Catalog 147, M
135. MANN, Thomas. Bashan and I. NY: Henry Holt, 1924. An early book by Mann, his second book to appear in English. The publisher calls it "perhaps the finest study of the mind of a dog ever written," and it is now quite uncommon. A different translation of the original German book was issued by Knopf in 1930 as A Man and His Dog. Fading to spine ends, small stationer's label to front pastedown; near fine in a very good dust jacket, darkened at the spine, chipped at the spine ends, and starting to split at the folds. Very uncommon in any jacket.
136. MANN, Thomas. Archive of Correspondence, Books and Ephemera. 1946-1948. Correspondence with, and books and related materials from, the library of translator Doris Dana. Including:
Three typed letters signed to Dana from Thomas Mann; an autograph letter signed to Dana from Mann's wife, Katia; three autograph letters signed to Dana from Mann's daughter Monika; and two retained letters from Dana to Thomas Mann. Mann writes to Dana in August 1946: he remarks on the pleasant visit she had paid the Manns, and thanks her for her English translation of a tribute to Mann written by the Chilean Nobel Prize-winning poet Gabriela Mistral, and he has warm words for Mistral's piece. Dana writes back saying that translating such an article was a privilege for her, and sends him an album of records. In his next letter, Mann praises the music and mentions that he is working hard on finishing his new novel, which may be done in the "first months of the coming year" (1947) if his health holds up. He hopes that he and his wife can visit Dana when they come to New York. A handwritten retained copy of Dana's next letter to Mann, in March 1948, sets up the first meeting between Mann and Mistral, to which he enthusiastically assents in his reply dated three days later. It's clear from these letters that Dana not only introduced Mann to the work of Mistral, but arranged for their first actual meeting -- bringing the two Nobel Prize winners together for the first time. Dana was a longtime friend and partner of Mistral, and a translator of her work, as well as her literary executor after she died. Mistral's piece on Mann which Dana translated appeared in the volume The Stature of Thomas Mann, edited by Charles Neider, one of the volumes included below. Other than necessary folds; all of these items are fine.
Together with: MANN, Thomas. Doctor Faustus. NY: Knopf, 1948. The first American edition. Inscribed by Mann in the year of publication: "To Doris Dana whom I want to be one of the first American readers of this book. Thomas Mann. Pacific Palisades/ 8 October 1948." A little loss to spine gilt; near fine in a near fine, mildly spine-tanned dust jacket.
Also together with 21 books by Thomas Mann, two journal appearances of articles by Mann; six books about Mann, and one offprint of a Charles Neider article on Mann's Joseph Myth, all from the library of Doris Dana. Five of the items, including four German-language editions and the Neider offprint, are inscribed to Dana by Charles Neider, a scholar and translator of Mann and a longtime friend of Dana. One item is inscribed by its author to Charles Neider, who presumably gave it to Dana. Condition varies and in a few cases is poor; many of the books lack dust jackets; some have Dana's ownership signature; one has a Mann quote written in it by Dana; another is inscribed to her by a friend only identified as "Babs." One scarce German-language pamphlet published in 1945 in London and Montevideo, Uruguay, purports to explain that Mann emigrated from Germany not because of his anti-Nazi beliefs but because the Nazis did not hold him in high enough esteem and he was jealous for his reputation.
And also together with Mann ephemera such as a program and seating list for a dinner in Mann's honor, notes on a lecture given by Mann and a ticket stub and flyer for a lecture, and four manuscripts by Monika Mann.
In all, a rich archive of materials involving Mann, his writings, his translators, his meeting with a fellow Nobel Prize winner, Mistral, and family matters involving his daughter Monika and her writing. A descriptive list of the full contents of the archive is available upon request.
137. MATHESON, Richard. Hunger and Thirst. (n.p.):(n.p.)[1999]. Photocopied typescript of Matheson's first novel, written in 1949 when the author was 23, but not published until 2000, when Matheson submitted it to Gauntlet Press and it was published as a limited edition. Gauntlet Press publisher Barry Hoffman made a copy of the manuscript for author Stanley Wiater, who edited Matheson's Twilight Zone Scripts and Collected Stories, both of them published by Gauntlet. Wiater is also editing a forthcoming book on Matheson, The Richard Matheson Companion, to be published by Gauntlet. According to Wiater, this is the only copy of the manuscript that has been made or will be made and was done for him as a special request. Matheson is the author of I Am Legend, recently made into a Hollywood film for the third time, and Bid Time Return, which was made into the acclaimed film Somewhere in Time, among many other novels. Double-spaced; single-sided. 764 pages, mostly clean manuscript but reproducing some of the author's last-minute corrections and changes. Fine, in the original cardboard box from Gauntlet Press to Wiater, establishing the provenance of the piece. Unique.
138. MATTHIESSEN, Peter. Men's Lives. The Surfmen and Paymen of the South Fork. NY: Random House (1986). A volume about the fishermen of eastern Long Island and a way of life that, in the late stages of the 20th century, appeared to be irretrievably dying away. Matthiessen has spent much of his life on eastern Long Island, and once ran a charter fishing boat off the island in addition to having worked for three years with commercial fishermen, so this sympathetic portrait is written from the perspective of one who, at least for period of a time, shared the life described. Signed by the author. Quarto, heavily illustrated with photographs, both historical and contemporary. Text block bound in upside down; minor edge sunning and splaying to boards; near fine in a near fine dust jacket.
139. MAUGHAM, W. Somerset. The Moon and Sixpence. London: Heinemann (1919). One of Maugham's most successful and influential novels, a portrait of an artist who leaves his comfortable life to pursue his artistic muse, loosely based on the life of Paul Gauguin. This is the first issue, with four pages of publisher's ads bound integrally in the last signature. As with Of Human Bondage, there is also a great deal of autobiography in Maugham's novel; he reportedly took the title for it from an excerpt of a review of the earlier novel in which the main character is described as "so busy yearning for the moon that he never saw the sixpence at his feet." Acidic paper darkening; a touch of rubbing at the corners; else a beautiful copy of the scarce first issue of one of Maugham's most famous novels. In custom slipcase.
140. MAXWELL, William. So Long, See You Tomorrow. NY: Knopf, 1980. A short novel that won the William Dean Howells Award for the best novel in a five year period. Inscribed by the author to the artist Raphael Soyer in the month prior to publication. Fine in a near fine dust jacket.
141. McCAFFREY, Anne. The Coelura. (n.p.): (n.p.)(1981). A handmade "review copy," printed from uncorrected proofs, of McCaffrey's 1983 novella. 61 pages velobound in plain cardstock covers. Reportedly one of 12 copies so bound. This copy is inscribed by McCaffrey: "For Jeff [Levin], with many thanks. Let's work together again! Anne McCaffrey." This title was published by Underwood Miller in 1983 and later by Tor. Jeff Levin, of Pendragon Graphics in Beaverton, Oregon sometimes set the type for Underwood-Miller productions, and that may be what McCaffrey is referring to here. A rare item, and a nice association. Fine.
142. McCARTHY, Cormac. The Stonemason. (Hopewell): Ecco (1994). The trade edition of his first play, which had a first printing of 7500 copies (compared with 150,000 copies for The Crossing, which was issued at about the same time). Signed by the author three months prior to publication (the book was published in April; the signature is dated January 10, 1994). There was a signed edition of this title, issued with a limitation of 350 copies, but those were signed on a tipped-in leaf. McCarthy is quite reclusive, and trade editions signed by him are scarce.
143. McCARTHY, Cormac. The Crossing. NY: Knopf, 1994. The sequel to All the Pretty Horses, and the second novel in The Border Trilogy. Inscribed by the author: "For ___/ All best wishes/ Cormac McCarthy." Although McCarthy signed a number of special copies that were distributed by the publisher and never formally offered for sale, signed copies of regular trade editions of the books in the Border Trilogy are scarce. Small lower edge nick to first two pages of text; else fine in a fine dust jacket.
144. McCARTHY, Cormac. No Country for Old Men. NY: Knopf, 2005. The advance reading copy of this novel of drugs and violence set in the contemporary Southwest, the film adaptation of which recently won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. Fine in wrappers.
145. -. Another copy. Fine in wrappers, with review slip laid in.
146. -. Same title, the uncorrected proof of the British edition. (London): Picador (2005). Fine in wrappers. Uncommon.
147. McCLANAHAN, Ed. Famous People I Have Known. NY: FSG (1985). Inscribed by the author to another writer: "For ___, a famous person I have known...and admired." Shallow creases to a couple foredges; else fine in a fine dust jacket.
148. McCULLERS, Carson. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. Stockholm/London: Zephyr Books/Continental Book Co. (1947). A reissue of McCullers' first book, first published in 1940. This copy is inscribed by McCullers: "For Doris/ with love/ Carson." The recipient, Doris Dana, was a longtime friend of McCullers and Truman Capote, as well as the partner of Chilean Nobel Prize-winning poet Gabriela Mistral, whom she introduced to McCullers and others. A warm inscription behind which lay a close and significant personal relationship. Light foxing and spine creasing; a near fine copy in wrappers, in a very good dust jacket.
149. McEWAN, Ian. The Short Stories. London: Jonathan Cape (1995). Collects in one volume the first two books (First Love, Last Rites and In Between the Sheets) by the author of Atonement and the Booker Prize-winning Amsterdam. Signed by McEwan in the year of publication. Faint foxing to lower page edges; still fine in a fine dust jacket. An uncommon collection, especially signed.
150. McGUANE, Thomas. The Bushwhacked Piano. NY: Simon & Schuster (1971). His second book, winner of the Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Foundation Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, for a novel of "considerable literary achievement." Inscribed by the author to the artist Raphael Soyer, "with great admiration and hopes of meeting again." Dated in Livingston, Montana in 1972. Fine in a very good, spine-tanned dust jacket with a gutter nick, a couple small stains at the rear spine fold and a couple short, closed edge tears. A nice association and an early inscription.
151. McPHEE, John. The Headmaster. NY: FSG (1966). McPhee's second book, a portrait of Frank L. Boyden, the longtime Headmaster of Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts, where McPhee was a student during Boyden's tenure. Laid in is an autograph postcard signed by McPhee, from 1966, to a Deerfield teacher, Bryce Lambert, thanking him for his reactions to The Headmaster after publication, and apparently for comments made during the writing of the book. The card has one extraneous piece of tape to one edge; else fine. Additionally, the book is very warmly and lengthily inscribed by Boyden to Lambert; the inscription is dated in another hand at September 1971. A biographical sketch of Boyden is taped opposite the title page in the book. There is also a Boyden holiday card (with photo of Frank and Helen Boyden) and an autograph note to Lambert signed by Frank Boyden (dated in another hand at May, 1966). Two marginal marks to text and Lambert's stamp to front pastedown; else fine in a fine dust jacket. Additionally, tipped into the book opposite the Boyden inscription is a 1984 autograph note signed by McPhee, again to Lambert, regarding a past meeting with Pennsylvania governor Richard Thornburgh and New Jersey governor Brendan Byrne. Folded as necessary; envelope included. A very nice copy, with excellent associations. For all:
152. McPHEE, John. The John McPhee Reader. NY: FSG (1976). The uncorrected proof copy of this collection of sections from McPhee's first dozen books, along with an introduction by William Howarth and a checklist of McPhee's writings, which includes a number of unattributed "Talk of the Town" pieces from The New Yorker. Fine in wrappers. The trade edition is uncommon, the proof even more so: we have only seen the proof once before, well over a decade ago.
153. (McPHEE, John). "The Big Hustler" in Time, Vol. 78, No. 26. (Chicago): Time, Inc., 1961. McPhee has the cover story in this issue, on the life and career of Jackie Gleason. Mailing label lower corner; near fine in stapled wrappers. A very early McPhee piece, preceding his first book by four years and prior to his move to The New Yorker.
154. (McPHEE, John). "Basketball and Beefeaters" in The New Yorker, Vol. 39, No. 4. NY: New Yorker Magazine, 1963. McPhee's first appearance in The New Yorker, a story about trying to get a basketball game going in the Tower of London against the Royal Fusiliers in the 1950s, when he was a student at Cambridge after graduating from Princeton. Vertical mid-crease to front cover; near fine in stapled wrappers.
155. (McPHEE, John). "A Sense of Where You Are" in The New Yorker, Vol. 40. No. 49. NY: New Yorker Magazine, 1965. Prints a lengthy profile of Princeton basketball star Bill Bradley; the piece eventually became the second chapter of McPhee's first book. Fine in stapled wrappers.
156. (McPHEE, John). The New Yorker, 1966. NY: New Yorker Magazine, 1966. Seven McPhee appearances in The New Yorker, of approximately 15, total, from the year 1966. All are in the magazine's "Talk of the Town" section. Three are small glimpses of things seen or heard in passing: February 12, "Comprehensive," about a listing on a bulletin board; February 26, untitled, about a bake sale; December 24, untitled, about a wedding. Four of the pieces are short reports from the field: March 12, "Coliseum Hour" about a Sport and Camping Show; June 25, "Girl in a Paper Dress" about department store notions counters; July 2, "Ms and FeMs at the Biltmore" about a Mensa gathering; and July 9, "On the Way to Gladstone" about wild bears in New Jersey. As is the case with all Talk of the Town pieces, none is attributed to the author in the magazine, but they are credited to McPhee in the William Howarth checklist that appears in The John McPhee Reader and/or on The New Yorker website. McPhee's career with The New Yorker began in 1963; as best we can tell, prior to this year, 1966, he had only had two appearances in the magazine. The July 2 issue has a bumped corner; the lot is near fine.
157. MERTON, Thomas. Archive. 1966-1968. A substantial archive of correspondence, essays, poetry, photographs and books, written to Doris Dana, his "God-sister," as follows:
seven typed letters signed; one autograph letter signed; two autograph postcards signed; and including carbon copies of Dana's letters to Merton.
a copy of a 1967 typescript of Merton's "Ishi. A Meditation," which shows holograph corrections and is inscribed: "For Doris/ Gratefully/ Tom."
a dozen Merton essays, offset.
thirteen Merton poems, several carbon typescripts with holograph corrections
eight color photographs of Merton on the grounds of the Abbey of Gethsemani in Trappist, KY. None of these have been published.
The Ascent to Truth, NY: Harcourt Brace (1951). Inscribed by the author. Fine in a near fine, spine-tanned dust jacket.
The Way of Chuang Tzu, (NY): New Directions (1965). Interpretations by Merton of the classic Taoist poems and tales of Chuang Tzu, with an introductory essay by Merton on Taoism. Inscribed by the author, "with love." Fine in a fine dust jacket.
Mystics & Zen Masters, NY: FSG (1967). Second printing. Inscribed by the author. Foxing to foredge and a small strip of fading to crown; near fine in a near fine dust jacket with a slight crease at the crown and a touch of foxing to the rear flap.
Dana got to know Merton at the end of 1966. Having converted to Catholicism, her Godfather was the French writer and philosopher Jacques Maritain, who provided her an introduction to both John Howard Griffin and Thomas Merton, two longtime friends, calling them all "God-siblings." Merton had briefly met Maritain when he was a student at Columbia in the 1930s, and they had been in touch periodically since then. Dana visited Merton at the Gethsemani monastery twice in 1967. In between visits they kept up an active correspondence. Dana sent Merton Theodora Kroeber's book, Ishi in Two Worlds: A biography of the last wild Indian in North America, which prompted him to write his essay "Ishi: A Meditation," and to inscribe a copy of it to her. He also sent her copies of the essays, articles and poems he was writing and printing in small quantities on the Abbey's offset printing press and its mimeograph machine and, in some cases, carbon copies he had typed on his typewriter and on which he made corrections by hand. Such manuscript material by Merton is of considerable rarity: his writings had to go through a careful vetting process before they left the monastery. In addition, letters from Merton are extremely scarce in the market, at least partly because the Thomas Merton Foundation made an effort after his death to seek the return to the Foundation of all of Merton's correspondence in others' hands. The photographs of Merton standing outside in the Kentucky valley in which the Abbey of Gethsemani is located probably date from Dana's second visit, in October 1967, although she apparently didn't develop them until two years after Merton's death. A significant trove of material of scholarly and biographical interest by one of the key literary and spiritual figures in 20th century American life. Other than a bit of rust to the staples and some necessary folds, the archive is fine. For all:
158. MERTON, Thomas. Early Poems. (Lexington): Anvil Press (1971). A posthumous collection of poems produced in an edition of 150 copies by the Merton Legacy Trust and printed at the Anvil Press in Lexington, Kentucky. A fine press production, this is copy number 117. Edge-sunned cloth with foxing to pages and jacket, which is also edge-sunned, thus very good in a very good jacket.
159. MILLER, Henry. Money and How It Gets That Way. Paris: Booster Publications [1938]. A fragile volume in wrappers, published in an edition of 495 copies. Pages uncut, a fine copy in wrappers; in a custom clamshell box. An especially nice copy of this title. A 1986 note from a bookseller is laid in, in which he states that this is only the second copy of it he's seen in 40 years.
160. MOORE, Lorrie. Who Will Run the Frog Hospital? NY: Knopf, 1994. A novel that contrasts the dissolving bonds of marriage with the enduring bonds of an adolescent friendship, this was Moore's first bestseller and was later released in a tenth anniversary edition. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
161. -. Same title. Madison: Silver Buckle Press, 1995. A limited edition excerpt from the novel. One of only 100 numbered copies (65 of which were for sale) signed by the author and by the artist, Gretchen Hils. Fine in tall, thin saddle-stitched wrappers. An attractive and little-known edition by this highly regarded author.
162. MORRIS, Wright. Collected Stories, 1948-1986. NY: Harper & Row (1986). Wright Morris' own "working copy," with his ownership signature and two index cards of notes (written on both sides) laid in. Signatures detached; pages 249 and forward absent. Morris seems to have disassembled the book in order to re-order the stories and create a new selection. The existent parts, including jacket, are in fine shape. A unique copy, from the author's own library.
163. MORRISON, Toni. Typed Note Signed to John Gardner. June 28, 1982. A brief note to author John Gardner, written in Morrison's capacity as Random House editor, a job she held despite having published four books prior to this point. In the note, Morrison conveys an uncorrected proof to Gardner: "I am taking the liberty of sending a bound copy of MEAN TIME by Christopher T. Leland. I can't imagine that you wouldn't love it and if I'm right would you do us the favor of a comment saying so." Typed by a secretary, but signed "Toni." Morrison has also crossed out the "Gardner" in her address. The Leland proof (NY: Random House, 1982) is also included. The proof has some lower dampstaining; the note is fine.