Catalog 154, N-O
129. NAIPAUL, V.S. The Mystic Masseur. NY: Vanguard (1959). The uncorrected proof copy of the first American edition of the Nobel Prize winner's first novel. Naipaul is a Trinidadian author of Indian descent, one of the giants of contemporary English literature, and one of the most astute, if acerbic, Western commentators on Third World issues. Spine and a bit of the lower rear edge darkened, apparently from binder's glue rather than sun; some light dustiness to covers and a few gentle turns to page corners; very good in wrappers. An exceedingly scarce proof, dating from the period when proofs were not routinely produced, let alone saved and filtered into the rare book market. We've only ever seen one other copy.
130. (Native American). (ALEXIE, Sherman). Black Bear Review, Issue 9. Croyden: Black Bear Publications, 1989. Alexie's first accepted poem, "Architecture," in this small literary magazine that had a nominal circulation of 500. Alexie has since become one of the most well-known, highly regarded, and commercially successful Native American writers. He won a National Book Award in 2007 for his novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part time Indian. Fine in wrappers.
131. -. Another copy. Even sunning to wrappers, near fine.
132. (Native American). BARNES, Jim. The Fish on Poteau Mountain. DeKalb: Cedar Creek Press, 1980. The wrappered edition of the first book by this by a writer of Choctaw-English-Welsh descent, a collection of poems. Signed by Barnes. Fine. An uncommon title.
133. -. Another copy. Warmly inscribed by the author to two fellow poets in 1984. Fine in wrappers.
134. (Native American). CONLEY, Robert J. The Rattlesnake Band and Other Poems. Muskogee: Indian University Press, 1984. A bilingual (Cherokee/English) collection, with illustrations by the author. An uncommon early book by this writer who has since published numerous books of fiction, including two that won the Spur Award from the Western Writers of America. One of 500 numbered copies, apparently only issued in wrappers. This copy is inscribed by Conley to LaVerne Clark, author of They Sang for Horses: "To L.D. & LaVerne Clark, my very good friends/ Robert J. Conley/ Fort Worth TX/ 1986." Spine and edge-sunned; very good. Uncommon.
135. (Native American). ERDRICH, Louise. Love Medicine. NY: Holt, Rinehart & Winston (1984). Her first novel, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award and the L.A. Times Award for Best Novel of the Year. Inscribed by the author at Christmas time in the year of publication. A bit of foxing to top edge and mild edge sunning to boards; near fine in a very near fine, price-clipped dust jacket with just a touch of edge wear. The book was published in October; it's possible Erdrich gave inscribed copies as gifts that year.
136. (Native American). ERDRICH, Louise. Tales of Burning Love. (NY): HarperCollins (1996). The advance reading copy of this novel that departs from her sequence of novels located on the Indian reservations of the Dakotas. Signed by the author. Fine in wrappers.
137. (Native American). MATHEWS, John Joseph. Talking to the Moon. Chicago: University of Chicago Press (1945). His third book, and first since his novel Sundown, published in 1934. This title is a memoir of growing up in Osage country. Inscribed by the author: "Pawhuska, Oklahoma. August 17, 1944. For ___ ___ with special pleasure and with deep appreciation of his interest. Inspired by the donor, my young friend ___ ___. John Joseph Mathews." Pawhuska was the author's home town, and thus the setting for much of this book. Mathews first book, Wah'Kon-Tah, a history of the Osage tribe and its engagement with the white man, was a Book of the Month Club selection in 1929. Small date stamp to copyright page; light wear to boards; a near fine copy in a near fine, lightly edgeworn dust jacket.
138. (Native American). MATHEWS, John Joseph. The Osages. Children of the Middle Waters. Norman: University of Oklahoma (1961). A massive history of the Osages -- over 800 pages -- based on oral tradition and the author's own experience. Signed by the author, "with best wishes." A bit of play in the binding from the weight of the text block; near fine in a good dust jacket with several small edge tears/chips (one internally tape mended) and chipping to the rear flap fold.
139. (Native American). McNICKLE, D'Arcy. The Surrounded. NY: Dodd, Mead (1936). The first book by McNickle, a writer of Flathead Indian descent, and a landmark Native American novel, one of the early books to address questions of assimilation and alienation from both the white way of life and traditional tribal culture. It began the process in American Indian literature of looking for value in traditional Native American beliefs even in the face of such alienation. As such, Charles Larson's seminal study of Native American literature (American Indian Fiction, Albuquerque, 1978) links McNickle with N. Scott Momaday -- thirty years McNickle's junior -- as the two writers who predate the later wave of politically aware Native American writers such as James Welch and Leslie Marmon Silko. Owner name from 1939 on front pastedown and small bookstore label on rear pastedown; foxing to page edges and dustiness to cloth; still a near fine copy lacking the dust jacket, as is typically the case. A very scarce book, even without its dust jacket. We have seen this book in jacket only twice.
140. (Native American). (NIATUM, Duane). BERNIKER, Jane. Original Artwork for A Cycle for the Woman in the Field. [Laughing Man Press, 1973]. Six pen and ink and collage drawings for Niatum's second book, a poetry chapbook. Each illustration is on 8 1/2" x 11" card stock and is titled and signed by the artist. Unsigned color drawing also included. Working copies -- i.e., these were the copies used for the production of the book and include printer's notations for layout; near fine, in an envelope addressed to Niatum. Unique.
141. (Native American). ORTIZ, Simon. Men on the Moon. Tucson: University of Arizona Press (1999). The advance reading copy (marked "Uncorrected Galley Proof") of this collection of short stories. Fine in wrappers, with publisher's promotional sheet laid in. Blurbs by Peter Matthiessen and Jim Harrison.
142. (Native American). OSKISON, John M. Wild Harvest. NY: D. Appleton, 1925. The Cherokee author's first book. One of the two most important debuts of modern Native American writers, the other being D'Arcy McNickle's book The Surrounded, in 1936. This one, however, preceding McNickle's book as it does by over a decade, may rightfully be called the first Native American novel of the modern era. Signed by Oskison. A small amount of foxing to the book, and some general, modest signs of wear to the cloth; a very good copy, lacking the scarce dust jacket. A landmark volume, seldom encountered at all, let alone signed.
143. (Native American). OWENS, Louis. John Steinbeck's Re-Vision of America. Athens: University of Georgia (1985). An uncommon book by an enormously versatile writer, who was a Steinbeck scholar before he published any of his own highly praised fiction or his influential study of Native American literature, Other Destinies: Understanding the American Indian Novel. Inscribed by Owens to another writer. Fine in a near fine, spine-faded dust jacket.
144. (Native American). OWENS, Louis. Nightland. (NY): Dutton (1996). The uncorrected proof copy of this novel that combines elements of suspense fiction with a strong dose of Native American culture and mythology. His first book to be published by a major trade publisher. Nightland received an American Book Award from the Before Columbus Foundation in 1997. Fine in wrappers.
145. (Native American). OWENS, Louis. Dark River. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press (1999). The advance reading copy of this novel (marked "Uncorrected Page Proofs"). Fine in wrappers. Published in the American Indian Literature and Critical Studies Series, edited by Native American novelist Gerald Vizenor. After Owens' suicide in 2002 Vizenor called him "the most original scholar in critical theory" for Native American literature, and "an inspired, original literary artist, a masterful storier, and... an exceptional teacher."
146. (Native American). SEALS, David. The Powwow Highway. (Denver): (Sky Books)(1983). A contemporary American Indian "road novel," written by a former member of AIM, the American Indian Movement, and the basis for the ground-breaking and award-winning film. Poet-artist John Trudell, another former AIM member, has a role in the film and Wes Studi and Graham Greene, both now successful and well-known American Indian actors, had small roles in it; for Studi it was his film debut. After the success of the film, the title was brought out by a mainstream publisher more than a decade later; this, the true first edition, is virtually unobtainable. Signed by the author. Fine in wrappers, with an anti-blurb by Kurt Vonnegut: "I've never...read this book. I don't...know this writer. You...can't use my name." Seals wrote a comic sequel to the novel, Sweet Medicine, in which the characters complain about how they were portrayed in the film, and opt not to see it when they have the chance.
147. -. Another copy. Inscribed by Seals to another writer, who is known for, among other things, his writings on American Indian issues: "To ___, May the Great Spirit always be with you." Small, faint abrasion to front cover; else fine in wrappers. We've only seen this book once before and until now had never seen a signed copy. An excellent association copy of an elusive book.
148. NORMAN, Howard. The Museum Guard. NY: FSG (1998). Inscribed by the author in London in 1999: "for ___ - ...the pleasure of your friendship & encouragement/ Thanks & love, Howard." Slight crown bump, else fine in like dust jacket. A nice association copy.
149. (NORMAN, Howard). New Writing from Faber and Faber. (London): Faber and Faber (1994). Contains an advance excerpt from Norman's National Book Award-nominated The Bird Artist, which was published in the U.K. prior to being published in the U.S. Near fine in wrappers.
150. NUNN, Kem. Tapping the Source. NY: Delacorte (1984). A review copy of Nunn's powerful first book, one of the great hard-boiled novels of the past 30 years, set in the surfing subculture of Southern California. Nominated for the National Book Award. Signed by the author and dated in 1988. Minor foxing to top of text block, several instances of pencil underlining to text; near fine in a very near fine dust jacket with press release and author photo laid in.
151. -. Same title. The uncorrected proof copy. Light foxing to top edge and tiny spot to foredge; near fine in plain yellow printed wrappers. Includes the Robert Stone blurb that appears on the dust jacket of the finished book, which puts Nunn in a class with Raymond Chandler and James Crumley.
152. -. Same title. The advance reading copy. Faint foxing to top edge, else fine in pictorial wrappers.
153. -. Same title, the first British edition. London: Michael Joseph (1984). Age-toning to page edges, else fine in a very near fine dust jacket with a hint of a crimp to the crown. Nunn has written several well-received novels set in southern California's surf culture, and he was also was a co-creator of the short-lived, experimental HBO television series, John From Cincinnati.
154. OATES, Joyce Carol. In Case of Accidental Death. Cambridge: Pomegranate Press, 1972. A broadside poem. One of 250 numbered copies signed by the author. Illustrated and signed by Karyl Klopp. Approximately 10 7/8" x 16 1/2". No chips or tears but paper acidifying and tanning, somewhat unevenly; a very good copy. An elusive Oates "A" item.
155. O'CONNOR, Flannery. Signed Contract. 1955. A contract signed by the author on May 2, 1955 and giving her address as Midgeville, GA. The contract grants the New American Library permission to print "Whom the Plague Beckons" in New World Writing. O'Connor was to be paid $201 for the first 100,000 copies printed. When the story appeared in New World Writing 8 in October, 1955, the title had been changed to "You Can't Be Any Poorer Than Dead." It later became, with revisions, the first chapter of her second novel, The Violent Bear It Away, which was published in 1960. O'Connor died in 1964 at the age of 39 of lupus, a hereditary disease that had also killed her father and with which she had been afflicted since the age of 25. In her short writing career she was one of the most influential figures in American, especially southern American, literature in the second half of the 20th century. One tiny corner crease, else fine, with "O'Connor" printed in another hand in the lower right corner and confirmation of payment in the left margin.
156. O'CONNOR, Flannery. The Violent Bear It Away. NY: Farrar, Straus & Cudahy, 1960. The author's second novel and the last of her three books that were published during her lifetime. Signed by the author in Atlanta on March 18, 1960, the month after publication. Signed copies of The Violent Bear It Away are of almost legendary rarity, as the author was quite ill by the time it achieved publication. This is a fine copy in a near fine dust jacket with some minor spine sunning and trace wear to the crown, with faint spotting to the rear panel. In custom clamshell case. A beautiful copy of an uncommon and important book, and rare signed.
157. ONDAATJE, Michael. The Collected Works of Billy the Kid. NY: Norton (1974). The first American edition of this book that was originally published in Canada in 1970. Winner of Canada's Governor General's Award. Signed by the author. Top board edges sunned, erasure front flyleaf, several ink notes in text, thus very good in a near fine dust jacket corner clipped (not price-clipped) on the lower front flap and with several short, closed edge tears.
158. ONDAATJE, Michael. The Cinnamon Peeler. (London): Picador/Pan (1989). The first publication of this collection, printing poems from three of his earlier books. Only issued in wrappers. Age-toning to page edges, small corner crease front cover; near fine.
159. ORWELL, George. Homage to Catalonia. NY: Harcourt Brace (1952). The first American edition of Orwell's personal account of the Spanish Civil War, in which he was wounded. When the book was first published, in England in 1938, Orwell's careful account of the manner in which the Spanish Communists betrayed the Republic, with whom they were nominally allied, contradicted the leftist orthodoxy of the day and the book was largely ignored. This edition, published (posthumously) in 1952, includes an introduction by Lionel Trilling that doesn't appear in the British edition and which puts Orwell's sympathies, and his political transformation, in context. Foxing to boards, otherwise a near fine copy in a very good, sun-darkened dust jacket with a couple tiny edge chips.
160. -. Another copy, this being a review copy. Mild darkening to top edge; else fine in a fine dust jacket with none of the sunning typical to this title. Publisher's complimentary card laid in, giving publication date (May 15) and contact name at the publisher. Probably the nicest copy of this book we have seen, and especially attractive as an advance copy.