Catalog 151, F-J
88. FARIÑA, Richard. Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up To Me. NY: Random House (1966). His first and only novel, a high spot of the literature of the Sixties. Its protagonist, the pot-smoking rebel Gnossos Pappadopoulis, was the embodiment of hip, bridging the gap from the Beat movement of the 1950s to the 1960s counterculture. Fariña was involved in the music scene of the early Sixties: with his wife, Mimi -- Joan Baez's sister -- he was a major figure in the folk-rock music that was closely tied to the youth and social protest movements of that time. He was killed in a motorcycle accident on the way to a book signing just after the novel was published, an event that firmly entrenched both the book and its author in the mythology of the decade. Fine in a fine dust jacket. Almost never seen in this condition.
89. FAULKNER, William. A Green Bough. NY: Smith & Haas, 1933. The limited edition of Faulkner's last volume of poetry to be published during his lifetime. One of 360 numbered copies signed by the author. With cover labels and tipped in frontispiece by Lynd Ward. Mild darkening to page and cloth edges and spine; a near fine copy, without dust jacket, as issued.
90. FITCH, Janet. White Oleander. Boston: Little Brown (1999). A well-received first novel, which was selected for Oprah Winfrey's book club and later made into an award-winning movie with Michelle Pfeiffer, Renee Zellweger and Alison Lohman. This copy is inscribed by Fitch to another writer: "Here's to chance meetings and all the borderlands. With admiration..." Fine in a fine, first issue dust jacket, with no mention of its selection for Oprah's club.
91. FITZGERALD, F. Scott. The Beautiful and Damned. NY: Scribner's, 1922. Fitzgerald's second novel, third book, published two years after he wowed the literary world with This Side of Paradise and three years before he established his literary immortality with The Great Gatsby. All of his first three novels captured the dizzy exuberance of the 1920s, as well as satirizing its superficialities, and Fitzgerald's reputation derives from his seeming to have been both an exemplar and avatar of his times and a martyr to them, simultaneously and ultimately tragically. This is the second issue, with the Scribner seal; owner name on flyleaf; spine slanted; a near fine copy, lacking the dust jacket.
92. FITZGERALD, F. Scott. The Vegetable. NY: Scribner's, 1923. A play by Fitzgerald, written at the height of his popularity and the last book he published before his masterwork, The Great Gatsby. As a play it was assumed to have a much smaller market than his novels and its first printing, 7650 copies, reflects that: by comparison, The Beautiful and Damned had a first printing of 20,600 copies. Attractive owner bookplate front pastedown; a fine copy, with the spine gilt still bright and the binding tight, lacking the rare dust jacket.
93. FORD, Richard. My Mother, In Memory. Elmwood: Raven Editions, 1988. A limited edition of this essay, a shorter version of which had appeared in Harper's. Issued in a total edition of 140 copies, of which only 40 were hardbound: 26 lettered copies and 14 presentation copies. This is one of 14 presentation copies signed by the author, with a frontispiece by noted artist Russell Chatham, hand-shaded and signed by Chatham as well. Designed and printed letterpress by Carol Blinn at Warwick Press. Hand-bound in quarter leather and decorated paste paper over boards. A fine copy of a beautiful production.
94. FORD, Richard. Independence Day. NY: Knopf, 1995. A later printing of the second book in Ford's three-book Frank Bascombe sequence. Winner of both the Pulitzer Prize and the PEN/Faulkner Award. This copy is inscribed by Ford to another writer, "from long your admirer, as you know - and your friend. With gratitude" and dated in 1996. Fine in a near fine dust jacket with a tear at the lower front flap fold and a sticker announcing the winning of the Pulitzer Prize. An excellent association copy.
95. FORD, Richard. A Multitude of Sins. NY: Knopf, 2002. The first American edition of this collection of stories, which was published in England the previous year. Fine in a fine dust jacket, with a "compliments of the author" card laid in.
96. GARDNER, John. On Moral Fiction. NY: Basic Books (1978). The uncorrected proof copy of what is arguably Gardner's most important book, a controversial polemic that took the unpopular position that artists bear a moral responsibility that they ignore at the risk of rendering their work irrelevant. The controversy around this essay beset Gardner beyond all expectations, and he was painted by some as a fascist and throwback to a time when Art only served the prevailing moral, social, and political order. The author's untimely death in a motorcycle accident in 1982 short-circuited the debate, which has been picked up since by others who have, like Gardner, argued for meaning and relevance in art, not just expression. Near fine in wrappers. An uncommon proof.
97. (GARDNER, John). DES PRES, Terence. "Accident and Its Scene: Reflections on the Death of John Gardner." (n.p.): Yale University Press, 1983. An offprint from The Yale Review. A 15-page defense of the accidental death of John Gardner and a reflection on the construction of narratives from limited facts. This copy inscribed by Des Pres to another writer, "with friendship and respect," in 1984. Covers spotted and marked; near fine in stapled wrappers.
98. GINSBERG, Allen. Manuscript Pages. 1972. A diatribe by Ginsberg against the war in Vietnam and against the re-election of Richard Nixon. Four pages (plus several words on the back of one page), approximately 250 words total plus several lists of numbers (of wounded, dead, refugees, etc.). Typed on the first page: "Horrible War In Indochina Bombtonnage Billions Spent Deaths Wounds Refugees Ecologic Damage." The rest is handwritten by Ginsberg. In part: "Pin this on your wall. [Wake up! Wake up! (crossed out).] Vote for Mass Murder? Electronic Automated Battlefield against Oriental Human Beings? This is Nixon's War: $60 Billion Bombs. Your call??? Is This Our Prosperity??? ... Everybody's sleepwalking into Nixon's Hypnosis Victory ... A dope dealing, murdering, robotized military bureaucracy out of control dominating America sucking it dry & wrecking the last hopes of the civilized world. Don't be crazy! Don't let Nixon get back in the White House and assassinate Indochina another half decade. Get out there and vote! Get your ass boogying to the rescue of your Indochine Brothers in the Polling Booth. Wake Up! Wake Up! A Ah Sha Sa Ma Ha." Ginsberg continues with notes on reading a September 25th New York Times article about the increasingly tight rule of South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu, and a full page of tabulations of the dead, the wounded and the refugees, by nationality, and he ends with a calculation of tons of bombs per minute (after a bit of math in which he incorrectly calculates the number of minutes in a day). The pages are unsigned; a similar (but much shorter) "Open Letter" by Ginsberg from the same time period was provided to logosjournal.com by Bill Morgan, Ginsberg's archivist. Very slight wear to the top edges; else fine. Unique.
99. GINSBERG, Allen. Like Other Guys. [Great Barrington: The Figures, 1995]. A broadside poem, printed as part of an edition of 26 copies of a portfolio of writings in honor of poet Bernadette Mayer. This is one of four extra copies printed; otherwise, none were available outside of the portfolio, copies of which went only to the contributors. Signed by the author. A touching poem, and easily one of the scarcest Ginsberg items of the last decade or more. Quarto sheet, 8 1/2" x 11". Fine.
100. GREENE, Graham. The Complaisant Lover. London: Heinemann (1959). The true first edition of his third play, preceding its U.S. publication by two years. Although printing numbers are not available, it would appear to be considerably scarcer than his novels from the same period. This copy is fine in a near fine dust jacket and signed by the author. A very scarce book signed: there are no signed copies listed online at present, and the last one to appear at auction was 13 years ago; only two signed copies have been sold at auction in 35 years or more.
101. GRINER, Paul. Follow Me. NY: Random House (1996). A collection of stories in the "dirty realist" mode -- exploring the underbelly of urban and small town America. Inscribed by the author to another writer, "from a great and longtime fan." Fine in a fine dust jacket.
102. HALL, Oakley. Lullaby. NY: Atheneum, 1982. A novel of the contemporary West, with a touch of the occult, by the writer who, after Wallace Stegner's death, was widely considered the dean of American western writers. Hall ran the writing program at UC Irvine for a number of years, and among his students were Richard Ford and Michael Chabon. Inscribed by Hall to another writer and his wife, "with great affection," in the year of publication. Spine slant, else fine in a near fine, spine-sunned dust jacket with creasing to the front flap. A nice association copy.
103. HALL, Oakley. Apaches. NY: Simon & Schuster (1986). A historical novel set in New Mexico in the 1880s. Inscribed by the author at Squaw Valley in 1992. Hall founded the Community of Writers at Squaw Valley in 1970 and was its director for many years. His students included Amy Tan, Anne Rice, Anne Lamott, Alice Sebold and many others. Remainder mark to lower page edges; else fine in a fine dust jacket.
104. HANSEN, Ron. Desperadoes. NY: Knopf, 1979. His highly praised first book, a Western novel based on the Dalton Gang. Inscribed by Hansen to another writer, "whose writing I've so long admired, with appreciation." Dampstaining to lower spine; near fine in a near fine dust jacket. A good association copy.
105. HARRIS, Thomas. Red Dragon. London: Bodley Head (1982). The first British edition of his second book, and the first to introduce the character Hannibal Lecter, who was featured in The Silence of the Lambs. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket. A very nice copy of an uncommon edition, and scarce signed.
106. HARRISON, Jim. From Geo-Bestiary. (n.p.): Copper Canyon Press, 1998. A broadside printed to celebrate the publication of Harrison's The Shape of the Journey: Collected & New Poems. One of 500 copies. 10" x 11". Fine.
107. HARRISON, William. The Theologian. NY: Harper & Row (1965). His first book. Inscribed by Harrison to George Garrett and his wife, in 1977: "Years later, but with true love." Also with George Garrett's signature on the front flyleaf. One tiny spot on the front endpaper, otherwise fine in a near fine dust jacket with a couple tiny edge nicks.
108. HARUF, Kent. Plainsong. NY: Knopf, 1999. His highly praised third novel, a National Book Award nominee. Signed by the author in the month after publication. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
109. HERMAN, John. The Weight of Love. NY: Talese (1995). His first book, a novel. Inscribed by the author to another writer, whose blurb appears on the jacket. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
110. HERSEY, John. Antonietta. NY: Knopf, 1991. A novel told from the point of view of a Stradivarius violin. Inscribed by Hersey to another writer and his wife. Hersey is most famous for his nonfiction account of the bombing of Hiroshima and its aftermath. This novel received uniformly high praise, and was the last book he published in his lifetime. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
111. HILLERMAN, Tony. Dance Hall of the Dead. NY: Harper & Row (1973). Hillerman's third novel, and second mystery featuring Navajo tribal detective Joe Leaphorn. Winner of the Edgar Award for Best Mystery Novel of the Year. Hillerman's success reinvigorated the detective form and opened it to a new generation of writers featuring detectives who not only plied their trades in different locations but brought to their jobs a much wider variety of qualifications than the tough-but-sensitive he-man types of earlier years. After Hillerman's Navajo novels broke the ground, the mystery genre became a primary vehicle for exploring questions pertaining to social and cultural identity, and detectives of every persuasion have populated the field in the last couple of decades. Inscribed by Hillerman: "for Jim & Nan, may it bring them to New Mexico." Fine in a dust jacket with a bit of dustiness to the rear, white panel, else fine. A very nice copy, and uncommon thus, especially signed.
112. HOMES, A.M. This Book Will Save Your Life. (NY): Viking (2006). A review copy, sent to a prominent author for comment. Laid in is a form letter from the publisher soliciting a blurb, a follow-up handwritten letter with the same intent, and an invitation to a publication party, the last of which bears (the recipient's?) doodles. The book is fine in a fine dust jacket.
113. HOWE, Tina. Coastal Disturbances. NY: Theatre Communications Group, 1989. The hardcover issue of this collection of four plays; the title piece was nominated for a Tony Award. Inscribed by the author to another writer: "You are a class act all the way around - but it's your quick blush that's most devestating [sic]. Here's to more plays and whacko conferences." Boards splayed; near fine in a near fine dust jacket with creasing to the rear panel and front flap.
114. HUNTER, Evan. The Paper Dragon. (n.p.): Delacorte (1966). Volume I of the two-volume uncorrected proof copy. Spiralbound in tall wrappers. Hunter was the author of The Blackboard Jungle and, as Ed McBain, the 87th Precinct police procedurals. Very good. Proofs of this vintage are uncommon.
115. IRVING, John. The Water-Method Man. NY: Random House (1972). His second book, which, like his first, sold only about 6000 copies in hardcover. Inscribed by the author to another writer: "For ___ ____, old friend and understanderer/ Love. John Irving." Fine in a fine dust jacket. Copies of this book signed by Irving are fairly uncommon, and legitimate association copies are extremely scarce.
116. IRVING, John. A Prayer for Owen Meany. NY: Morrow (1989). The first trade edition of what may be Irving's best-loved book -- a substantial claim for a book by the author of the also much-loved The World According to Garp. A portion of this book was the basis for the film Simon Birch. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket. Trade editions of this title signed by Irving are uncommon: there was a signed Franklin Library edition and a publisher's signed limited, but this title was published at a time when Irving's popularity was such that celebrity was becoming a burden, and his success was such that he was able to avoid some of the extensive book tours and signings that publishers like to have authors do. As a result, signed copies of the trade editions of his later books became increasingly scarce.
117. IRVING, John. The Imaginary Girlfriend. (Toronto): Knopf (1996). The first Canadian edition of this title (published simultaneously with the British edition): this title was incorporated into the U.S. edition of Trying to Save Piggy Sneed and has had no separate U.S. printing in hardcover; it was released as a paperback in the U.S. in 2002. Inscribed by Irving to another writer and his wife: "For ___ & ___ with my affection, John." Fine in a fine dust jacket. Again, a genuine association copy, and quite rare as such.
118. JOYCE, James. Desterrados. Buenos Aires: Sur (1937). A Spanish language edition of Joyce's only published play, Exiles, first published in 1918. The play was staged unsuccessfully in Munich in the year of its publication but not performed in England until 1926, by which time Joyce was already widely recognized as a major literary figure -- which was not the case at the time of its original publication. Pages uncut and mildly age-toned; a very near fine copy of this fragile volume, in self-wrappers. Remarkably well-preserved for a Sur publication from this era.