Catalog 145, K-L
130. KENNEDY, William. Typed Notes Signed. 1984. Two brief notes written by Kennedy in January and November, 1984, each to a different recipient, each declining an invitation. In the first, Kennedy declines to write an article, as he is "physically unable to take on one more assignment. I am beset by obligations well into summer..." In the second, which is addressed to another writer, Kennedy declines an invitation to read, citing overwork: "I have already taken on about four times more work than I can possibly do and I am trying desperately to get back to my novel-in-progress." Kennedy's next novel (Quinn's Book) wasn't published until 1988: in the intervening time he wrote the screenplay for his novel Ironweed, which won the 1984 Pulitzer Prize. Both notes are folded for mailing; else fine; the latter includes an envelope. A glimpse of the writer-at-work, in the wake of the critical and commercial success of his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.
131. KESEY, Ken. Kesey's Garage Sale. (NY): (Viking) (1973). A review copy of the wrappered issue of this collection of shorter pieces, spanning the years of the Sixties, when Kesey's activities moved far from the strictly literary path he had been on when he wrote his first two novels. According to the author, the pieces were not conceived as a book but instead were drawn from various sources and put together, much as the title suggests, like the items in a garage sale. Prior to publication, Kesey had led the Merry Pranksters on their famous bus trip, become a counterculture hero and advocate, and been a fugitive from the law, spending time in Mexico as a result of a drug bust. Other contributors to this volume include Allen Ginsberg, Neal Cassady, Ken Babbs, Paul Krassner, and others. Introduction by playwright Arthur Miller. Heavily illustrated with sketches by Kesey, photographs, etc. Slight rubbing to covers; else fine in wrappers, with publisher's review slip and a promotional photo of Kesey laid in. Uncommon as an advance copy.
132. (KESEY, Ken). GAY, John. Sometimes a Great Notion. (Universal City): Universal Studios (1970). Gay's "revised final screenplay" based on Kesey's second novel, after One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, but his first novel to be brought to the screen. The novel concerns the Stamper family, an independent, sometimes ornery group of Oregon loggers. The film was directed by Paul Newman and starred Newman, Henry Fonda and Lee Remick, and has fallen into undeserved obscurity: it was nominated for two Academy Awards and many consider it one of the last great performances of Fonda's career. This copy bears the name of Sam Gilman, who played the character of John Stamper, whose dialogue is marked in the text. Gilman was a longtime Hollywood character actor, appearing in dozens of films spanning more than three decades. Dated May 19, 1970, with revisions through at least June 12. Spotting and creasing to covers; a very good copy, bradbound in studio wrappers. An unusual, working copy of this script.
133. KING, Stephen. Salem's Lot. Garden City: Doubleday, 1975. His second novel. Inscribed by King in the year of publication: "For ____, from your mother -- / I hope you enjoy it and have a Merry Christmas!" A fine copy in a near fine, corner-clipped second issue dust jacket (with the printed price $7.95 and the reference to "Father Cody" in the flap text), with modest corner rubbing and a strip of offsetting to the rear panel. A very attractive copy of this book, much better than usually found, and with the earliest King inscription we have seen in it. King's early books with contemporary inscriptions are extremely uncommon: the first printings were small and the books didn't sell particularly well, either. Also, King didn't do the extensive author tours that later became the norm for promoting books. The first printings of his novels got larger and larger but it wasn't until about 1980 that his books were bestsellers immediately upon publication.
134. KING, Stephen. The Stand. NY: Doubleday (1978). Another of King's early novels published by Doubleday, in a remarkably cheap binding. A massive book -- 823 pages -- which some consider his best. Nonetheless, a larger edition with "restored" text was issued in 1990. This copy belonged to Burton Hatlen, King's English Professor at the University of Maine, and bears his underlinings and marginal notations, as well as a short list of the pages that have typos. Hatlen has written a critical work on King's The Shining; he was one of the three dedicatees of King's novel The Long Walk, written as Richard Bachman and published the year after this book; and King mentions Hatlen in his book On Writing. Hatlen apparently read the book closely: his underlinings and comments begin a couple of hundred pages into the book and continue sporadically until the next to the last page, and his marginal comments respond to the text as well as putting it in context. At one point he cites "Gollum and Smeagol," Tolkien's fictional character, for comparison with one of King's characters. This copy has also been signed by King at a later date. A bulky volume, with an indentation to the spine; otherwise near fine in a very good dust jacket with several small chips and edge tears. A wonderful association copy, with a letter of provenance laid in.
135. KINGSOLVER, Barbara. Homeland and Other Stories. NY: Harper & Row (1989). Her second book and first collection of stories. Signed by the author in the year of publication. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
136. KINGSOLVER, Barbara. Animal Dreams. NY: Harper & Row (1990). The advance reading copy of her second novel, which, like her first, Bean Trees, is set in the Southwest and combines elements of Native American culture and legends, political action and environmental issues in a human drama of love and life's largest commitments. Fine in wrappers.
137. KINGSOLVER, Barbara. The Bean Trees. (NY): HarperFlamingo (1998). The tenth anniversary edition of her first book, a hardcover issued in February 1998 and used to promote the October 1998 mass market paperback edition by means of an added wraparound band holding a 5 1/2" x 10" fold-out promotional flyer. The book is fine in a fine dust jacket; the flyer is also fine. Uncommon.
138. KINGSOLVER, Barbara. Small Wonder. (NY): HarperCollins (2002). Two advance issues of this collection of essays: the uncorrected proof copy and the bound spiralbound photocopied typescript. Many of the previously-published essays here were revised for inclusion. Both states are fine.
139. (KINGSOLVER, Barbara). The Single Mother's Companion. Essays and Stories by Women. (Seattle): Seal Press, 1994. An advance reading excerpt printing eight of the chapters from the finished book. Kingsolver contributes "Quality Time;" Anne Lamott contributes "Operating Instructions." Fine in wrappers.
140. L'AMOUR, Louis. Smoke from this Altar. Oklahoma City: Lusk Publishing (1939). His first book, a collection of poetry, by one of the bestselling American authors of all time. L'Amour wrote over 100 books, mostly Westerns, that sold tens of millions of copies. His first foray into writing professionally, however, took the form of poetry and this collection was published 14 years before he published a book of fiction. This copy is inscribed by the author to "Miss Erskine Hogue," the daughter of a pioneering Oklahoma family and an acquaintance of Will Rogers. Foxing to top edge, else a fine copy in gilt-stamped green cloth in a very good, mildly foxed dust jacket with one small abrasion, a couple edge tears, and one restored chip. Uncommon, especially in dust jacket and signed, and a landmark first book.
141. (Lara Croft). COUPLAND, Douglas. Lara's Book. Rocklin: Prima Publishing (1998). The author of Generation X gives his take on the Lara Croft phenomenon in a combination graphic novel, cultural critique, and meditation on issues such as the meaning of free will and what constitutes life. Also includes "strategies and secrets!" for the computer game where Lara Croft was born. A tenth anniversary edition of the game was just released this year. Quarto. Price sticker and partially removed price sticker on rear cover; near fine in wrappers. An uncommon book in the first edition, and a commentary by perhaps one of the best possible writers to tackle the subject -- with wit and humor, and just the right touch of Meaning.
142. LONDON, Jack. The God of His Fathers. NY: McClure, Phillips, 1901. London's scarce second book, a collection of stories drawing on his experiences in the Klondike. Rear hinge cracked and front hinge starting; small spot rear cover and slight corner rubbing; still at least very good, with the gilt still bright on both the spine and the front panel. A nicer than usual copy, lacking the rare dust jacket.
143. LONDON, Jack. A Son of the Sun. Garden City: Doubleday Page, 1912. A collection of Polynesian stories. Lower outer corner tapped; trace rubbing to heel and corners; a near fine copy, with the illustrated front cover and the lettering on the spine still bright and clear, lacking the rare dust jacket.
144. LOPEZ, Barry. Desert Reservation. (n.p.): Copper Canyon Press (1980). His first limited edition, a poem done in an edition of 300 numbered copies in wrappers signed by the author. There were 26 lettered copies, also in wrappers, but no hardcover edition of this title. Tiny nick lower edge of wrappers, otherwise fine.
145. LOPEZ, Barry. Occupancy. Edinburgh: Morning Star, 1993. Published in Morning Star Portfolio series as Volume 3, Number 4; although, according to the author, it wasn't printed and distributed until August 1994. A single sheet, approximately 20" x 17", folded in sixths. On one side is a personal essay about the author's occupancy of the land on which he and his partner resided for 94 seasons, along with photographs, a species list, etc.; the other side reproduces a hand-drawn schematic map of the land, with sites of notable occurrences and features identified. A sensitive rendering of the author's respect for and appreciation of the land at hand: "The volume of space this land contains seems infinite. For a while we are its human companions." One of 300 numbered copies. Fine, in original envelope. A scarce item; we have seen very few offered for sale.
146. 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 both Lopez and Pohrt on a Tom Pohrt-designed bookplate, laid in. Fine in a fine dust jacket.