Catalog 148, S
166. -. Another copy. Signed by Salter. Fine.
167. SAUNDERS, George. In Persuasion Nation. NY: Riverhead Books, 2006. The advance reading copy of this collection of stories by the author of CivilWarLand in Bad Decline, among others. Saunders has won numerous awards for his short fiction; this book has a blurb by Thomas Pynchon, among others. Signed by Saunders in 2007. Splaying to front cover; else fine in wrappers. An uncommon advance copy, especially signed.
168. SCHULTZ, Charles M. Snoopy. NY: Rinehart (1958). The first Peanuts book to be devoted to Snoopy as the main character; in later years there were many others. This is the first edition, only issued in wrappers; there was no hardcover edition. Inscribed by the author: "Kindest regards -- Charles M. Schultz." Stapled text block, perfectbound in wrappers. Price abraded from front cover; mild spine-tanning; stray pen mark to rear cover; otherwise near fine. A crisp, square copy that has survived 50 years in remarkably good shape. Scarce signed.
169. (Sixties). (Rolling Stones). ELMAN, Richard. Uptight with the Stones. NY: Scribner (1973). The uncorrected proof copy of what may be Elman's least-known book: Elman, a literary novelist and social commentator who, in 1972, was well into his 30's, traveled with the Rolling Stones on their tour of the U.S., and reported on the experience in this short book. Inscribed by Elman in 1974, in part: "I wrote this book for money..." Quarto sheets; tapebound in cardstock covers with a typed label on the front cover giving the title and nothing else: clearly, a proof that would have been produced in tiny quantities. Numerous typesetter's and copy editor's notations throughout; grease pencil date on the front cover. Very good.
170. SMITH, Tom Robb. Child 44. NY: Grand Central Publishing (2008). The advance reading copy of his debut novel, which caused considerable buzz beginning in April 2007 when it was optioned to Fox 2000 for a film to be directed by Ridley Scott. Set in Stalinist Russia, the plot involves a Russian secret police officer who is framed by a colleague for treason and stumbles on a series of child murders which he attempts to solve despite being on the run for his life. Slight bump to spine base; still very near fine in wrappers.
171. -. Another copy. Small scratch to front cover; again, very near fine in wrappers.
172. SMITH, Zadie. On Beauty, Part One. (n.p.): Hamish Hamilton (2005). An advance copy, consisting of part one of the three part novel. 109 pages. 8 1/4" x 11 3/4". An unusual format for an advance issue, and quite uncommon: few of these seem to have circulated. This copy is signed by Smith. Fine in wrappers. On Beauty was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and chosen by The New York Times as one of the 10 best books of the year.
173. SOUTHERN, Terry and HOFFENBERG, Mason. "JOHNS, Dr. L." Probably Did It Herself. (n.p.): Athenas Press (n.d.)[c. early '60s]. A piracy of the pseudonymously published and banned Candy. Here the original title as well as the original pseudonym ("Maxwell Kenton") have been changed. Candy, first published by the Olympia Press in 1958, has been called "the first comic pornographic novel" and, at one time, "the most talked about novel in America." Legal issues, including the attempt to ban the book as obscenity, made it perhaps the most frequently bootlegged title in 20th century American literature, with numerous unauthorized editions coming out during the period that the book was in legal limbo. It was legally published in the U.S. in 1964, eventually selling millions of copies in America alone, in various editions. A small paperback with faint sunning; near fine.
174. SOYINKA, Wole. The Burden of Memory, the Muse of Forgiveness. NY: Oxford University Press, 1998. The advance reading copy of this essay on African politics and the possibility of reconciliation between oppressor and oppressed, by the Nigerian Nobel Prize winner who has lived in exile since a death sentence was passed on him in his native country. Fine in wrappers.
175. SPENDER, Stephen. Autograph Letters Signed and Typescript. 1991. Three autograph letters signed by Spender to the editor of Art and Antiques magazine. The first letter, dated May 14, 1991, confirms Spender's intention to write a piece on Henry Moore's Shelter Drawings, gives his agent's address and repeats the accepted fee for the article. Spender also suggests another article: "...something amusing called Art & Antique Artists -- about artists in old age. So many of them have done wonderful late works..." The second letter, dated August 19, transmits the photocopied typescript, "Thoughts About Henry Moore's Shelter Drawings," consisting of five pages reproducing holograph corrections, with an additional five pages of captioned illustrations. The third letter, of September 27, indicates that his agent has now submitted the revised article (not included) and requests that he see the revised proofs. He also suggests a photograph to accompany the article. Items are folded for mailing, else fine; envelopes included.
176. STEADMAN, Ralph. Still Life with Raspberry. (London): Rapp & Whiting (1969). An early book by Steadman, who became famous in this country for his illustrations of Hunter Thompson's classic Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and subsequent works by Thompson. Signed by Steadman. Bump to spine and upper corner; near fine in a very good dust jacket with two edge chips and internal tape repairs.
177. STEADMAN, Ralph. Scar Strangled Banger. Topsfield: Salem House (1988). The first American edition of this book about America by Steadman, a followup to his 1974 volume, America, which is considered by some to be his masterwork. This quarto volume has text by Steadman -- a number of short essays -- and hundreds of his illustrations, both in black-and-white and in color, satirizing every aspect of American life. Scathing humor, but which allows the artist's fundamental affection to show through as well. A self-made limited edition, this is one of 10 numbered copies signed by Steadman. Fine in a fine dust jacket and custom slipcase.
178. STEADMAN, Ralph. Jones of Colorado. London: Ebury Press (1995). Steadman sketches and discusses the life and death of Jones, Hunter Thompson's cat, whom he met during a two-week stay at Thompson's house while working on The Curse of Lono and became enraptured. It seems Jones and Thompson shared some characteristics. Signed by Steadman with an additional sketch of Jones. Fine in a fine dust jacket and custom slipcase.
179. (STEADMAN, Ralph). CARRICKFORD, Richard. This is Television. (London): Frederick Mueller (1967). The third, revised edition of this look behind the cameras, first published in 1958 when television was a relatively new and mysterious phenomenon for most people. Illustrated and signed by Steadman. Foxing to top edge; else fine in a near fine, price-clipped dust jacket with a couple tiny edge tears and a bit of rubbing. In custom slipcase. A very scarce book in any edition, and a particularly early work by Steadman, whose illustrations show the beginnings of the flair for which he has become well-known but are in general much more realistic and/or subdued than his later artwork.
180. (STEADMAN, Ralph). PALMER, Tony. Born Under a Bad Sign. London: William Kimber (1970). This book by Palmer, the noted British film director who worked with the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and others, is a reflection on the youth culture of the late 1960s. Also prints a brief forward by John Lennon. Illustrations by Ralph Steadman. This copy is signed by Steadman and dated 20th August 2005 at Hunter Thompson's Memorial Blast Off, Owl Farm, Woody Creek. Fine in a near fine dust jacket with wear at the spine ends. Housed in an attractive black cloth custom clamshell case with leather spine label and marbled pastedowns.
181. -. Same title. (Lexington/Tucson): (Isolde Films/Steam Press) (2004). First thus, a reissue jointly produced by Sylph Publications and Petro III Graphics. Of a total edition of 150 copies, this is one of 26 lettered copies signed by Steadman and Palmer. Includes "Pop Pedestal," an original collage and silkscreen print signed by Steadman. Fine, without dust jacket as issued, in clamshell box, with publisher's prospectus laid in.
182. (STEADMAN, Ralph). CARROLL, Lewis. Alice Through the Looking Glass. London: MacGibbon & Kee (1972). The follow-up volume to his Alice in Wonderland. Signed by Steadman at Woody Creek in 2004 with a mirror-image signature and the inscription "Sunshine and yellow leaves falling in profusion." Fine in a near fine dust jacket with dampstaining across the upper edge of the (black) rear panel. In custom slipcase. Laid in is a 20" x 30" folded broadsheet announcing an exhibition in conjunction with the release of The Complete Alice and his book Paranoids in 1986. The broadsheet is also fine.
183. STEINBECK, John. The Pastures of Heaven. NY: Brewer, Warren and Putnam, 1932. The first edition, first issue, of Steinbeck's second novel, a collection of twelve interrelated stories, and the first of his books to be set in Monterey, California, the location of most of his best and most important works. Inscribed by the author: "For Norman W. Forgue/ John Steinbeck." Forgue was the proprietor of the Black Cat Press and a noted typographer and book designer; his press printed the first full-length book of criticism on Steinbeck's writing -- Harry Thornton Moore's The Novels of John Steinbeck: A First Critical Study -- in 1939. A nice association copy. The first issue of The Pastures of Heaven is one of the scarcest of Steinbeck's trade editions: there were 2500 sets of sheets printed, 1650 of which were bound, but only about 650 sold. The remaining 1850 copies went to Ballou and later to Covici Friede, and bear the markings of those imprints. Only 650 comprise the first issue, and signed copies of the first issue are uncommonly scarce: only four have appeared at auction since 1975. The Harry Valentine collection of Steinbeck, one of the most comprehensive Steinbeck collections ever assembled, did not have a signed copy of this title. Bookplate of Charlotte Emily Purcell on the front pastedown, with the name Emily S. Picher [Emily Stanton Picher] and Christmas 1940 typed onto the bookplate. This copy has a bit of fading to the spine extremities, but is very near fine in a good dust jacket narrowly chipped along the back bottom edge and spine and with heavy rubbing to the folds. Housed in a custom folding chemise and slipcase. An important book, extremely uncommon signed.
184. STEINBECK, John. Of Mice and Men. NY: Covici Friede (1937). The scarce play version of Steinbeck's classic novella about two hoboes in the Depression. Inscribed by the author: "For John Hobart in memory of a good afternoon, and in gratefulness for a kindly report of it. John Steinbeck." Hobart reviewed the play for the San Francisco Chronicle in May, 1937. A very scarce book: although we do not have printing numbers for this title, the novel on which it is based had a 2500 copy first printing and there are currently 79 copies of it listed in one of the online databases. This title, by contrast, has 13 copies listed. Steinbeck's later novel, The Moon is Down, had a 65,000 copy first printing (it was published after the success of The Grapes of Wrath); the play version had a first printing of 1250 copies. This is also one of the scarcest titles to find signed: neither the Valentine collection nor the Goldstone collection had a signed copy of it. Only three signed copies have appeared at auction since 1975. Minor offsetting to endpages and fading to top stain; very near fine in a near fine, spine-tanned dust jacket with just a touch of wear to the edges and folds. A rare signed copy of a scarce Steinbeck work.
185. (STOPPARD, Tom). CHEKHOV, Anton. The Seagull. London: Faber and Faber (1997). First thus, translated and with an introduction by Stoppard. Ex-library copy, with a small stamp on the title page, a smaller spine label, a piece of clear tape on the inside front cover and a bar code and thin label removal abrasion to the flyleaf. Other than the intentionally inflicted flaws, the book is fine in wrappers. Oddly uncommon.
186. STURGEON, Theodore. "Never Underestimate..." c. 1952. 27 page typescript, plus introductory paragraph, of a story that first appeared in the 1952 anthology The Omnibus of Science Fiction. Sturgeon was one of the most highly regarded science fiction authors of his time, which spanned the classic era of the 1930s to the modern era. Two of his books were chosen for Pringle's list of the top 100 science fiction novels of all time, and he also wrote two of the most famous episodes in the original Star Trek television series. Kurt Vonnegut, a longtime friend, reportedly modeled his fictional character Kilgore Trout on Sturgeon; Sturgeon in turn was the one who suggested to Philip José Farmer that he "ghost write" one of the novels by Trout that Vonnegut had written about. Thin paper, slightly aged, with paperclip/staple marks to upper margin and editorial markings in text. The first and last page are separated from the staple: page 27 is chipped at the upper left corner and the right margin, but all text is present. Very good. Together with a later photograph of Sturgeon taken by Marc Zicree.
187. STYRON, William. Sophie's Choice. NY: Random House (1979). His fifth novel, winner of the National Book Award and the basis for an Academy Award-winning movie. Signed by the author. Fine in a near fine dust jacket with one edge tear and just a touch of spine fading.
188. -. Another copy. Signed by the author. Faint dampstaining near spine base; still very near fine in a very good, mildly spine-faded dust jacket with one edge tear and a tiny bit of dampstaining at the spine base that is mostly visible on verso.
189. SWADOS, Harvey. Out Went the Candle. NY: Viking (1955). His first book. Inscribed by Swados to Herbert Gold: "For Herb, my personalist pal, and for Edith, that peach of a wife, from the author -- Harvey." Dated, "Cagnes, January 1955." A nice association copy. Swados was a Jewish-American author whose roots went back to the proletarian literature of the 1930s and he pursued an activist role as a writer: he introduced many Americans to the work of Chinua Achebe, after going to Nigeria to witness the war in Biafra. Grace Paley, herself known as an activist throughout her career, credited him with being the first person to review her first book, and also helping her get a teaching job at Sarah Lawrence. Swados died in 1972 at the age of 52. Delmore Schwartz and Saul Bellow blurbs on the jacket. A near fine copy in a near fine, mildly spine-sunned dust jacket with rubbing at the edges.