Catalog 147, A-B
1. ALBEE, Edward and PURDY, James. Malcolm. NY: Atheneum, 1966. Albee's adaptation of Purdy's first novel, which became something of a classic in its day. Albee is a three-time Pulitzer Prize winner for drama, and the winner of a Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement. Purdy won two Guggenheim Fellowships, including one in 1958 that allowed him to write Malcolm. This copy is inscribed by both Albee and Purdy in 1983. Fine in a near fine dust jacket with modest rubbing and edge wear. An important collaboration. Uncommon signed by both.
2. ANDERSON, Laurie. United States. NY: Harper & Row (1984). The companion book to her 1982 eight hour epic performance piece United States I-IV. Inscribed by Anderson, with an additional hand and lightning-bolt sketch. This is the issue in wrappers. Oblong quarto; fine. Books signed by Anderson, perhaps the preeminent American avant garde performance artist, and NASA's only artist-in-residence (the program was discontinued after her term), are uncommon.
3. (Anthology). The Outsider, Vol. 1. (New Orleans): (Loujon Press) (1961). The first issue of this influential little magazine, which published a number of the Beat, and later counterculture, writers while they were still "outsiders." Handset and printed, the magazine was as innovative typographically as it was in terms on contents, and Loujon Press later went on to produce some of the most distinctive productions of the 1960s, an era of great experimentation in book publishing, as in other fields. Contributors here include Charles Bukowski, Henry Miller, William Burroughs, Gregory Corso, Allen Ginsberg, Kay Boyle, Leroi Jones, Langston Hughes, Diane Di Prima, Gary Snyder, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Charles Olson and many others. Small bump to spine base; mild acidification to pages. Near fine in wrappers.
4. (Anthology). A Tribute to Jim Lowell. Cleveland: Ghost Press, 1967. A tribute for and defense of Jim Lowell of the Asphodel Bookshop and d.a. levy, compiled by T.L. Kryss, with contributions by Charles Bukowski, Douglas Blazek, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Denise Levertov, James Laughlin, Robert Lowell, Charles Olson, Hubert Selby, Jr., Gilbert Sorrentino, Guy Davenport, Michael McClure and many others. Lowell was being prosecuted for selling obscene material -- i.e., poetry -- and this volume was produced to raise money for his defense. Lowell's bookstore was a key site in the counterculture in the 1960s, and remained an important poetry bookshop until Lowell's death in 2004. 500 copies printed. Illustrated with silkscreens. Fine in stapled wrappers. A nice copy of a scarce, important, and cheaply made production.
5. (Anthology). NORTH, Joseph, ed. New Masses. An Anthology of the Rebel Thirties. NY: International Publishers (1969). A collection of fiction and nonfiction from the pages of the magazine New Masses. With work by Ernest Hemingway, Theodore Dreiser, James Agee, Kenneth Patchen, John Dos Passos, Richard Wright, Nelson Algren and Garcia Lorca (translated by Langston Hughes), among many others. Inscribed by North to the artist Raphael Soyer and his wife: "You were inspirers of this book. With love/ Joe North." Dated in the year of publication. A nice association: Soyer was noted as a socialist realist artist, who taught at the John Reed Club and the New School for Social Research, in addition to such places as the National Academy and the Art Students' League. Spine crease and lower edge bump; near fine in a near fine dust jacket with a corner tear to the lower front flap and a small chip to the upper rear panel.
6. (Anthology). Dacotah Territory, Vol. 1, No. 1. Moorehead: Dacotah Territory, 1971. The first issue, with contributions by Tom McGrath, Robert Bly, Gene Frumkin, David Johnson, Marnie Walsh and others. Fine in stapled wrappers with a typed note signed by the editor, Mark Vinz, laid in. Cover art by Bernel Bayliss.
7. (Anthology). WIATER, Stanley, ed. Night Visions 7. Arlington Heights: Dark Harvest, 1989. A collection of original stories by Richard Laymon, Chet Williamson and Gary Brandner, illustrated by Charles and Wendy Lang. Fine in a fine dust jacket. From the library of Stanley Wiater, who edited the anthology and provided the Introduction and the After-Words.
8. -. Same title, the limited edition. Of a total edition of 500 copies, this is marked "P/C" and carries Stanley Wiater's bookplate, designed by Gahan Wilson. Signed by Wiater, Laymon, Williamson, Brander, and the Langs. Fine in a fine dust jacket and slipcase. A unique copy of this anthology of modern horror.
10. (Anthology). The Paris Review Interviews, Vol. 1. NY: Picador (2006). The advance reading copy (marked "Advance Uncorrected Proof") of this paperback original, collecting interviews with Saul Bellow, Elizabeth Bishop, Jorge Luis Borges, James M. Cain, Truman Capote, Joan Didion, T.S. Eliot, Ernest Hemingway, Richard Price, Robert Stone, Kurt Vonnegut and others. Introduced by Philip Gourevitch, who became editor of The Paris Review after its original editor, George Plimpton, died. Fine in wrappers.
11. (Anthology). The Book of Other People. (NY): Penguin (2007). The first American edition of this anthology of original stories edited by Zadie Smith and with contributions by George Saunders, Vendela Vita, Dave Eggers, Jonathan Safran Foer, Edwidge Danticat, Aleksandar Hemon, A.M. Homes, Nick Hornby, Jonathan Lethem, A.L. Kennedy, Hari Kunzru, David Mitchell, Colm Toibin, ZZ Packer, Heidi Julavits, Toby Litt and others. For the writers, the assignment was to "make somebody up." The proceeds from the book benefitted 826 New York, part of the chain founded by Dave Eggers to help kids with writing skills. Only issued in wrappers in the U.S. This copy is signed by Zadie Smith, Vendela Vita, and George Saunders, who has added a peace sign with a human form. Fine.
12. ANTRIM, Donald. The Afterlife. NY: FSG (2006). The advance reading copy of his fourth book, first work of nonfiction, a memoir written after the death of his mother. Fine in wrappers.
13. BALDWIN, James. Notes of a Native Son. Boston: Beacon Press (1955). The second book by the author of Go Tell It on the Mountain, a collection of essays. Offsetting to front endpages from a Baldwin New York Times Book Review article laid in; else near fine in a good, edge-sunned dust jacket with some spotting and chips to the corners. This is the second issue dust jacket, with blurbs from Library Journal, Time, Newsweek, and the Associated Press on the rear panel.
14. BALDWIN, James and AVEDON, Richard. Nothing Personal. NY: Atheneum, 1964. Avedon's photographs with text by Baldwin. A classic volume of the early Sixties, with photographs providing social commentary, portraits of leading figures of the day in many fields, and portraits of unknown but dramatically expressive individuals. Trace rubbing to the covers; very near fine in a good publisher's slipcase, split at the joints. A classic collaboration by two of the rising stars of the era, both of whom went on to acclaim as representing the pinnacle of their respective arts. The slipcase, though worn, has done its job of protecting the book, and the book, which has white covers and a heavy text block and is often found soiled and worn, is in better shape than usually found.
15. BARNES, Kim. In the Wilderness. NY: Doubleday (1996). Her first book of prose, a memoir that won the PEN/Jerard Fund Award, the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Award, and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Inscribed by the author to another Northwest writer: "For --- with thanks, of course, and respect, but mostly because you're one of the truly good people in the world. Love, Kim Barnes." Fine in a fine dust jacket. A nice association copy.
16. BECKETT, Samuel. Waiting for Godot. NY: Grove Press (1954). The first English-language edition of Beckett's masterpiece, which defined the Theater of the Absurd and created for its author an immediate spot in the literary pantheon, culminating in his being awarded the Nobel Prize. Considered by many the single most important play of the 20th century. An early Grove Press title which has become, like several other titles from the early years of the press, exceedingly scarce -- many times scarcer than the Faber edition published two years later in Great Britain. This is a fine copy in a near fine dust jacket with light edge wear and tanning to the spine. Our experience with this title in recent years suggests that it is of a degree of scarcity comparable to Harper Lee's classic To Kill a Mockingbird. As with Mockingbird, because of a largely black, unlaminated dust jacket that wears easily and shows wear readily, collectible copies are few and far between. This is one of the nicest copies we have seen in a long time.
17. BELLOW, Saul. The Adventures of Augie March. NY: Viking, 1953. The first issue of the Nobel Prize winner's third novel, and the first of his three National Book Award winners -- an unprecedented accomplishment in American literature. Signed by the author. This copy was used as a presentation copy by the Popular Library prior to their reprinting it in paperback, and bearing their label on the front flyleaf. Upper corners tapped, else a fine copy in a near fine dust jacket with light wear to the corners and spine extremities. An important book, uncommon in nice condition and scarce signed.
18. BELLOW, Saul. Herzog. NY: Viking Press (1964). Bound galleys of the Nobel Prize winner's second book (of three) to win the National Book Award. With textual variations between this version and the published text. 10" x 5 1/4" galleys, ringbound in printed yellow cardstock covers; dusty; else fine. Apparently the text was changed while the book was still in galleys, and a later state of the proof exists with the new text pasted over the original. This, however, is the earliest state of the proof, and the only one we are aware of that has the original text readily accessible and readable.
19. -. Same title. (London): Weidenfeld & Nicolson (1964). The uncorrected proof copy of the first British edition. Rubbing to front spine fold; near fine in wrappers. An uncommon proof; few copies would have been done, and likely very few have survived. Oddly, Bellow's name doesn't appear on the cover of the proof with the publisher's name and the title. Together with a copy of the first British trade edition: a few spots to foredge, else fine in a very good dust jacket with minor rubbing to the spine and shallow chipping to the crown. For both:
20. BERGER, John. Here is Where We Meet. NY: Pantheon Books (2005). The advance reading copy of this work of autobiographical fiction by the author of Ways of Seeing and the Booker Prize-winning G., among others. Fine in wrappers.
21. BERGER, Thomas. Little Big Man. NY: Dial, 1964. His most famous novel, a tragicomic history of the American West, which was immortalized on film. Winner of the Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Foundation Award of the American Academy of Arts and Letters -- given for a work that, while not being a commercial success, is nonetheless a substantial literary achievement. Minor spotting to top page edges and a bit of foxing on the rear flap fold, otherwise this is a very near fine in a near fine, price-clipped dust jacket with hint of rubbing but none of the spine fading that this jacket is prone to display: a beautiful, rich red color all around makes this a much nicer than usual copy of this novel.
22. (Books into Film). JOHNSON, Kevin. The Dark Page. Books That Inspired American Film Noir (1940-1949). (New Castle): Oak Knoll Press, 2007. A new publication identifying all of the books that were the sources for the Film Noir of the 1940s, with descriptions of the books and of the films that were made from them, along with illustrations of all the books. Film director Paul Schrader contributes an introduction based on his seminal essay on Film Noir from 1971. Signed by Johnson. Fine in a fine dust jacket. A handsome production and a landmark volume that is a significant contribution to the literature of the genre.
23. BOWEN, Peter. Yellowstone Kelly. Ottawa: Jameson Books (1987). His first book. Inscribed by the author to another writer whose praise appears on the book's jacket: "For ___ ____ with respect, affection, and.......a little.......HAH! Best/ Peter Bowen." Fine in a fine dust jacket. An affectionate inscription and a nice association copy of the first of Bowen's highly praised novelizations of the life of the famous Montana trapper, scout and adventurer.
24. BOWEN, Peter. Kelly Blue. NY: Crown (1991). The author's second book, and the second one featuring Yellowstone Kelly. Inscribed by the author to another writer, "with love and gratitude" in the year of publication. Fine in a fine dust jacket. A nice association copy.
25. BOWEN, Peter. Thunder Horse. NY: St. Martin's (1998). His eighth book, and the fifth novel in the highly praised Gabriel du Pré mystery series, featuring the contemporary Metis trapper/trader who has been called one of "the most memorable creations in detective fiction." Bowen's Du Pré novels use the mystery form to explore social and political issues in present day Montana. Inscribed by Bowen to another writer, with the added sentiment, "These would not have happened without you." Fine in a near fine dust jacket a bit rubbed on the rear panel. Again, a good association copy.
26. 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 historical conspiracy involving the Catholic church, secret societies, the bloodlines of Jesus Christ 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. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
27. BRUEN, Ken. The Hackman Blues. (London): Do Not Press (1997). The uncommon second book by the writer who is credited with creating "Irish noir" as a genre and has become a bestselling author both in the U.K. and the U.S. in the past decade. Only issued in wrappers. Signed by the author. A fine copy.
28. BURKE, James Lee. A Morning for Flamingos. Boston: Little Brown (1990). The fourth novel in Burke's award-winning Dave Robicheaux series. Inscribed at length by Burke to another writer: "To ___ ___, an old friend who writes some of the best prose in the English language -- [your book] stole the hearts of my Honors class and left the instructor envious of your ability to capture the West better than any other writer I know of, your buddy, Jim Burke." Slight spine lean; else fine in a very near fine dust jacket with a touch of fading to the spine lettering. A great inscription and an excellent association copy.
29. BURKE, James Lee. In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead. NY: Hyperion (1993). Another Robicheaux mystery. Inscribed by the author to a literary couple: "To ___ and ____, with thanks for your loyal friendship over the years, your buddy, Jim Burke." Slight spine lean; else fine in a fine dust jacket with a faint crease to the front flap. Again, a nice association copy.
30. BURKE, James Lee. Dixie City Jam. NY: Hyperion (1994). The limited edition of this title, the seventh in his award-winning Dave Robicheaux series. One of 1,525 numbered copies signed by the author. Additionally, this copy is inscribed by Burke to a literary couple: "To ___ and ___, All the best from your old friend out here in the mountains, James Lee Burke." These copies were given away as promotional items at a booksellers' convention, much the way glossy softcover advance reading copies often are. Near fine in a very good, dusty and somewhat mottled slipcase.
31. BURROUGHS, William S. Naked Lunch. NY: Grove Press (1959)[c. 1962]. The first American edition and the first hardcover edition: Naked Lunch was not published in this country until three years after its original publication in Paris. It was published by the maverick publisher Barney Rosset, of Grove Press, in a tiny edition of 3500 copies -- a smaller number than was done of the scarce French paperback edition in 1959. Fine in a fine dust jacket. Together with an advance reading excerpt: eight pages from the novel and two reviews, one by Terry Southern. With additional blurbs by Norman Mailer, Jack Kerouac, Robert Lowell and John Ciardi. Fine in stapled wrappers. An important promotional piece, in that Burroughs' novel was subjected to censorship prior to its U.S. publication, and the endorsements of such established literary celebrities as the above helped pave the way for its publication here by establishing it as a novel of literary merit. A beautiful copy of a landmark book, together with an uncommon, important ephemeral piece.
32. BURROUGHS, William. Dead Fingers Talk. London: John Calder/Olympia Press (1963). The uncorrected proof copy of this drug novel, which consists of an amalgam of sections from The Naked Lunch, The Soft Machine and The Ticket that Exploded, as well as some material not reproduced elsewhere. Small spot to lower edge of text block, else fine in plain green wrappers. We have never seen another proof copy of this title, and have not seen any earlier Burroughs proof. There was no U.S. edition of this title. Extremely uncommon.
33. BUTLER, Octavia E. Survivor. Garden City: Doubleday, 1978. Butler's third novel, an installment in her Patternmaster series that details a secret history of the world involving telepathy, shape-shifting, and a plague of extraterrestrial origin. The series earned Butler her reputation as a master of the science fiction genre, and she has won both the Hugo and Nebula awards, among others, and been the recipient of a MacArthur Foundation "genius grant." She later came to disapprove of this title and has not allowed it to be reprinted since its initial hardcover and paperback print runs. Slight spine lean, tiny bump to upper board edge; near fine in a near fine dust jacket with one short edge tear and shallow chipping to the crown. A very scarce book by an important writer.