Catalog 151, A-B
1. ADAMS, Richard. Watership Down. NY: Macmillan [1974]. The uncorrected proof copy of the first American edition of Adams' classic first novel, published two years after the British edition. Winner of the Guardian award for children's fiction and the Library Association's Carnegie Medal for outstanding work by a children's author. Signed by Adams. Small horizontal crease to spine; else fine in wrappers. Very uncommon signed.
2. ALVAREZ, A. Day of Atonement. NY: Random House (1992). Inscribed by Alvarez to a well-known writer "with great admiration" in the month of publication. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
3. BAKER, Calvin. Once Two Heroes. (NY): Viking (2003). The author's second novel, about two World War II veterans, one black and one white. The author is African-American. Inscribed by Baker to another writer, whom Baker refers to as a "great American writer," in the year of publication. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
4. (BALDWIN, James). LEEMING, David. James Baldwin. A Biography. London: Michael Joseph (1994). The first British edition of this biography of Baldwin by a longtime friend who worked for him for a time. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
5. BANKS, Russell. Affliction. NY: Harper & Row, 1989. One of two of Banks's novels to be filmed, along with The Sweet Hereafter. Spine slant, and tiny spot to foredge; else fine in a fine dust jacket.
6. BAUSCH, Richard. Spirits. NY: Linden Press/Simon & Schuster, 1987. Inscribed by Bausch to George Garrett and his wife: "For George & Susan Garrett in deep admiration & with love from their old pal/ Dick/ April 27, 1987." Also signed in full, "Richard Bausch." With the signature of George Garrett on the front flyleaf. Fine in a fine dust jacket, with a prominent, lengthy promotional blurb by Garrett on the rear panel. A very nice association copy.
7. BAUSCH, Richard. Mr. Field's Daughter. NY: Linden Press (1989). Inscribed by Bausch to a well-known writer, "who is in my opinion the best of us, a true master, whose books will be around ever, with admiration and affection." A bit of sunning to the spine ends, else fine in a near fine dust jacket with a chip threatening at the crown. A wonderful association copy, and testament.
8. BAUSCH, Richard. In the Night Season. (NY): HarperFlamingo (1998). Inscribed by Bausch to George Garrett and his wife: "For the beloved George Garrett, & Susan -- such wonderful friends, with gratitude and such great memories, Love, Dick." Then signed in full, "Richard Bausch/ 1998." Fine in a fine dust jacket.
9. BAUSCH, Richard. Hello to the Cannibals. (NY): HarperCollins (2002). Inscribed by Bausch to another writer, whose blurb appears on the jacket, "with affection and gratitude." Fine in a fine dust jacket.
10. BAUSCH, Richard. Thanksgiving Night. (NY): HarperCollins (2006). Inscribed by Bausch to another writer and his wife in the year of publication, "with love, & admiration, & gratitude for the work & the laughs." Text block bound in upside down; else fine in a fine dust jacket.
11. BEAGLE, Peter S. The Last Unicorn. NY: Viking (1968). A modern classic of fantasy, one of Pringle's hundred best fantasy novels, and the basis for a well-received animated film in 1982 for which Beagle wrote the screenplay. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket, and very uncommon thus: the spine lettering is prone to flaking, and the unlaminated black dust jacket prone to rubbing and fraying. Especially uncommon signed; the nicest copy we've seen in a long time, possibly ever.
12. (Beatles). OWEN, Alun. The Beatles. London: Proscenium Films (n.d.). Owen's screenplay for A Hard Day's Night, the Beatles' first movie, still simply titled The Beatles: the film did not get its actual title until filming was almost done. Photocopy, duplicating the initials "W.S." on the title page, likely Walter Shenson, the producer. This is an early draft, containing much material that was edited out of the final movie, and as such a significant document pertaining to one of the classic movies of the 1960s -- an influential movie for any number of reasons, not least of which is that it is credited with introducing any number of film techniques that have simply become part of the grammar and vocabulary of modern filmmaking: hand-held cameras for authenticity; quick cuts timed to the musical score; and much more. It is also widely credited with being the precursor to the modern music video. Owen got an Oscar nomination for this script. A clean copy, perhaps too clean to be contemporary, although circumstantial evidence does date it to the 60s or 70s. Claspbound in mildly rubbed plain cardstock covers and laid into a sunned plastic file folder.
13. (Beatles). CAMPBELL, Colin and MURPHY, Allan. Things We Said Today. (Ann Arbor): Pierian Press, 1980. "The Complete Lyrics and a Concordance to The Beatles' Songs, 1962-1970." The definitive guide to all of the Beatles' original songs, from Love Me Do/P.S. I Love You in 1962 to Let It Be in 1970. Quarto; beige cloth stamped in black. Illustrated with several photographs of Beatles' song manuscripts. Minor handling to boards; near fine, without dust jacket, apparently as issued. An uncommon reference book.
14. BELL, Madison Smartt. Save Me, Joe Louis. NY: Harcourt Brace (1993). Inscribed by the author to another writer and his wife: "a little picaresque adventuring....you could almost call it a beach book! Happy summer fun. Madison Smart Bell [with added face drawing]." Rear hinge starting; near fine, lacking the dust jacket. One might almost think the recipient took the author's advice, and brought it to the beach and read it there. A nice association.
15. BELL, Madison Smartt. Master of the Crossroads. NY: Pantheon (2002). Inscribed by Bell to George Garrett: "For George, who did so much to make it possible for me." With the signature of George Garrett on the title page. A notable association copy: Bell studied with Garrett at Princeton University, where he was an undergraduate and Garrett had a writing workshop, and he became, in Bell's words, "one of the hundreds of people whose careers he [Garrett] has started and fostered." Bell, who won four awards for his fiction at Princeton and graduated summa cum laude, was doubtless one of Garrett's most successful students. A couple of tiny stains at bottom of the text block; else fine in a fine dust jacket.
16. BELLOW, Saul. Dangling Man. NY: Vanguard (1944). The first book by the Nobel Prize winner, Pulitzer Prize winner, and three-time winner of the National Book Award for fiction. Fine in a very near fine dust jacket with a couple minuscule edge nicks and mild sunning at the heel. A wartime production, seldom encountered in this kind of condition.
17. BELLOW, Saul. The Adventures of Augie March. NY: Viking, 1953. The first edition, first issue of his third novel, and the first of his three National Book Award winners -- an unprecedented accomplishment in American literature. A nearly immaculate copy in a fine dust jacket, and exceedingly scarce thus: the cloth is unmarred; the binding tight; the top edge stain a rich, unfaded peach; and the jacket is clean and bright, with no hint of fading and virtually no wear. Almost certainly the nicest copy we've ever handled or seen.
18. BELLOW, Saul. Recent American Fiction. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, 1963. The text of a lecture presented under the auspices of the Gertrude Clarke Whittall Poetry and Literature Fund. Signed by Bellow. Fine in stapled wrappers. Uncommon signed.
19. BELLOW, Saul. Herzog. NY: Viking (1964). His second National Book Award winner. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine, price-clipped dust jacket with the slightest hint of toning to the spine. This book was signed as a part of the "First Edition Circle" at Kroch's and Brentano's in Chicago, and the original bookmark indicating this is laid in. Unlike later books in the First Edition Circle, which were signed on leaves that were then tipped into the book, this was signed by Bellow on the front free endpaper.
20. -. Same title. An advance copy, in the form of bound galleys. Signed by Bellow in 1968, with the comment "long time, no see" -- presumably an indication that, even at that early date, the proof was already extremely scarce. The text of this book was changed while the book was still in galleys, and approximately two dozen pages have new text pasted over the originals. There are also several hand corrections to both new and old pages, and a couple of marginal comments (e.g. "Moses Herzog as demented artist"). Even with the added pages of text and the corrections, variations still exist between this version and the final published text. 10" x 5 1/4" galleys, ringbound in printed yellow cardstock covers; a bit handled and creased; very good. We know of only two other copies of this proof surfacing over the years. Very scarce; a bibliographically significant copy of an important work by an American Nobel Prize winner.
21. BELLOW, Saul. Mosby's Memoirs and Other Stories. NY: Viking Press (1968). Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket. In custom chemise and slipcase. Scarce in fine condition because of the black, soft paper dust jacket, and especially scarce fine and signed.
22. BELLOW, Saul. Humboldt's Gift. NY: Viking (1975). His eighth novel, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the title published just before he received the Nobel Prize. Also nominated for the National Book Award. One of an unspecified number of copies signed by the author on a tipped-in leaf, done for Kroch's and Brentano's First Edition Circle. Fine in a fine dust jacket -- bright, unworn and unfaded. A poorly manufactured volume, which is perfectbound and uses cheap paper, making attractive copies of this title much scarcer than one would expect.
23. BENEDICT, Elizabeth. The Beginner's Book of Dreams. NY: Knopf, 1988. Inscribed by Benedict to another writer, in the month prior to publication, "with thanks for the pleasure of your work." Fine in a fine dust jacket.
24. BLOCH, Robert. Psycho. NY: Simon & Schuster, 1959. His most famous book, basis for the classic Hitchcock film, the most thrilling film of all time (American Film Institute: "100 Years, 100 Thrills," #1), and one of the top 100 horror novels according to Jones and Newman (Horror: 100 Best Books, #57). Signed by the author. Pages browning as is usual with this title. Fine in a fine dust jacket and scarce thus, especially signed.
25. BORGES, Jorge Luis. Photograph. 1982. Original photograph of Borges taken in the Trustees Room of the New York Public Library, September 30, 1982. Borges' visit to New York was sponsored by NYU's New York Institute for the Humanities, directed that year by Edmund White. Approximately 7" x 10"; tiny corner crease to one margin; else fine. Together with two sets of contact sheets with nearly 50 images of Borges (many in conversation with others) from the same evening. Photographed by Layle Silbert and with Silbert's stamps on verso. Photographer's marks on four of the images; else fine. Silbert is a prominent photographer of literary figures, as well as a writer himself. Four of his literary portraits are in the National Portrait Gallery.
26. BOYD, Blanche McCrary. The Revolution of Little Girls. NY: Knopf, 1991. A novel about growing up in the South by the author of Mourning the Death of Magic and The Redneck Way of Knowledge. Inscribed by the author to another writer in the month prior to publication. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
27. BRAM, Christopher. In Memory of Angel Clare. NY: Donald I. Fine (1989). A novel by the sometime film critic and the author of Father of Frankenstein, which was made into the Academy Award-winning film Gods and Monsters. Bill Condon, who directed the film, won the award for his screenplay adapted from Bram's novel. This copy is inscribed by the author to legendary film critic Pauline Kael, "with warm gratitude for years of pleasure, and special thanks for one Saturday afternoon." Fine in a fine dust jacket. A wonderful association.
28. BRAUTIGAN, Richard. The Return of the Rivers. (n.p.): Inferno Press [1957]. Brautigan's first book, a single poem published in a tiny edition of unknown size: one of the two universities that has a copy reports theirs to be "one of 15 extant copies of the author's first book," although their source for that information is unknown. John Barber, Brautigan's bibliographer, reports the edition to have been 100 copies and indicates that it was printed "as a favor for Brautigan by Lesley Woolf Hedley, the owner/publisher of Inferno Press," suggesting that the poem may not have ever been offered for sale, at least not by the press. Signed by Brautigan on the front label, as all copies seem to have been. A single sheet, glued into wrappers. There is a bit of bleed-through from the glue used (one daub per sheet); else fine. Rare; this copy reportedly came from the collection of Brautigan's first wife; we have not seen another copy of this since the 1980s and no copy has appeared at auction since (at least) the 1970s. A true rarity by one of the key poets of the 1960s, closely associated with the San Francisco renaissance and the Sixties counterculture.
29. BRAUTIGAN, Richard. The Octopus Frontier. San Francisco: Carp Press, 1960. Brautigan's uncommon fourth book, and his third collection of poems. Although there is no indication of the size of the edition either in the book itself, in Lepper, or in the bibliography published in 1990, all of Brautigan's books that precede Confederate General from Big Sur are scarce and seem to have either been done in very small quantities or to have disappeared over the years as such slight, fragile volumes are wont to do. Cover photograph by Gui de Angulo, daughter of folklorist Jaime de Angulo. Fine in stapled wrappers.
30. BROWER, Brock. Debris. NY: Atheneum, 1967. The author's first novel. Inscribed by Brower to George and Susan [Garrett]: "such good friends, for so long, this late thanks for helping keep me afloat, amidst the debris." A nice inscription, indicative once again of the influence Garrett had on a range of writers, and the supportiveness he showed them over the years. A little edge sunning to boards; near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Laid in is a poem by Brower, "To the Moirai Down the Table." Dot matrix printout, with title page; folded in fourths to fit in the book.
31. BROWN, Dan. Angels and Demons. NY: Pocket Books (2000). The uncorrected proof copy of his second novel, the first to feature Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon, who returned in Brown's next novel, the surprise bestseller The Da Vinci Code, one of the publishing phenomena of the past decade and one of the bestselling novels of all time, with an estimated 60 million + copies in print worldwide. This novel deals with Langdon's unraveling a mystery concerning the secret society known as the Illuminati. A couple of horizontal closed tears across the spine, else fine in wrappers. With publisher's promotional sheet laid in. A scarce proof, predating his bestsellerdom, and done at a time when his only previous novel, Digital Fortress, was practically unknown.
32. -. Another copy. Read: creases to front cover and spine; small spot to spine fold. Very good in wrappers. Again, scarce.
33. BROWN, Larry. Big Bad Love. Chapel Hill: Algonquin, 1991. The uncorrected proof copy of the third book by the author of Facing the Music and Dirty Work, a collection of stories that became the basis for a 2001 movie with Arliss Howard and Debra Winger. Inscribed by the author. Fine in wrappers.
34. BRUEN, Ken. Vixen. (London): Do Not Press (2003). A hard-boiled novel by the prolific Irish author. Bruen is one of the leading writers in the neo-noir movement and instigator of "Irish noir" as a sub-genre. This is the hardcover issue of a book that was published simultaneously in hardcover and trade paperback. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
35. BURLAND, Brian. Love is a Durable Fire. NY: Norton (1985). A novel set in Bermuda during World War II. Inscribed by the author to Pauline Kael, in part: "I think your criticism is magical and unique." In addition, the book is signed by Burland on the title page and dated in the month of publication. Mild foxing to top edge, else fine in a near fine dust jacket.
36. BURROUGHS, William S. and WILSON, S. Clay. Collaborative Archive: Books, Letters, Illustrations. 1979-1991. In the early 1980s, Burroughs collaborated with S. Clay Wilson on the German editions of Cities of the Red Night [Die Stadte der Roten Nacht, Frankfurt: Zweitausendeins, 1982] and The Wild Boys [Die Wilden Boys, Frankfurt: Zweitausendeins, 1980]. This archive includes:
- the first German edition of The Wild Boys, signed by Burroughs and Wilson; a trial edition, rejected by Wilson, who was displeased with the endpapers, signed by Wilson; and Wilson's own copy, bound in Niger goat and snakeskin, signed by Wilson and inscribed by Burroughs to Wilson. The first two copies have a bit of edge-rubbing and are otherwise fine in the publisher's slipcases; the third copy is fine in a custom folding chemise.
- the German edition of Cities of the Red Night, signed by Burroughs and Wilson. Fine in slipcase.
- correspondence related to this and other collaborations between Burroughs and Wilson, as follows: from 1979 to 1982, six items from the publisher to Wilson; from 1979 to 1985, three items from Burroughs' associate James Grauerholz to Wilson; and from 1985 to 1995, eleven items from Burroughs to Wilson. The earlier items, from the publisher and from Grauerholz, generally solicit drawings, convey approval for ideas, and give progress updates. The later items, from Burroughs himself (one typed note signed; four autograph postcards signed; six autograph cards signed), tend to be more personal, frequently conveying gratitude for a gift or appreciation of Wilson's work. In one, Burroughs (according to a pencil note by Wilson, he is referring to The Chequered Demon) says "vintage Clay Wilson hilarious, horrible disgusting as life itself...Its fine its swell itsa gawdy taste of Hell." In another, in a card picturing a unicorn, Burroughs asks, "Did you see the Barnum & Bailey unicorn? I suspect it to be a goat." Several of the cards are holiday cards, and in one Burroughs wishes "All the best for 1986 and the time remaining to us all." In the last two items, Burroughs thanks Wilson for, respectively, the Graham Greene stories and for a cat book. He also complains about the heat: "Over 100 now for a week. Can't do anything but sit in my air conditioned house." This last card is signed "Bill Burroughs." All of the Burroughs' correspondence items (excepting the postcards) have envelopes; one of the postcards is near fine; the others are fine; many depict Burroughs' artwork.
- three original pen-and-ink S. Clay Wilson illustrations for the German edition of Cities of the Red Night. Wilson was one of the group of artists who gained exposure in the underground comix of the 1960s counterculture. After R. Crumb, he is probably the best known of that group, and his images are almost certainly the most extreme: all of the underground comic artists sought to break barriers and defy convention, and Wilson's images are densely packed and full of overt sex and violence to a nearly unthinkable degree. In this he was very much like Burroughs, whose verbal imagery sought to shatter all barriers, preconceptions and hypocrisies; the collaboration between the two of them seems in retrospect to have been inevitable. These drawings were displayed at the Los Angeles County Art Museum in the show "Ports of Entry: William Burroughs and the Arts," which sought to convey the influence Burroughs has had on visual arts. Extraordinary images, the result of an equally extraordinary collaboration: these are probably among the best artwork Wilson has done, and probably the best illustrations ever of Burroughs' writings. Burroughs himself appears as a character in one of the images. Two of the images are 5 1/4" x 9", the third is 5 1/4" x 10"; all three are matted and framed to approximately 16" x 19".
Also together with the original layout and lettering for the title page of the book: three hand-lettered sheets and one printed sheet. All items fine. A unique archive of an exceptional collaboration. For the archive:
37. BURROUGHS, William S. Inscribed Photograph. Original photograph of Burroughs at a reading in Lawrence, Kansas, taken by Nelson Lyon. The image was used on Dead City Radio, an LP and then a CD of Burroughs' reading, which was co-produced by Lyon. Inscribed by Burroughs: "For Nelson Lyon who took this shot/ William S. Burroughs/ June 24, 1989." Approximately 11" x 14", including the margin, which bears the inscription. Slight curl, which would be cured by framing; else fine.
38. BURROUGHS, William S. and LEARY, Timothy. Inscribed Photograph. Original photograph of William Burroughs and Timothy Leary, 16" x 20", taken by Nelson Lyon, at the River City Reunion in Lawrence, Kansas, in 1987. Each inscribed the photo to Lyon in 1989 in the white margins of the print. Burroughs' inscription reads "For Nelson Lyon with memories and all best wishes from William S. Burroughs June 24 1989." Leary's inscription is effusive: "To Nelson - I am overwhelmed by your PIX-SHUTTE [?] EYE! Bravo! Nels! Tim Leary July 2, 1989." A notable photograph and association: Lyon worked with Burroughs as co-producer of Dead City Radio and he was a longtime friend of Leary's. Leary and Burroughs met in Tangier in 1961 and became friends for life. Leary called Burroughs "one of my real heroes." They shared a number of interests and in the mid-1980s planned to collaborate on a software adaptation of William Gibson's seminal cyberpunk novel Neuromancer, making it into the first of the "Mind Movies" to go with Leary's newly developed software program, Mind Mirrors. The adaptation never happened but the two continued to stay in touch. This shot was taken on the last day that Burroughs and Leary ever saw each other -- both of them had given performances at the River City Reunion -- although they collaborated on various projects and remained friends until Leary died. They even talked on the phone the day Leary died: Leary had his son call Burroughs when he knew he was dying, and encouraged WSB to come to his "last rites," where his remains were to be blasted into space. A landmark photograph, attractively matted and framed, uniquely inscribed, and documenting an important relationship.
39. BURROUGHS, William S. Burroughs Eine Bild-Biographie. (Berlin): Nishen (1994). The hardcover issue of this photo-biography of Burroughs. This is a contributor's copy belonging to Nelson Lyon, who contributed three of the photographs. With the publisher's prospectus laid in, as well as a letter to Lyon identifying this as a sample copy and including a statement of Lyon's royalties. Signed by Lyon, and also signed in the year of publication by Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, and Timothy Leary. Signed three times (on the title page and on two of the photos in which he appears) by Gregory Corso. Ginsberg appears in several photos, as does Leary who also contributes a piece of writing. Never published in the U.S. and including a large number of photos of Burroughs that do not appear elsewhere. Near fine in mildly splayed boards, with rubbing to the joints, and a small bit of smoke damage to the front endpapers and title page. Text in German; the photographs need no translation. Scarce in the hardcover issue; probably unique with the signatures.
40. BURROWAY, Janet. Opening Nights. NY: Atheneum, 1985. A novel by the author of the Pulitzer Prize nominee The Buzzards and the National Book Award nominee Raw Silk. Warmly and lengthily inscribed by Burroway to George Garrett: "For George: Dear One -- Unless -- and this is true -- I have every few months or years of my life that sunshine-scattering-smattering-shattering glorious grin of yours to look at, I am deprived. Kentucky for a backdrop will do (or Fla. or Mass. or Calif). Anyway, I'm glad you are. Love, Janet/ Oct. 85/ NKU." Fine in a fine dust jacket with an NKU price sticker on the rear panel.