Catalog 145, D-G
77. DELILLO, Don. Underworld T-Shirt. (n.p.): (Jack's), c. 1997. Promotional T-shirt. States title and author on front, illustrated with the chapel that appeared on the dust jacket (minus the Twin Towers in the background). Black with silver. Cotton V-neck. Size Large. Wrinkled, else fine. Uncommon ephemeral item.
78. (DIDION, Joan). The Year of Magical Thinking Playbill. (NY): (Playbill Inc.), 2007. March 2007 Playbill for Didion's one-woman play based on her book about the sudden death of her husband, author John Gregory Dunne. Vanessa Redgrave was nominated for a Tony Award for the play, which premiered at the Booth Theater on March 29, 2007. Opening night date is listed on title page (with small pencil checkmark next to it). Includes "A Year in the Life," a brief piece on Didion and her decision to take the book to the stage and to update it with the subsequent death of her daughter. Fine in stapled wrappers.
79. DOWELL, Coleman. The Grass Dies. London: Cassell (1968). The first British edition of his first novel, published in the U.S. as One of the Children is Crying. Inscribed by the author in 1975. Fine in a very good dust jacket. A scarce edition, and books signed by this writer who committed suicide at a relatively young age are uncommon.
80. DUBUS, Andre. The Lieutenant. NY: Dial, 1967. The author's first book, and his only novel, a story of the peacetime military and the challenges to manhood and honor that its rigid code of morals creates. Dubus was once quoted as saying that after he wrote this novel someone introduced him to Chekhov's short stories, and he threw away the manuscript of what was to be his next novel and began writing short fiction -- to become one of our most acclaimed and accomplished practitioners. Inscribed by the author: "For Doug & Mary with much affection and in hopes for long lives and good work and peace too. Love, Andre." Pencilled Roman numerals marked in the top margins of occasional pages; boards edge-sunned and a bit pockmarked; a near fine copy in a near fine dust jacket with one gutter nick. A very attractive copy, with a nice inscription, and seldom found thus.
81. DUBUS, Andre. Dancing After Hours. NY: Knopf, 1996. The uncorrected proof copy of his last collection of stories, nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award. In plain printed wrappers, and far more scarce than the advance reading copy in pictorial wrappers which is sometimes identified as a proof. Signed by the author. Fine in wrappers.
82. -. Another copy. Signed by the author. Faint cover smudge; near fine in wrappers.
83. (EGGERS, Dave). Teachers Have It Easy. NY: New Press (2005). Nonfiction, subtitled "The Big Sacrifices and Small Salaries of America's Teachers." Eggers, who has co-founded writing centers in various cities around the country and is a strong education advocate, teams up with a teacher and a journalist to examine the widespread phenomenon of teachers being underpaid in our society. Signed by Eggers and by co-authors Daniel Moulthrop and Nínive Clements Calegari. With an introduction by Louis Gates, Jr. Fine in a fine dust jacket. An uncommon Eggers item to find signed.
84. (EGGERS, Dave). The Thinking Fan's Guide to the World Cup. NY: Harper Perennial (2006). Original essays on each of the 32 nations in the World Cup, by 32 writers. Eggers covers the U.S. ("...we did not invent soccer, and so we are suspicious of it..."). Also includes Nick Hornby, Aleksandar Hemon, John Lanchester, Robert Coover, Henning Mankell, and many others. This copy is signed by Eggers and by co-editor Sean Wilsey. Only issued in wrappers; fine. Scarce signed.
85. EGOLF, Tristan. Lord of the Barnyard. NY: Grove Press (1998). The first American edition of this highly praised first novel which, after being rejected by some 70 U.S. publishers, was published in France in a French translation. From there, world English rights were sold to Picador, who published the novel to substantial praise in England in 1998, with reviewers comparing the writing to Thomas Pynchon's and the book's publishing history to that of John Kennedy Toole's A Confederacy of Dunces. After its success in England, Grove published this edition in the U.S., again to much critical acclaim. This copy is signed by the author, who committed suicide in 2005. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
86. FARI A, Richard. Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up To Me. NY: Random House (1966). His first and only novel, a high spot of the literature of the Sixties. Its protagonist, the pot-smoking rebel Gnossos Pappadopoulis, was the embodiment of hip, bridging the gap from the Beat movement of the 1950s to the 1960s counterculture. Fariña was involved in the music scene of the early Sixties: with his wife, Mimi -- Joan Baez's sister -- he was a major figure in the folk-rock music that was closely tied to the youth and social protest movements of that time. He was killed in a motorcycle accident on the way to a book signing just after the novel was published, an event that firmly entrenched both the book and its author in the mythology of the decade. Slight foxing to page edges; else fine in a near fine dust jacket.
87. FAULKNER, William. As I Lay Dying. NY: Cape/Smith (1930). One of Faulkner's early Mississippi novels, set in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County, and also a stream-of-consciousness novel, showing one of Faulkner's great strengths as a writer. This is the first issue, with the lowered placement of the "I" on page 11. Fine in a very near fine dust jacket with a closed tear at the lower front flap fold. In custom clamshell case. A beautiful copy of this book -- one of the nicest we've ever seen, with absolutely no fading to the spine of the jacket, and crisp throughout.
88. (Film). Casualties of War. Los Angeles: Columbia Pictures, 1989. Press kit for this highly praised Brian de Palma film, based on Daniel Lang's book recounting a true incident from the Vietnam War. Includes seven lobby cards for the movie, with color stills of stars Michael J. Fox and Sean Penn. 14" x 11". Fine. Also a publicity packet with production information, credits, biographies of the major members of the cast and crew, and three black & white still photos of Fox and Penn. Near fine.
89. FORD, Richard. The Sportswriter. NY: Vintage (1985). An advance reading excerpt of his third novel, which was only published in softcover, as part of the then-new Vintage Contemporaries series. 22 pages excerpting a thread that runs through about 200 pages of the finished book. With textual variations from the published version that go beyond those necessary for the abridgement to make sense, including two paragraphs in the excerpt that don't seem to appear in the final book. Portions of this novel were published in Esquire prior to publication; it is unknown what resemblance this story bears, if any, to those excerpts, but it is safe to say that this is the only appearance in book form of this version of the text. Signed by the author. Foxing to the first page, which lists the praise of other authors; else fine in stapled wrappers. A bibliographically significant issue of the author's breakthrough book.
90. GADDIS, William. The Recognitions. NY: Harcourt Brace (1955). His first novel, which received wildly mixed reviews upon publication and proceeded to sink into obscurity until the early Sixties, when a small literary journal in Greenwich Village single-handedly resurrected the novel, declaring it an under-appreciated masterpiece. The book was reissued at that time, with a number of revisions by the author, and the critical consensus is now that the book is indeed one of the great American novels of the postwar era. Two of Gaddis' other three books won the National Book Award. Near fine in a near fine, price-clipped dust jacket with a couple short edge tears. In a beautiful three quarter leather custom clamshell case.
91. GADDIS, William. J.R. NY: Knopf, 1975. His second novel, and his first to win the National Book Award. This is the hardcover issue; there was also a softbound first edition. Trace foredge foxing and smudging to lower page edges from the weight of the text block; else fine in a fine dust jacket.
92. GARDNER, John. Grendel. NY: Knopf (1971). The uncorrected proof copy of Gardner's third novel, which many think his best. A retelling of the Beowulf legend from the perspective of the monster, this novel allowed Gardner to incorporate his knowledge as a scholar of old English literature into his contemporary fiction in a way no other of his books did. This proof is in tall wrappers, reproducing page numbers in holograph, and with the title page and cover reproduced from typescript. Fine in tall wrappers with an enthusiastic note from Gardner's editor at Knopf written across the front cover.
93. GIBBONS, Kaye. Ellen Foster. (n.p.): Hallmark, 1997. A broadside announcement of the Hallmark Hall of Fame television presentation based on her debut novel published a decade earlier. 8 1/2" x 14". Lists cast and crew. This copy was signed by Gibbons in Los Angeles in October, 1997. Fine. According to the author, only three copies of this were ever signed by her.
94. GIBBONS, Kaye. From "On the Occasion of My Last Afternoon." (n.p.): North Carolina Wesleyan College, 2000. A broadside excerpt, published in an edition of 150 copies on the occasion of a reading by Gibbons. Signed by the author and dated 27 September, 2000. After which Gibbons has added: "Rocky Mount/ home." 5 1/2" x 8 1/2". Fine. Again, only three copies have ever been signed.
95. GIBSON, William. Neuromancer. London: Gollancz, 1984. Gibson's first novel, the book that defined the cyberpunk genre and in doing so won the Hugo, the Nebula, and the Philip K. Dick Award -- a literary triple which had never before been accomplished. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket. Gibson has been credited with coining the term "cyberspace" in 1982, to refer to computer-generated realities.
96. GOLDMAN, William. The Princess Bride. NY: HBJ (1973). The novel that formed the basis for the much-loved film, and a scarce book in the hardcover edition. Inscribed by Goldman to Robert Redford's father: "Mr. Charles Redford/ We haven't met but I know you've got to be more literate than your son. Happy Birthday. William Goldman." Goldman wrote the screenplays for the Redford vehicles Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Hot Rock, The Great Waldo Pepper, All the President's Men, and A Bridge Too Far, all of which were produced between 1969 and 1977, meaning that they worked together frequently and extensively during that period. In addition, Goldman won Academy Awards for his screenplays for Butch Cassidy and All the President's Men. One can infer from the inscription here, and from the fact that Goldman was presenting Charles Redford a gift even though the two hadn't ever met, that Goldman and Robert Redford were very close during these years: an excellent, intriguing association copy. Slight spine lean, a little spotting to top edge; near fine in a fine dust jacket.
97. GRAU, Shirley Ann. The Keepers of the House. NY: Knopf, 1964. Her fourth book, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Inscribed by the author in 1981 to a philosophy professor who authored a well-known book on the meaning of life. A fine copy in a very near fine dust jacket with a couple nicks at the crown and a bit of dustiness to the rear panel. A nice association copy.