Catalog 149, K
106. KELLER, David. Typescript of Tales from Cornwall. (n.p.: n.p.) [1951]. The carbon typescript of this collection of tales by one of the most important of the early science fiction writers, whose work helped introduce the Golden Age of the genre and set the parameters for the range of issues that could be explored in the field. Keller was a psychiatrist by training and by trade, and his background gave his fiction more subtlety and depth than was typically associated with writings in the field. He published stories in the early pulp magazines, including the first issue of Hugo Gernsback's Science Wonder Stories, which introduced the term "science fiction" for the first time. Quarto, privately bound in green buckram. Also bound in is an autograph letter signed by Keller stating that some of the tales collected have never before appeared outside his personal collection and informing the collector that "your library is the only one containing the complete Tales From Cornwall." Eleven stories; 142 pages. Apparently, Keller later wrote additional stories in this sequence, but at least one of these stories, "Convalescence," has never been published or printed elsewhere. Near fine.
107. KEROUAC, John. The Town and the City. NY: Harcourt Brace (1950). His first novel, published seven years before On the Road and the only book Kerouac published using his given name, John, rather than the more casual "Jack" under which his Beat novels were published. Kerouac later dismissed this novel as "dead": he came to consider the carefully crafted style to be artificial, and in opposition to the more free-flowing, jazz-inspired, improvisational writing of On the Road and his later books. The Town and the City is a partly autobiographical novel and as such can be viewed in the context of Kerouac's later books, which together comprised the "Duluoz sequence" -- a series of semi-autobiographical narratives which he considered to be the literal truth of his life, altered into "fiction" by the demands of publishers. While The Town and the City is not as self-consciously experimental as On the Road, it shows Kerouac's literary antecedents -- it is reminiscent of Thomas Wolfe -- and gives a clear indication that he saw himself as a writer long before he became a cultural icon. This copy is signed by the author, "John Kerouac," an early signature, as he later signed his books "Jack Kerouac," after the success of On the Road. Mild foredge foxing; else a fine copy in a near fine dust jacket with minor rubbing to the upper spine and the spine extremities. A very attractive copy of a book that is seldom found signed.
108. KEROUAC, Jack. On the Road. NY: Viking, 1957. His second novel, the quintessential "road novel" and the book that defined the Beat generation. With its theme of two outcasts crossing the American heartland, Kerouac's fictionalized account of his exploits with his friend Neal Cassady -- here depicted as "Dean Moriarty" -- updated Mark Twain's story of Huck Finn and Jim on the Mississippi and became a cultural landmark. It helped introduce Zen Buddhism and other Eastern traditions into the popular culture of the West, and pioneered the concept of recreational drug use, a novel idea in the Fifties but one that was taken for granted barely a decade later. Unlike many self-consciously "hip" novels, both before and since, it continues to be read and admired today, retaining its freshness due to the immediacy of its writing, the clarity of its youthful perceptions, and the authenticity of the characters' quests. Names written on both pastedowns, the name in front with a date of Sept. 1, 1957, a few days prior to publication. Offsetting to front flyleaf, and a repaired tear at the spine base; still a near fine copy in a near fine dust jacket with professional restoration to the corners and heel.
109. KEROUAC, Jack. The Subterraneans. NY: Grove (1958). A review copy of the hardcover trade edition of Kerouac's first novel to be published after the success of On the Road. An important Kerouac book, which is practically never seen in the first trade printing, let alone in dust jacket; there was a simultaneously issued softcover, so most copies sold in bookstores were the softcover issue. By all measures this appears to be the scarcest of Kerouac's trade editions, and even the limited edition of this title -- of which there were only 100 copies -- turns up much more frequently than the hardcover trade edition: at the time of this writing there are six copies of the limited edition listed for sale online, and one (badly damaged) copy of the first trade printing. Similarly, auction records show five copies of the limited appearing at auction since 1975 and no copies of the trade edition. The Maurice Neville collection had inscribed copies of most of Kerouac's early books, including On The Road, but the copy of The Subterraneans he had was the UK edition. The Airick Kredell collection included a proof copy of On The Road, an inscribed copy of On The Road, two unbound prepublication copies of The Subterraneans, but no first trade edition. The Walter Reuben collection of Jack Kerouac, issued as a catalog by Bradford Morrow in 1979, included all of the Grove Press limited editions of Kerouac and all of the trade editions, but The Subterraneans was without a dust jacket. Owner stamp on front flyleaf, mild spine-tanning; near fine in a supplied, very good, mildly rubbed, price-clipped dust jacket with minor edge wear. Review slip and two-page "news release"/biography laid in. Extremely uncommon, perhaps unique.
110. KEROUAC, Jack. The Dharma Bums. NY: Viking, 1958. A classic of Beat literature and Kerouac's best-loved book after On the Road. The Dharma Bums essentially continued the story begun in On the Road and introduced Japhy Ryder, "the number one Dharma Bum of them all," based on the Beat poet Gary Snyder. Mottling to boards and foxing to top stain; a very good copy in a very good, rubbed dust jacket with several edge tears.
111. KEROUAC, Jack. Lonesome Traveler. NY: McGraw-Hill (1960). A collection of short pieces whose common thread is the author's travels. Written in Kerouac's rambling, autobiographic style and illustrated with sketches by Larry Rivers, who provided the dust jacket art. Fine in a near fine, dusty and spine-tanned jacket with a small sticker on the rear panel.
112. KEROUAC, Jack. Big Sur. NY: Farrar Straus Cudahy (1962). One of the many books in Kerouac's ongoing semi-autobiographical series, which he called "The Duluoz Legend." An author's note at the beginning of this volume explains that his intent was to populate his entire series of novels with the same characters, a plan that was vetoed by his early publishers. Kerouac writes: "In my old age I intend to collect all my work and re-insert my pantheon of uniform names, leave the long shelf full of books there, and die happy" -- a plan he never brought to fruition. Fine in a near fine dust jacket with foxing to the front panel.
113. KEROUAC, Jack. Signed Check. 1963. A check made out to the Internal Revenue Service, in the amount of $300. Drawn on the account of John L. Kerouac and Gabrielle Kerouac (his mother) at Security National Bank of Long Island, dated September 9, and hand-numbered as check no. 141. Signed, John L. Kerouac. An IRS payment from the month Visions of Gerard was published. The background of the check has a lighthouse theme; there are the usual cancellation markings, not affecting signature. Folded in half; else fine. A noteworthy check in that after the publication of On The Road, Kerouac nearly always signed his name "Jack." Presumably, in this case he had to sign the check the way his tax return was made out, i.e., using his full given name.
114. (KEROUAC, Jack). Jack Kerouac - The Legacy. Larkspur: Jan Kerouac Benefit Fund, 1995. An attractive poster, approximately 18" x 26", designed and printed by noted poster artist Alton Kelley -- who designed many of the famous psychedelic posters of the 1960s in San Francisco. This poster was prepared to promote a series of benefits for Kerouac's daughter Jan, who, besides being quite ill and without health care benefits, was contesting the disposition of Kerouac's literary estate. A series of fundraising events were organized in San Francisco, which included appearances and performances by a number of people who had been closely connected to Kerouac and the poets and artists of the Beat generation and later the Sixties counterculture. Of a total edition of 1135, this is one of 1000 unsigned copies. Rolled, else fine.
115. (KESEY, Ken and LEARY, Timothy). "LSD: The Exploding Threat of the Mind Drug That Got Out of Control" in Life, Vol. 60, No. 12. (Chicago): (Time, Inc.), 1966. LSD is the cover story of this issue of Life, with ten pages of reports and photographs documenting the drug's escape from the lab, plus columnist Loudon Wainwright's "The View From Here" column, which focuses on the drug. "Odorless, colorless, tasteless, every scrap of paper suspect -- what are the police going to do?" This copy is signed by Timothy Leary on the cover in 1992. Leary is repeatedly noted in the article as a pioneer in LSD use and research, and while LSD was still legal at the time of this issue -- it was made illegal on October 6, 1966 -- Leary's conviction for smuggling marijuana and his 30-year prison sentence are prominently mentioned. Also signed on the cover by Ken Kesey, who has doodled a square into a cube, presumably a sugar cube of the sort associated with early LSD use. Kesey's contributions to the field go unmentioned in the text. An interesting, relatively early set of pieces on the drug in a mainstream magazine: while it gives a preponderance of coverage to the bad trips experienced by users, it also notes repeatedly the proselytizing demeanor of LSD advocates, and their near-universal and wholehearted conviction that they are engaged in something of benefit to the human race as a whole. We have seldom seen anything signed by the two most prominent advocates of psychedelics. Unique.
116. KETCHUM, Jack. The Dust of the Heavens. (Aliso Viejo): James Cahill (1997). The first limited edition of a work previously published in Brutarian, a haunting nonfiction piece about his oldest friend, who has become schizophrenic and is also apparently dying of AIDS. Of a total edition of 200 copies, this is one of 26 lettered copies signed by Ketchum and by Edward Lee, who provides an introduction. Ketchum provides a previously unpublished afterword. Fine in a fine slipcase.
117. KING, Laurie. Autograph Note Signed. March 21, 1996. A notecard conveying a requested photograph (not present) and stating that she is pleased to have a reader in the Air Force in the event she needs "inside information for some plot." Signed by the author. King is the Edgar Award-winning author of A Grave Talent and The Beekeeper's Apprentice, among others. Fine, with hand-addressed envelope.
118. KING, Stephen. "BACHMAN, Richard." Thinner. NY: New American Library (1984). The first hardcover book by Stephen King under the Bachman pseudonym, after four paperback originals, and the last book he published under that name before it became known that Bachman was really King. King said at the time of the "outing" that his publisher had limited him to one book a year, and using the Bachman pseudonym allowed him to double that output. Indeed, when the first Bachman books were published, in 1977 and 1979, King was little-known and his sales were modest at best, suggesting the truth of his claim that they were a way to bolster his income. After 1980, King's books began to be automatic bestsellers, and their first printings went from the 20,000 copies for Salem's Lot in 1978 to 270,000 copies for Christine in 1983. By contrast, Thinner, by the still relatively unknown "Bachman," had a first printing of 26,000 copies -- one tenth the size of the first printing of Christine. Inscribed by the author: "For ____ -- / with best wishes, Stephen King (aka Richard Bachman) 1/29/95." Fine in a fine dust jacket. Scarce in the first printing and signed.
119. KINGSOLVER, Barbara. Typed Letter Signed. (1995). A typed (computer printout) three-paragraph letter addressed "Dear reader," in which Kingsolver agrees to, and gives mailing instructions for, signing one book and justifying her "cranky" sounding policy of not signing many books, as "my writing-time and family-time are of most importance to me, and remember, it's the words printed inside that make the book whatever it is or isn't, not my signature on the title page. I appreciate and extend my heartfelt thanks, on behalf of my family and my mortgage, to anyone who buys lots of copies of my books (or even two, or one)." Signed by the author. Folded for mailing; fine, with hand-addressed envelope.
120. KINGSOLVER, Barbara. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. (NY): HarperCollins (2007). Nonfiction by the prolific and bestselling author of The Bean Trees and The Poisonwood Bible, among others. This is the advance reading copy (marked "uncorrected proof") of her narrative of her family's quest to spend a year eating local food. One tiny corner crease to the rear cover; else fine in wrappers. Remarkably scarce: while advance copies of some of Kingsolver's earlier novels are fairly common, we have seen very few copies of this advance reading copy.
121. KINNELL, Galway. A New Selected Poems. Boston/NY: Houghton Mifflin, 2000. The uncorrected proof copy of this selection of Kinnell's poems from his previous eight published volumes. The earlier edition of his Selected Poems won both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. Slight bump to crown; else fine in wrappers.
122. KIZER, Carolyn. Mermaids in the Basement. Port Townsend: Copper Canyon, 1984. The uncommon uncorrected proof copy of these "poems for women." Stapled sheets with a black tape spine. A low-tech production, suggesting very few were done. Kizer won the Pulitzer Prize the following year, for her collection Yin. Fine, with publisher's promotional sheet laid in.
123. KOSINSKI, Jerzy. Steps. NY: Random House (1968). His second novel, winner of the National Book Award. Signed in full on the title page and inscribed by Kosinski on the half title to the author James Jones and his wife: "For Jim and Gloria, with friendship and much thought/ Jerzy/ Paris, Spring 1969." Kosinski has added a self-caricature, running on steps. Foxing to page edges and endpages; near fine in a near fine dust jacket. A fine association copy between the authors of two of the most acclaimed novels of World War II -- Kosinski's The Painted Bird and Jones's From Here to Eternity.