Catalog 147, V-Z
231. (Vietnam War). ANDERSON, Kent. Sympathy for the Devil. Garden City: Doubleday, 1987. The well-received first novel by the author of the highly acclaimed Night Dogs. A powerful novel about the Special Forces in Vietnam, with whom the author served, which confronts the violence of the war head-on and explores an individual's capacity for tolerating and committing brutality that in any other context would be unthinkable and inhuman. One of the best novels of the war in its lucid portrayal of the devastating effects of the war on even so elite a group as this and, as such, a powerful antiwar statement without the usual postures and attitudes that are normally associated with an antiwar message. Signed by Anderson on the title page and additionally inscribed on the front flyleaf to a literary couple: "For ___ & ___ -- I hope you guys enjoy this -- I wrote it as true as I could -- Thanks/ Kent." Scratch to front board, else fine a dust jacket with a corresponding scratch, else fine. A nice association copy.
232. (Vietnam War). HEINEMANN, Larry. Close Quarters. NY: FSG (1977). Some have called this combat novel, about a squadron of APC crews, the best to come out of the war. It is doubtless one of the best: well-written, tightly constructed, it conveys with seemingly artless ease the plight of the grunt in Vietnam -- the hours of boredom punctuated by moments of pure terror which characterize the combat soldier. It is also darkly humorous, as are a number of the best books about the war -- as if only humor, and humor of a particularly dark and somewhat bent sort, could convey a portion of that unbelievable set of experiences for which one's normal and previous frames of reference no longer applied. Inscribed by Heinemann to another writer well known for his Vietnam fiction, in 1979: "___ -- It was very good to meet you at B.L. What a place. I was so dumb about Bread Loaf that I brought my typewriter. Now that this is done there are all those other stories. Be well and work hard, Larry Heinemann." Fine in a fine dust jacket. An excellent association copy.
233. (Vietnam War). HEINEMANN, Larry. Paco's Story. NY: FSG (1986). The author's second novel, about a badly maimed Vietnam vet who is the only survivor of a vicious firefight, and his life after returning from the war. Surprise winner of the National Book Award. Inscribed by Heinemann to another National Book Award-winning writer of Vietnam fiction: "___ -- I don't believe folks in general know what a piece of work like this takes out of you, but we do. Be well & do good work. I wish you every good thing in my heart. Larry." Staining to the lower margin of a couple middle pages; else fine in a fine dust jacket. One of the best possible association copies of this title.
234. (Vietnam War). HEINEMANN, Larry. Cooler by the Lake. NY: FSG (1992). Inscribed by the author to another writer in the year of publication: "___ -- I know you're not supposed to say this about your own work -- but this may be the funniest book I ever read. I finally got revenge on [deleted for publication]. Always the best, Larry." Fine in a fine dust jacket.
235. (Vietnam War). HEINEMANN, Larry. Black Virgin Mountain. NY: Doubleday (2005). A memoir of the war. Inscribed by the author in the month of publication to another writer who provided a blurb for the dust jacket: "___ -- Many heartfelt thanks for all those good words; means a lot to me. This, of course, is a true book -- with some stretchers, which were unavoidable (har). Best love, Larry." Fine in a fine dust jacket. Again, one of the best possible association copies.
236. VONNEGUT, Kurt. Player Piano. NY: Scribners, 1952. Vonnegut's first book, a satire on automation and the Electronics Age, on the order of Orwell's 1984. Mild sunning to lower board edge; else fine in a near fine dust jacket with even sunning and dusting to the unlaminated dust jacket but only tiny corner chips at the crown. A very nice copy of this book, the jacket of which is usually dramatically sunned, faded and/or worn.
237. VONNEGUT, Kurt. Slaughterhouse-Five. (NY): Delacorte (1969). His masterwork, a powerful fictional memoir of his experiences during the Allied fire-bombing of Dresden, Germany. Vonnegut's philosophical reflections on the tragic absurdity of humankind are embedded in an impressionistic, pessimistic yet comic science fiction tale that is a high spot of the literature of the 1960s and since. The first printing was 10,000 copies and the book eventually sold more than 60,000 copies in hardcover and innumerable in paperback, becoming a classic of its era and a standard on college campuses -- at first by word-of-mouth and later as part of the canon. On all three major lists of the top books of the 20th century. This copy is signed by Vonnegut, with a self-caricature, and dated on his 79th birthday. A little splaying and foxing to boards; small foredge stain; very good in a near fine, evenly tanned dust jacket with an edge tear to the front flap fold. In a very attractive custom clamshell case with leather spine label and marbled paper pastedowns.
238. -. Same title, a later printing of the British edition. London: Jonathan Cape (1970). Signed by the author with a self-caricature. Fine in a very good, price-clipped dust jacket with a little fading to the spine lettering, minor edge wear and some dampstaining to the lower edge, only visible on verso. Vonnegut reportedly signed very few copies of this edition.
239. VONNEGUT, Kurt, Jr. Breakfast of Champions. (NY): Delacorte Press (1973). The uncorrected proof copy of this novel that was Vonnegut's fiftieth birthday present to himself and his characters: in the book Vonnegut grants many of his previous characters their freedom (most notably Kilgore Trout who, unable to make it on the outside, returns in later books). Tall sheets, bound in green wrappers. Shadow of publisher's label on the front cover; fine. Scarce.
240. VONNEGUT, Kurt. Slapstick. London: Jonathan Cape (1976). The first British edition of this autobiographical novel. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine, price-clipped dust jacket. Again, Vonnegut appears to have had little opportunity to sign copies of the U.K. edition of this title, and they seldom turn up on the market signed.
241. VONNEGUT, Kurt. Typed Letter Signed and Deadeye Dick. October 14, 1982. Vonnegut thanks the recipient for an academic paper, comments on a work of art by M.C. Escher, and on his own work: "I have had another shot at the materials in BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS -- in a new book, DEADEYE DICK. It, too, fails to explain anything." Signed "Cheers -- Kurt Vonnegut." Folded for mailing, with hand-addressed envelope included. Together with a copy of the first edition of Deadeye Dick [NY: Delacorte, 1982]. Boards a bit edge-sunned; else fine in a fine dust jacket. A nice letter.
242. VONNEGUT, Kurt. Fates Worse Than Death. NY: Putnam (1991). The limited edition to this sequel to Palm Sunday, an "autobiographical collage of the Eighties." One of 200 numbered copies signed by the author. Fine in a fine slipcase. An attractive edition with a small limitation for Vonnegut.
243. VONNEGUT, Kurt. March 15th 1994. (n.p.): [SpiFFinG Books], 1994. A piracy, printing a lecture Vonnegut gave at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City on March 15, 1994 and also including the text of the question and answer session that followed. 52 pages, illustrated, mostly with drawings by Vonnegut taken from his book Breakfast of Champions. Fine in stapled wrappers. Rare: we have never seen another copy of it.
244. VONNEGUT, Kurt. A Man Without a Country. NY: Seven Stories Press (2005). A collection of essays and, as it turned out, the author's swan song. Signed by the author with a self-caricature. Fine in a fine dust jacket and custom slipcase. Very few copies of this title were signed.
245. -. Same title. Both the first American edition and the first British edition (London): Bloomsbury (2006). The American edition is signed by the author with a self-caricature and dated 4/4/06; the British edition is signed by the author with a self-caricature and dated 7/19/06. Each is fine in a fine dust jacket and the two are housed together in a custom clamshell case that was made by Joe Petro III; the six page Author's Note at the end of the book is almost entirely devoted to the relationship between Vonnegut and Petro, including the comment that "...it seems quite possible in retrospect that Joe Petro III saved my life."
246. (VONNEGUT, Kurt). YARMOLINSKY, Jane Vonnegut. Angels Without Wings. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1987. Vonnegut's first wife's account of their marriage and their six children, three of which they adopted when Vonnegut's sister and brother-in-law died within a day of each other. The names in this book have been changed: Kurt is "Carl" and is frequently cast as the sound of a typewriter. Filmed as the television movie "A Promise to Keep." Fine in a near fine, spine-faded dust jacket.
247. WELTY, Eudora. One Writer's Beginnings. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1984. Her memoir, and the first book by Harvard University Press to make it to the bestseller list. Signed by the author. Tiny date and initials to title page and slight splaying to boards; near fine in a near fine dust jacket with a touch of foredge sunning.
248. WESTLAKE, Donald. Typescript of "Cat Killers." (n.p.): Shock Magazine [1960]. Original seven page typescript of one of Westlake's early stories, published the same year as his first novel. Copyedited, with typesetting annotations and also the addition and deletion of a small number of words; the original words are still visible that were deleted. Westlake is one of the most prolific and most accomplished mystery writers ever, having written dozens of novels over the past five decades, and more than 100 stories. He was named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America in 1993, and his career is ongoing: in addition to new books, he has one of the most active websites of any contemporary author, with news updates, new fiction installments, and even print-on-demand books. Westlake's manuscripts do not often appear on the market, and we have not seen one as early as this before. "Rush" written in large letters on three pages, not affecting text. Paperclipped, with an upper corner chip to the title page; folded once; near fine.
249. WHITE, E.B. The Second Tree from the Corner. NY: Harper & Brothers (1954). The limited edition of this collection of essays, stories and poems by the quintessential New Yorker writer and also the author of such children's classics as Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little. One of 500 copies signed (initialed) by White for presentation to friends of the author and publisher. Bookplate front pastedown; offsetting to rear flyleaf; near fine in a very good dust jacket with rubbing and edge tears to the folds. The scarce publisher's presentation slip is laid in, giving publication date.
250. WILLIAMS, Tennessee. Battle of Angels. Murray, UT: Pharos, 1945. The first book by the author of such classics of American drama as A Streetcar Named Desire, The Glass Menagerie and Night of the Iguana, among others. This is a play, written with a grant Williams received in 1940, and published as Pharos Numbers 1 and 2 in the spring of 1945. In an afterword to the play, Williams recounts the disastrous opening it had in Boston in 1940. His first success came later in 1945, with The Glass Menagerie, and his reputation continued to grow from there. 1945 owner name of a theater, and later film and television, actress to half title; covers sunned and starting to separate; very good in wrappers.
251. WILLIAMS, Tennessee. The Glass Menagerie. NY: Random House (1945). The first printing of the published play edition, with the original cast listed and photographs from the production. One of Williams' most famous plays, and his first success, winning the New York Drama Critics Circle Award two years before he wrote A Streetcar Named Desire. Small patch of damage to cloth at lower joint, thus very good in a very good, spine-sunned dust jacket with moderate edge wear.
252. WILLIAMS, Tennessee. Sweet Bird of Youth. (n.p.): (n.p.), 1956. "First Draft" of Williams typescript, dated May 1956. One of Williams' major plays, it was first produced in 1959 by Cheryl Crawford, directed by Elia Kazan and starring Paul Newman and Geraldine Page, and it was nominated for four Tony Awards. A 1962 film adaptation also starred Newman and Page and was nominated for three Oscars and four Golden Globes, winning one of each. This is a carbon typescript of an early draft that differs dramatically from the final version of the play, not only in the sequence of the action but in the characters themselves. Claspbound in embossed wrappers. An early, unpublished version of one of the major plays by one of the greatest, if not the greatest, American playwright of the 20th century. A little age toning to pages; near fine. Rare.
253. WILLIAMS, Tennessee. The Night of the Iguana. (NY): New Directions (1962). One of Williams' greatest plays, winner of a New York Drama Critics Circle Award and a Tony Award. Fine in a fine dust jacket. A beautiful copy.
254. -. Same title, the galley sheets. Approximately 40 sheets, 24" long x 7 1/2", gently folded in thirds. Some of the later pages have a very faint border stain, not affecting content. Near fine. The earliest state of the book we've ever seen, and probably one of a tiny number of copies created. Rare.
255. -. Same title, the playscript. NY: (n.p.)(n.d.). Mimeographed script. Number 38 in ink on title page; near fine in bradbound orange embossed wrappers. Extremely uncommon.
256. WILLIAMS, Tennessee. Photograph. (n.p.): (n.p.)(n.d.). A black and white photograph of Williams with Cheryl Crawford, who produced Williams' plays The Rose Tattoo and Sweet Bird of Youth. Crawford was one of the key figures in American theater over the course of a career lasting more than five decades: in 1931 she co-founded the Group Theater with Harold Clurman and Lee Strasberg, and she directed its first commercial success, Men in White, which won the Pulitzer Prize. In 1946 she was a co-founder of the American Repertory Theater and in 1947 a co-founder of the Actors' Studio, which trained such actors as Marlon Brando, James Dean, Jane Fonda and others. She was also important in the early careers of such actors as Ethel Barrymore, Tallulah Bankhead, Helen Hayes, Ingrid Bergman, and others. 12 1/2" x 9 1/2". Fine, mounted to display board that shows some handling and wear. From the estate of Cheryl Crawford.
257. WOOLF, Virginia. To the Lighthouse. NY: Harcourt Brace (1927). A review copy of the first American edition of this high spot of 20th century literature, one of the few titles to appear on all major lists of the top 100 books of the century. Published the same day as the British edition, but apparently representing an earlier state of the text. Even a cursory examination reveals dozens of variations in the text between the British and U.S. editions: most are stylistic and evidence of Woolf crafting her unique sentence structures. Where differences exist, later editions seem to follow the British text, an argument for the British being a later state. One explanation is that for same day publication to occur, Woolf sent the sheets off to America, and out of her control, while she continued to rework what would become the British edition. One of only 4000 copies of what is in all likelihood the earliest published state of the text of one of her greatest novels, and an advance copy, with a Harcourt Brace "Company's Compliments" card taped to the rear pastedown and, taped to the rear flyleaf, a card reading "ADVANCE COPY FROM HARCOURT BRACE AND COMPANY. Please note that the release date for review is MAY 5 1927." Top stain partially faded, the blue text on the spine mostly, but not completely, lost. A near fine copy, lacking the dust jacket. Rare as a review copy.
258. WOOLF, Virginia. Orlando. A Biography. NY: Crosby, Gaige, 1928. The limited edition, one of 800 numbered copies signed by the author. Small tape shadows to free endpages; a couple marginal pencil marks to text; rubbing to boards and minor wear to joints. A very good copy, without dust jacket, as issued.
259. WOOLF, Virginia. Granite & Rainbow. London: Hogarth Press, 1958. The uncorrected proof copy of Woolf's essays on the art of fiction and biography. Modest foxing to edge of text block; near fine in wrappers. Uncommon proof.
260. YOUNG, Al. Bodies & Soul. Berkeley: Creative Arts Book Co. (1984). Second edition. Inscribed by Young to a literary couple: "For ___ & ___, who laugh & cry strongest/ Enjoy! With appreciation and admiration. Al." Fine in wrappers.