitzer Prize nominee The Buzzards and the National Book Award nominee Raw Silk. Warmly and lengthily inscribed by Burroway to award-winning writer Jay Neugeboren, author of Imagining Robert, among others, and dated in the year of publication. Fine in a fine dust jacket.

38. BUTLER, Robert Olen. The Alleys of Eden. NY: Horizon (1981). His first book, a highly praised novel of the ending and aftermath of the Vietnam war. Although Butler's early books were universally praised by reviewers, they enjoyed little commercial success, in part because the first three were published by a small publisher on the brink of bankruptcy. He later won the Pulitzer Prize for his collection A Good Scent From a Strange Mountain, stories that share the Vietnam and post-Vietnam themes of this book. Signed by the author. A little foxing to the page edges and dampening to spine cloth; near fine in a fine dust jacket.

39. -. Another copy. Dampstaining to spine cloth; near fine in a very near fine, unlaminated dust jacket with very little of the rubbing common to this title.

40. BUTLER, Robert Olen. Countrymen of Bones. NY: Horizon (1983). His third novel, set in New Mexico during the development of the atomic bomb. A literary novel, with the pace and some of the plot elements of a thriller. Anatole Broyard, reviewing it in The New York Times, called it a "brilliant novel of ideas...[that is] never pretentious or didactic... The characters embody and enact -- even dance -- the author's ideas." Signed by the author. Faint foxing to top edge; still fine in a near fine dust jacket with some rubbing on the spine.

41. BUTLER, Robert Olen. On Distant Ground. NY: Knopf, 1985. His fourth book, a moving novel of the Vietnam war that bears the characteristics of a Grail quest, and was one of our choices as among the ten best literary works on the Vietnam war. This is a review copy. Faint foxing to top edge; still fine in a fine dust jacket with review slip laid in.

42. -. Another copy. Signed in full by the author and additionally inscribed by him to Anatole [Broyard] three weeks prior to publication: "Feb 6, 1985/ For Anatole -/ No writer has ever had a better literary friend than I've had in you. Thanks for knowing how subtly to steer me. Bob." An excellent association copy: Broyard was Butler's teacher at the New School and was also a prominent reviewer for The New York Times, and he reviewed Alleys of Eden and Countrymen of Bones for the Times, giving them very favorable reviews and a degree of exposure and credibility that a young novelist would have been hard-pressed to get any other way. Faint foxing to the top edge; still fine in a fine dust jacket.

43. BUTLER, Robert Olen. Wabash. NY: Knopf, 1987. A review copy of his fifth novel, set in a midwestern steel mill town during the Depression. Faint foxing to the top edge; still fine in a fine dust jacket, with review slip laid in.

44. BUTLER, Robert Olen. The Deuce. NY: Simon & Schuster (1989). A review copy of his sixth novel, about a half-Vietnamese boy growing up in the streets of New York in the '80s. Faint foxing to top edge; still fine in a fine dust jacket, with review slip laid in.

<< Back to Catalog Index