Catalog 152, S-X
248. SALLIS, James. The Long-Legged Fly. NY: Carroll & Graf (1992). The first book in his well-received series featuring black private detective Lew Grifffin. Inscribed by the author to another mystery writer. Fine in a very near fine dust jacket with one short, closed edge tear.
249. SALLIS, James. Moth. NY: Carroll & Graf (1993). Inscribed by the author, whose inscription adds the recipient to the dedication; an interesting addition: the printed dedication is to African-American novelist Chester Himes, who wrote a series of mysteries set in Harlem and featuring black protagonists; the additional inscription is to an author who has written a series of mysteries set in Louisiana and featuring a Creole protagonist who is "passing" for white. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
250. SALLIS, James. Difficult Lives. (n.p.):(n.p.)(n.d.). Hardbound typescript of this collection of essays on Jim Thompson, David Goodis and Chester Himes and the original paperback novel, particularly in the 1950s. Signed by Sallis. Approximately 97 pages, double-spaced, printed on rectos only. The typescript shows the author's final corrections and edits, thus revealing an earlier state of the text as well. An unusual production; quarto, clothbound, sewn, with laid endpapers and gilt-stamped spine, in a full cloth slipcase. We do not know how many of these were produced, nor for what purpose; this is the only copy we have seen or heard of. Sallis is well-known as a writer of hard-boiled mysteries, and here he writes about three of the masters of the genre -- a significant work of criticism. He later wrote a highly praised, full-length biography of Himes alone. Fine in a fine slipcase. Together with a copy of the first edition [Brooklyn: Gryphon Books, 1993]. Signed by Sallis. One corner crease, else fine in wrappers.
251. SALLIS, James. Black Hornet. NY: Carroll & Graf (1994). A volume in the Lew Griffin series. Signed by the author on the title page, and inscribed by the author on the dedication page to another mystery writer: "To ___, again? Again. And again with much love. Jim/ New Orleans/ Sept 94." Fine in a fine dust jacket.
252. SALLIS, James. Limits of the Sensible World. Austin: Host Publications (1994). A collection of 18 stories, written between 1969 and 1990. Inscribed by the author: "To ___ -- Little stories like cups of Cuban coffee. Jim Sallis/ Jan 95." The inscription alludes the Cuban "cortadito" -- an espresso with a splash of milk -- whose name translates, literally, as "little short"; these 18 stories are indeed "little shorts," totaling only 85 pages in all. Only issued in wrappers. Fine.
253. SALLIS, James. Death Will Have Your Eyes. NY: St. Martin's Press (1997). A spy novel with blurbs from Michael Moorcock, Jonathan Lethem and Harlan Ellison who, between them, manage to compare the author to Graham Greene, John Le Carré, Jorge Luis Borges, Edgar Allan Poe, Trevanian and Dostoyevski. Inscribed by the author, with love. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
254. SALLIS, James. Chester Himes: A Life. (n.p.):(n.p.)[c. 1999]. Hardbound typescript of Sallis' biography of Himes, the expatriate African-American writer best known for his Harlem mysteries. Himes emigrated to France around the same time that Richard Wright and James Baldwin did, finding less racial prejudice there and greater appreciation of his writings than was the case in the U.S. Sallis' book was the first major biography of him. It was published in 2001. This manuscript draft from 1999 has significant textual differences from the published version. 466 pages, double-spaced, printed on rectos only. With another 20 pages of corrections laid in. University library stamp to top of text block; fine. Letter of provenance available. As far as we know, unique.
255. (SALLIS, James). The Review of Contemporary Fiction, Vol. 16, No. 3. Normal: Review of Contemporary Fiction, 1996. Sallis is the guest editor for the Samuel R. Delany section of this issue devoted to Delany and to Edmund White. Sallis also contributes an introduction to the section. Signed by Sallis. Fine in wrappers. Laid in is a 50-word note from Sallis, in his hand, on "James Sallis" notepaper, albeit unsigned.
256. SAUNDERS, George. A Bee Stung Me, So I Killed All the Fish (Notes from the Homeland, 2003-2006). (NY): (Riverhead Books)(2006). A limited edition of pieces previously published in magazines. One of 500 numbered copies signed by the author. Stapled wrappers; fine. Together with five other items included in this "Dispatch to the Saunders Army," as follows: temporary tattoos; an iron-on patch; a double-sided poster; an invitation to the George Saunders Photo Challenge; and an In Persuasion Nation Official Recruitment Tool (unopened). All items fine. An unusual collection of items: this is the only such assemblage we have seen. Saunders has inspired a unique and enthusiastic group of fans, as unlike anything else in contemporary literature as his fiction is unlike any other fiction.
257. SEBALD, W.G. Vertigo. London: Harvill Press (1999). The first English language edition. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket. Sebald's first novel to be translated into English was The Emigrants, published in the U.S. and the U.K. in 1996. He died in a traffic accident in 2001 and signed copies of his books are as a result quite uncommon.
258. SEBALD, W.G. Austerlitz. London: Hamish Hamilton (2001). The first English language edition. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket. Sebald died later in the year this was published, and signed copies of it are very scarce.
259. SHAKESPEARE, William. The Two Gentlemen of Verona. London: J. Tonson, 1734. The first separate appearance of this play, never published in any form in Shakespeare's life and preceded only by its inclusion in collected editions of Shakespeare's works. One of the earliest of Shakespeare's comedies (perhaps his second, listed by Meres in 1598 and probably performed as early as 1595) but one of his last printed in a separate edition. Bound in marbled wrappers of unknown date; includes the engraved frontispiece and the "advertisement" (an attack on the alleged Shakespeare piracies by R. Walker). Foxing to edges of pages; very good. Scarce: only one copy has appeared in the auction records in the last 35 years.
260. SHAKESPEARE, William. The Comedy of Errors. London: J. Tonson, 1734. The first separate appearance of this play, never published in any form in Shakespeare's life and preceded only by its inclusion in collected editions of Shakespeare's works. Bound in marbled wrappers of unknown date; includes the engraved frontispiece and the attack on the alleged Shakespeare piracies of R. Walker. Very good.
261. SMITH, Annick. Homestead. (Minneapolis): Milkweed Editions (1995). A memoir recounting the author's first years after arriving in Montana in the early 1960s. Inscribed by the author: "For Steve [Krauzer] and Dorrit - At last, not only a room, but a book of my own - with love & respect & all the other good things old friends share -- Annick Smith." A nice association copy. Smith was co-editor with William Kittredge of the landmark Montana anthology The Last Best Place; Krauzer was a Missoula, Montana writer who collaborated with Kittredge on a number of novels as well as other work. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
262. SNYDER, Gary. Gary Snyder Titles from the Library of Clayton Eshleman. A group of approximately 20 books by Snyder from the library of poet Clayton Eshleman, most of them inscribed by Snyder to Eshleman, some of them bearing Eshleman's sometimes extensive markings in the margins of the text. Also included are a few ephemeral items, including an announcement for a reading by Snyder at the school where Eshleman taught and an announcement of a joint reading by Eshleman and Snyder in Paris. The books span the years 1967 (A Further Range, inscribed to Eshleman and with Eshleman's 1967 ownership signature) to 2002 (a French edition of Mountains and Rivers Without End, inscribed to Eshleman with a snapshot of Snyder laid in). The two poets have shared a long history and friendship, much of which derives from their respective interests in ethnopoetics. An important grouping of material that has formed part of what Eshleman called his "core library." A detailed list is available. For the lot:
263. STYRON, William. Lie Down in Darkness. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill (1951). His first book, a well-received autobiographical novel, which was nominated for the National Book Award. A hint of sunning to the heel of the spine; else fine in a fine dust jacket. A pristine copy.
264. STYRON, William. The Confessions of Nat Turner. NY: Modern Library (1994). A later printing of the Modern Library edition of his controversial 1967 novel, about a black slave uprising in the nineteenth century. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize. Signed by the author on a Gonzaga College High School bookplate. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
265. SWARUP, Vikas. Q and A. (London): Doubleday (2005). The uncorrected proof copy of the author's well-received first book, basis for the film Slumdog Millionaire, which was one of the most highly praised films of 2008, winning eight Academy Awards after being nominated in ten categories. Although the book and the film differ in a number of respects, the book, like the film, was praised for its heartrending and realistic depiction of poverty in modern India, and both used the structure of having events in the main character's personal history provide him with enough knowledge to win a game show quiz, albeit at great personal cost. Fine in wrappers, with a mock up of the dust jacket laid in.
266. (Talking Heads). What the Songs Look Like. (n.p.): (Perennial) (1986). Advance excerpt from this collection of paintings, photographs and drawings in which visual artists interpret Talking Heads lyrics. This excerpt prints several of the artistic interpretations and David Byrne's introduction, in which he doesn't mention his own art background as a drop-out of the Rhode Island School of Design. Artists whose work is shown here include Roz Chast and Robert Rauschenberg; the finished book included pieces by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Glen Baxter, Victor Moscoso, Nam June Paik, and many others. 9" x 12". Stapled wrappers; fine.
267. UPDIKE, John. The Carpentered Hen. NY: Harper & Brothers (1958). His first book, a collection of poems, published in an edition of 2000 copies. Signed by the author. Slight sag to text block, a common flaw with this book and probably more a result of defect in the binding process than a result of wear and tear; near fine in a very near fine dust jacket with minuscule nicks to corners and minor foxing on verso.
268. UPDIKE, John. Rabbit, Run. NY: Knopf, 1960. His second novel, which introduced Rabbit Angstrom and began the sequence of novels that will likely stand as Updike's major work. A fine copy in a very near fine dust jacket with one tiny edge tear and trace rubbing to the spine extremities and front spine fold. A very nice copy with none of the spine fading that is typical for this title.
269. UPDIKE, John. Query. (n.p.): Albondocani (1974). A card with a poem by Updike, used as a holiday greeting. One of 400 copies, of which this is one of 240 without the publisher's name printed on the page with the greeting. This copy is inscribed by Updike. One spot of foxing to foredge; else fine in stapled wrappers. With original (though foxed) mailing envelope.
270. -. Same title. One of 75 copies of the suppressed first issue, with the front cover drawing printed upside down. Fine in stapled wrappers. Uncommon.
271. UPDIKE, John. "When I write..." (n.p.): Janus Press [1982]. A broadside excerpt from a 1968 Paris Review interview with Updike, that was included in the 1975 collection Picked-Up Pieces. One of 550 copies. 14" x 20". Fine. The only Updike production done by this fine press and a considerably scarcer item, in our experience, than its rather large limitation would indicate. This item was never offered for sale, perhaps helping explain its scarcity. De Bellis & Broomfield A95a.
272. UPDIKE, John. The Afterlife. (Warwickshire): Sixth Chamber Press, 1987. A limited edition of this story. Of a total edition of 201 copies, this is one of 26 lettered copies signed by the author. Quarterbound in leather and marbled paper boards; fine in slipcase. An attractive production, uncommon in the lettered issue.
273. UPDIKE, John. July. [NY]: Knopf [1993]. A broadside of the poem, "July." Not formally offered for sale; issued to accompany publication of Updike's Collected Poems. Signed by the author. 10" x 22 5/8". Tightly rolled; one tiny edge tear; near fine.
274. UPDIKE, John. Rabbit Angstrom: The Four Novels. NY: Everyman's Library/Knopf (1995). The first combined edition of the four Rabbit novels. With a special 15-page introduction by Updike for this edition and a chronology of Rabbit Angstrom's life printed alongside a historical chronology spanning the character's lifetime. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket. A massive book (1500+ pages) and surprisingly uncommon in the first printing, especially in fine condition and signed.
275. (UPDIKE, John). Harvard Lampoon. Cambridge: Harvard Lampoon, 1951-1953. Five issues: June, September, November 1951; June 1952; April 1953. Updike's contributions include: for June 1951, two poems; for September 1951, one poem, one cartoon, three illustrations; for November 1951, two poems, two cartoons, three illustrations; for June 1952, Updike on masthead, but no credited contributions. In the April 1953 issue, Updike is listed as President on the masthead, and his contributions include three poems, seven cartoons or illustrations, and four prose pieces (two with shared credit). All five issues are near fine or better. For all:
276. VONNEGUT, Kurt. Slaughterhouse-Five. (NY): Delacorte (1994). A later printing of the 25th anniversary edition of his masterwork, a powerful fictional memoir of his experiences during the Allied fire-bombing of Dresden, Germany. Signed by the author with a self-caricature on a Gonzaga Collect High School bookplate, and dated Sept. 8, 2000. Fine in a fine dust jacket. This edition has a new introduction by Vonnegut, as touching as one might expect from Vonnegut 35 years after the book's original publication.
277. WALDMAN, Anne. Anne Waldman Titles from the Library of Clayton Eshleman. A group of items by Anne Waldman from the library of poet Clayton Eshleman. Over a dozen books, mostly signed or inscribed by Waldman to Eshleman, from his "core library," with a few uncommon ephemeral pieces. A detailed list is available. For the group:
278. (WALLACE, David Foster). The Review of Contemporary Fiction, Vol. 13, No. 2. (Normal): Review of Contemporary Fiction, 1993. The "Younger Writers Issue, featuring Wallace, William T. Vollmann, and Susan Daitch. Includes an interview with Wallace, his essay "E Unibus Pluram: Television and U.S. Fiction," and an excerpt from Infinite Jest, three years prior to the novel's publication. Signed by Wallace. Also signed by Vollmann. Fine in wrappers.
279. -. Another copy. Signed by Wallace. Also signed by Vollmann and Daitch. Near fine in wrappers.
280. (WALLACE, David Foster). Grand Street 55. (NY): (Grand Street Press)(1996). Signed by Wallace at his contribution, "Chivalry." Fine in wrappers.
281. WILSON, S. Clay. Original Drawing. 1988. An original drawing by Wilson for William Burroughs' book Tornado Alley. This image was included in the exhibition "Ports of Entry: William Burroughs and the Arts" that was mounted by the Los Angeles Country Museum of Art in 1996, and it is reproduced on page 140 of the exhibition catalog. Interestingly, the illustration in the book does not show some of the work that Wilson did, as it was done using nonrepro blue pencil which does not show up when photographed: Wilson's edits didn't appear in Tornado Alley and they don't appear in Ports of Entry but they are quite visible in the work itself. Wilson, one of the great artists of the underground comix of the 1960s and beyond, whom R. Crumb has said was a major influence on Crumb's own work, collaborated with Burroughs on a number of projects. This is not only a significant work of art, and a significant association with Burroughs, but it is also signed by Wilson, who has added, "To Nelson" next to his signature: Wilson gave this work to his friend Nelson Lyon, who loaned it to the exhibition and is listed in the book as one of the lenders to the exhibit. This is, in effect, a three-way association: Nelson Lyon was the co-producer of Burroughs's Dead City Radio, an album of Burroughs reading his work against a background of experimental music by various artists. 9 3/4" x 6 3/4". Matted and framed. Fine.
282. WOOLF, Virginia. Beau Brummell. NY: Rimington & Hooper, 1930. A short essay on Beau Brummell, issued as an attractive limited edition of 550 copies, of which 500 were for sale. Signed by the author. A folio, quarterbound in red cloth and paper over boards, with paper label on cover duplicating the design of the label on the cardboard slipcase. Minor foxing to the page edges; a little play to the spine; one slight corner tap; still a near fine copy in a good slipcase with small stains, loss to the paper at the edges and corners, and a short bit of cracking to the lower joints, where one piece of clear tape has been applied.
283. WOOLF, Virginia. The Moment and Other Essays. London: Hogarth Press, 1947. A posthumous collection of essays. The crimson boards are sunned at the edges; minor foxing to page edges; a very good copy in a very good Vanessa Bell-designed dust jacket that is uniformly faded on the spine and front panel. Quite a nice copy of this fragile book, which was manufactured using the cheap paper stocks typical of British books in the early postwar years, and readily shows damage or wear.
284. (WOOLF, Virginia). "Mrs. Dalloway in Bond Street" in The Dial, Vol. 75, No. 1. (Greenwich): (Dial Publishing), 1923. Wear to yapped edges, a trifle dusty, erased initials on front cover; very good in wrappers. Published in book form in 1925.
285. WRIGHT, James. Photocopied Typescripts. Undated. The photocopied typescripts of two poems, "Ecologue at Nash's Grove" and "So She Said," as submitted to Harper's magazine. Both texts copyedited; both texts apparently signed by the author with his address at the bottom of each sheet (signatures crossed out in pencil during the copyediting process). Folded, else fine. Also included is an author photo from To a Blossoming Pear Tree. Manuscript material of any sort by Wright is extremely uncommon, and his signature itself is quite scarce.