Catalog 144, I-L
89. IRVING, John. The Water-Method Man. NY: Random House (1972). His second book, which, like his first, sold about 6000 copies. One slight corner bump; a very near fine copy in a very near fine dust jacket.
90. IRVING, John. The 158-Pound Marriage. NY: Random House (1974). His third novel. Inscribed by the author with a full page self-caricature in wrestling uniform. Fine in a fine dust jacket with trace edge-sunning to the rear panel. Fewer than 2500 copies of this book were sold, although the book went into a second printing. A beautiful copy, and perhaps the most elaborately illustrated Irving inscription we have seen.
91. IRVING, John. The Cider House Rules. Franklin Center: Franklin Library, 1985. The correct first edition of his sixth novel, bound in full leather stamped in gilt, with gilt page edges and silk ribbon marker. With a special introduction by the author in which he explains the value of having "bad things" happen in a novel. A fine copy. Signed by the author. Basis for the highly praised movie, for which Irving wrote the Academy Award-winning screenplay.
92. IRVING, John. A Prayer for Owen Meany. NY: Morrow (1989). The first trade edition of what may be Irving's best-loved book -- a substantial claim for a book by the author of the also much-loved The World According to Garp. A portion of this book was the basis for the film Simon Birch. Fine in a near fine dust jacket with a shallow scratch to the rear panel.
93. IRVING, John. A Son of the Circus. NY: Random House (1994). Irving's eighth novel, about an Indian doctor in Bombay. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
94. -. Another copy. Signed by the author. Fine in a near fine dust jacket with fading to the spine lettering and spine elephant, and a bit of wear at the tail.
95. KEROUAC, Jack. The Dharma Bums. NY: Viking, 1958. A classic of Beat literature and Kerouac's best-loved book after On the Road. The Dharma Bums essentially continued the story begun in On the Road and introduced Japhy Ryder, "the number one Dharma Bum of them all" and the one who coined the phrase. Ryder was based on poet Gary Snyder, a Beat poet and friend of Kerouac who at the time was virtually unknown outside of his circle of friends: Snyder's first book of poetry wasn't published until a year after this book came out but it is clear he was already a legendary figure among the Beats. This copy belonged to and is signed by Henry Miller, with the added exhortation "Please return!" in Miller's hand. Foxing to page edges and endpages; mottling to boards; a very good copy in a very good, rubbed dust jacket with a thin stain on the rear panel and shallow chipping at the crown. A nice association, linking an earlier Bohemian generation, the Paris expatriates of the 1930s, with the Beat movement. Both groups were influenced by eastern religions, and Miller and Snyder in particular were perhaps the most visible and outspoken exponents of the connection between the world view of oriental mysticism and that of the underground, "outsider" artist.
96. (KEROUAC, Jack). MELVILLE, Herman. The Shorter Novels of Herman Melville. (n.p.): Liveright Publishing (1942). The "black and gold" edition of this collection, first published in 1928 when Melville's reputation was being retrieved from the obscurity he had sunk into during his lifetime. This is Jack Kerouac's copy, with his signature "John Kerouac/ 1948" on the verso of the half title and slight marginal markings or underlinings to five pages of the text, four of them in the story "Bartleby the Scrivener." Additionally, Kerouac has added his cross to the front pastedown and the verso of the front flyleaf. An interesting and important volume from Kerouac's library, in particular because of the date, 1948, which is when he would have first been working on his masterwork, On The Road. Scholars have long drawn comparisons between Kerouac's work and Melville's: one wrote that "Moby-Dick can be viewed as the ur-Beat novel for On the Road. Over one hundred years before Kerouac made popular the term 'Beat,' Melville's narrators in Typee, Omoo, Mardi and Moby-Dick, are all rover-bohemians, or as Kerouac might call them, 'Dharma Bums.' These Melvillean narrators are, like Sal Paradise, narrator of On The Road, men alienated from their culture; and they take their 'life on the road' in search of self-transformation and self-transcendence." Ann Charters, Kerouac's biographer and bibliographer, wrote that Kerouac's use of the word "Beat" "meant something mysterious and spiritual, suggestive of Herman Melville's story more than a century before about the archetypal American non-conformist 'Bartleby the Scrivener.'" Some handling apparent to boards; a very good copy, lacking the dust jacket, but with custom clamshell case. A notable and historically important volume.
97. KESEY, Ken. Last Go Round. (n.p.): (n.p.)(1984). Kesey's unproduced screenplay, preceding his novel of the same name by a decade. Photocopied sheets, reproducing holograph corrections, and including a preface by Kesey about attending the Pendleton Round-Up with his father. Kesey's contact information has been inked through on the title page and replaced with that of Amber Taylor. A 1988 typed letter signed by Taylor is laid in, explaining that she shopped this screenplay around for Kesey in 1985 and that he withdrew it from circulation. In the letter, addressed "Dear Morgan," Taylor offers the script to the recipient/actor, remembering that he had always wanted to play a (black) cowboy, suggesting that the recipient was actor Morgan Freeman, although we do not know that for certain. A fine copy, claspbound in heavy cardstock covers with the title written on the spine. Rare: we've never seen nor heard of another copy of this circulating; Kesey said in an interview once that he abandoned the screenplay because other people wanted to change it too much, although the letter enclosed here says that "Kesey himself decided it needed work and withdrew it, perhaps to novelize it" (six years before the novel).
98. KESEY, Ken. Twister! [Boulder]: (n.p.) (1994). The script, by Kesey, of a multimedia play performed by Kesey and the Pranksters during the Naropa Institute's weeklong tribute to Allen Ginsberg. The play was an allegory in which the Wizard of Oz (played by Kesey) meets Frankenstein and Elvis, among others. Kesey departed from Naropa early, reportedly upset with the critical reception the play had received -- some critics called it "racist, sexist and homophobic" -- and he left behind four numbered copies of the script for the critics to read and examine. This is copy number three, signed by Kesey on the front cover with a doodle of a twister. Kesey continued to perform an evolving version of Twister! over the years, taking it on tour in 1999. It was scheduled to be published by Penguin but the book never materialized. Kesey did create a 2-hour video of the play derived from numerous performances. This, however, is the only printed version of it that exists, to the best of our knowledge, and one of the scarcest items in the Kesey canon. Tapebound in cardstock covers; fine. Rare.
99. (KESEY, Ken). PIERSON, Frank R. Sometimes a Great Notion. (n.p.): (n.p.)(n.d.). A movie treatment by Pierson based on Kesey's novel. No date, but since the actual movie, which was written by John Gay and received two Oscar nominations, was released in 1971, this treatment presumably dates from the mid- to late 1960s -- that is, after the book was published in 1964 and before the movie would have been filming in 1970. Pierson is a noted screenwriter, who won an Oscar for his original script for Dog Day Afternoon and was nominated for Oscars for his adaptations of Cool Hand Luke and Cat Ballou. Notably, Cool Hand Luke, which was released in 1967, starred Paul Newman, who also starred in the film of Sometimes a Great Notion. 90 pages. Bradbound; near fine.
100. (KESEY, Ken). GAY, John. Sometimes a Great Notion. (Universal City): Universal Studios (1970). Gay's "revised final screenplay" based on the Kesey novel. The film was directed by Paul Newman and starred Newman, Henry Fonda and Lee Remick, and was nominated for two Academy Awards. This copy has the signature of casting director Bill Batliner on the front cover. Dated May 19, 1970, with revisions bound in dated May 20. This was the first of Kesey's books to be adapted to film. Bradbound; near fine in studio wrappers.
101. KING, Stephen. Cycle of the Werewolf. (Westland): Land of Enchantment (1983). A single story by King, issued in a limited edition with illustrations by Berni Wrightson, who had collaborated with King on Creepshow. There were various signed issues of the book; this is a copy of the trade issue, limited to 7500 copies, and is inscribed by the author to fellow horror writer Stanley Wiater in the year of publication: "For Stanley -- / a shaggy wolf story for Christmas!/ Stephen King/ 12/3/83." Quarto; Wiater's Gahan Wilson-designed bookplate front flyleaf; fine in a near fine dust jacket with an edge tear at the upper rear panel.
102. KING, Stephen. "BACHMAN, Richard." Thinner. NY: New American Library (1984). The first hardcover book by Stephen King under the Bachman pseudonym, after four paperback originals, and the last book he published under that name before it became known that Bachman was really King. King said at the time of the "outing" that his publisher had limited him to one book a year, and using the Bachman pseudonym allowed him to double that output. Indeed, when the first Bachman books were published, in 1977 and 1979, King was little-known and his sales were modest at best, suggesting the truth of his claim that they were a way to bolster his income. After 1980, King's books began to be automatic bestsellers, and their first printings went from the 20,000 copies for Salem's Lot in 1978 to 270,000 copies for Christine in 1983. By contrast, Thinner, by the still relatively unknown "Bachman," had a first printing of 26,000 copies -- one tenth the size of the first printing of Christine. Inscribed by the author as Stephen King in 1986. Fine in a near fine dust jacket with a short edge tear at the upper rear spine fold. Scarce in the first printing and signed.
103. KITTREDGE, William. Redneck Secrets. Tucson: Sylph Publications, 2006. Sylph Chapbook Number 9. An essay originally published in 1979 and here issued as a limited edition by a small fine press in Arizona. One of 50 numbered copies signed by the author. Quarterbound in Copper Asahi cloth and Ivory Sponge Maziarczyk paper. Fine.
104. KIZER, Carolyn. The Ungrateful Garden. Bloomington: Indiana University Press (1961). The first regularly published book, a collection of poems, by a writer whose work is strongly associated with the Pacific Northwest and who later won the Pulitzer Prize. This is cloth issue, and is inscribed by the author to Oscar (Williams) "with love" in 1963. Williams is best-known as an anthologist but began by writing poetry: he won the Yale Younger Poets Award in 1921. A nice association copy of an important first collection. In addition to the inscription on the front flyleaf, Kizer has also added her contact information on the rear flyleaf. Fine in a near fine, spine-faded, price-clipped dust jacket.
105. KRAKAUER, Jon. Into the Wild. (NY): Villard Books (1996). The second solo book by the author of Into Thin Air. Like Krakauer's more famous title, this one also recounts a tragedy in the wilderness, albeit not one he was witness to. The film version, written and directed by Sean Penn, is due out later this year. This is a review copy, with review slip and ten sheets of publicity material laid in. Fine in a fine dust jacket. Scarce in the first printing, and especially as an advance copy.
106. LA MOTTA, Jake. Raging Bull. NY: Award Books (1970). The first paperback edition of the autobiography of the famous boxer, which was the basis for the acclaimed Martin Scorcese movie that starred Robert De Niro as La Motta, a role for which he won an Academy Award. The film, now considered a classic, won two Oscars and was nominated for six others, including Best Picture. This copy of the book is inscribed by the author: "My pal Nelson/ keep punching/ Jake La Motta [with two phone numbers]." Paperback; worn; front joint fragile; about very good.
107. LAVIN, Mary. The House in Clewe Street. Boston: Little Brown, 1945. The first novel by this American-born writer who grew up in Ireland, which is the setting for most of her writing. Signed by the author. This is a wartime book, printed on cheap, pulpy paper. The front flyleaf is corner-clipped; otherwise a near fine copy, in a very good, supplied dust jacket. An uncommon book; scarce signed.
108. LAWRENCE, D.H. Typed Letter Signed. March 9, 1917. Written to Harriet Monroe, editor of Poetry magazine. In the first paragraph, Lawrence discusses the editing of and payment for a poem and rather humbly offers to submit several more ("If you want any more poems from me, which I don't suppose you do, will you tell me."). The second paragraph begins with the weather (spring, sunshine) and then waxes metaphorical and metaphysical: "I am confident we can find the Blessed Isles, if we go about it the right way. We must find the Blessed Isles, at least catch sight of them rising up in the distance, before we die. It is our business." Signed, D.H. Lawrence. One page, folded for mailing; Moore's response stamp to one corner; near fine. A fine, poetic letter, from early in Lawrence's career, before he had achieved the fame, or notoriety, for which he later became an icon of his generation and of the modernist movement in general.
109. LE CARRÉ, John. The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. NY: Coward-McCann (1964). The first American edition of Le Carré's third book, the definitive Cold War novel, which brought a new level of realism to the spy novel genre. Le Carré's novels eventually elevated the spy genre itself to the realm of literature: in his writings the spy became the metaphor for anyone keeping secrets, whose life was lived at least partly with the intent to mislead or deceive others and to protect those secrets -- in short, everyone. This copy is signed by the author. Mild splaying to boards; near fine in a near fine, price-clipped first issue dust jacket with modest rubbing and some wear to the spine crown. Surprisingly uncommon signed.
110. LE CARRÉ, John. Typescript. Undated. c. 1968. Four pages of typescript, with extensive holograph corrections, given to a host of Le Carré's on Prince Edward Island in 1968. Apparently early draft pages of A Small Town in Germany. Although this scene did not make it, in its entirety, into the published book, parts of it seem to have been incorporated into the text in several places. Also, character names were changed prior to the final version (and at least one of the names, "Hugo", was used instead in Naive and Sentimental Lover). Folded in fourths; near fine. With a letter of provenance. We have seldom seen Le Carré manuscript material offered on the market and an early piece like this, with extensive corrections visible and earlier versions of the text (now excised) still present, is quite rare.
111. LE CARRÉ, John. The Charlie Rose Show. NY: InfoSource (1993). Transcript of Le Carré's appearance on The Charlie Rose Show on July 1, 1993. Inscribed by Le Carré. 22 pages; stapled; near fine. Otherwise unpublished.
112. LE CARRÉ, John. The Mission Song. (London): Hodder & Stoughton (2006). His most recent novel, about a mixed blood African translator who moonlights as an amateur spy. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
113. -. Same title, the limited edition. One of 500 numbered copies signed by the author. This is the Hatcherd's limited edition, not to be confused with the larger edition of 1500 copies done for Waterstone's. Fine in a fine slipcase.
114. LEE, Harper. Romance and High Adventure. Birmingham: Cather & Brown Books, 1993. The first separate publication of a paper Lee presented to the Alabama History and Heritage Festival in 1983 on early Alabama historian Albert James Pickett and his 1847 History of Alabama. One of 100 numbered copies signed by the publisher, Patrick Cather. Fine in stapled wrappers. An extremely scarce "A" item by Lee, who has never published another book since the success of her novel To Kill a Mockingbird.
115. (LEE, Harper). The Corolla. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama, 1947-1948. Two volumes of the yearbook of the University of Alabama, where Harper Lee studied law between 1945 and 1949. The 1947 Corolla shows Lee as editor of the humor magazine Rammer Jammer, sitting on the Board of Publications, voted one of the "campus personalities," pictured as a student of law, a member of Chi Omega and of Triangle, an honor society of seniors who guide freshmen. In all, at least a half dozen pictures of Lee. Wear to the edges, rubbing to the joints; near fine. The 1948 Corolla only pictures Lee as a campus personality. She is not otherwise mentioned in organizations or classes. Before completing her degree requirements, Lee left law school for New York City, where she worked as an airline reservations clerk and wrote fiction. Check marks in text; board edges worn; very good. For both:
116. (LEE, Harper). KELLY, Riley Nicholas. In Search of Light. NY: Exposition Press (1969). A volume of vanity press poetry by Kelly, distinguished by a front cover blurb by Harper Lee, from a period of time when it was not uncommon for vanity publishers to simply warehouse their print runs for a predetermined length of time and then destroy them, with the majority of copies receiving distribution coming out of the author's allotment. For most vanity press works -- regardless of how many were originally printed -- the number of copies that ever made it into the marketplace probably averages in the low dozens. That fact, combined with the fact that Harper Lee has published so little other than To Kill a Mockingbird, makes this a rare occurrence in print by the author of one of the best-loved American novels of all time. Kelly was a native of Excel, Alabama, which is less than 10 miles from Lee's hometown of Monroeville, Alabama. Fine in a near fine, price-clipped dust jacket with wear to the spine crown.
117. LEONARD, Elmore. Glitz. NY: Arbor House (1985). The first trade edition of this hardboiled novel that was the basis for a 1987 television movie starring Jimmy Smits. Signed by the author. Near fine in a near fine dust jacket.
118. LOPEZ, Barry Holstun. Desert Notes. Kansas City: Sheed Andrews McMeel (1976). One of the author's own copies of his first book, a collection of "narrative contemplations" of the desert, told in a poetic, lucid prose, the clarity and simplicity of which is uncommonly suited to the subtleties of perception and expression it contains. Inscribed by the author: "with my best wishes, Barry." Lopez's mother died of cancer the month after publication, at which time he gave his stepfather (who, with his mother, was co-dedicatee of the book) "about ten" copies thus inscribed, with the thought that his stepfather would use them as gifts. A decade later, his stepfather returned the books to him unused; this is one of those copies. Fine in a near fine, modestly rubbed dust jacket.
119. LOPEZ, Barry. Crow and Weasel. San Francisco: North Point, 1990. A fable in the style of North American Indian tales, beautifully illustrated with water colors by Tom Pohrt. This book was released at Christmas, 1990, marketed as a children's book, and immediately went into multiple printings. This is the first state, with the gold-stamping on the front cover, which the book's designer had removed while the print run was in progress. Signed by Lopez. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
120. LOPEZ, Barry. "Whatever evaluation we make of a particular stretch of land..." [West Burke]: Janus Press, 1992. An attractive broadside from the Janus Press, printing an excerpt from Arctic Dreams on a paper landscape montage created by Clare Van Vliet. A beautiful production: essentially a paper sculpture of cloud-enshrouded mountains, in keeping with the Lopez quote which encourages us to relate to the land and "to preserve some of the mystery within it as a kind of wisdom to be experienced, not questioned. And to be alert...for that moment when something sacred reveals itself within the mundane..." One of 90 copies signed by Lopez. 16" x 24". Fine.
121. LOPEZ, Barry. Readings & Conversations. (n.p.): Lannan Foundation, 1992. An excerpt from his story "Remembering Orchards," which first appeared in American Short Fiction and was collected, with several changes in punctuation and one name change, in Light Action in the Caribbean, in 2000. Printed on a single sheet folded to make four pages. Fine. Lopez received a Lannan Literary Award in Nonfiction in 1990.
122. LOPEZ, Barry. Lessons from the Wolverine. Athens: University of Georgia Press (1997). A short story, attractively illustrated by Tom Pohrt, who also illustrated Lopez's Crow and Weasel. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine, price-clipped dust jacket.
123. -. Another copy. Signed by the author. Fine in a near fine, mildly spine-sunned, price-clipped dust jacket.
124. LOPEZ, Barry; WILLIAMS, Terry Tempest; NELSON, Richard. Patriotism and the American Land. Great Barrington: Orion Society, 2002. The second volume in what would become the Orion Society's New Patriotism series, but which is here called its "post-September 11th series," an effort to redefine patriotism in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. This is an advance copy, with a promotional letter laid in for independent booksellers. Lopez contributes "The Naturalist;" Williams contributes a portrait of Rachel Carson in "One Patriot." Slight cover splaying; else fine in wrappers.
125. (LOPEZ, Barry). Home Ground. Language for an American Landscape. San Antonio: Trinity University Press (2006). Lopez edits this compendium that gives definition to the ways we talk about the American landscape. A massive effort, several years in production, it attempts to be a combination dictionary/encyclopedia of the vocabulary by which we describe and define the natural world, with contributions from dozens of accomplished and important writers in the field: Jan DeBlieu, Gretel Ehrlich, Charles Frazier, Linda Hogan, Barbara Kingsolver, William Kittredge, Jon Krakauer, Bill McKibben, Susan Brind Morrow, Pattiann Rogers, Terry Tempest Williams and many, many others. Signed by Barry Lopez. Fine in a fine dust jacket.