Catalog 155, C-D
24. CALISHER, Hortense. Herself. NY: Arbor House (1972). An autobiographical work. The uncorrected proof copy. Rear cover detached; thus only very good, in tall, padbound wrappers and signed by the author. An extremely scarce and fragile state, few of which would have been produced to begin with and fewer still of which will have survived.
25. CAPOTE, Truman. In Cold Blood. NY: Random House (1965). The advance reading copy of his most famous book, a bestseller that redefined the boundaries between fiction and nonfiction and helped define the New Journalism of the 1960s. A story of the cold-blooded killing of a Kansas family that was shocking in its day for its portrayal of the lives and thoughts of the killers, as well as for its graphic violence. Trace rubbing to the folds, else fine in self-wrappers.
26. CARTER, Forrest. The Education of Little Tree. (n.p.): Delacorte (1976). The uncorrected proof copy of Carter's most famous book, which its publisher originally identified as "a true story" while it identified the author as a "part-blood Cherokee who is Storyteller in Council to the Cherokee Nations." A dozen years after its initial publication, The Education of Little Tree was chosen by independent booksellers as the book they most liked to sell and it became a word-of-mouth bestseller in a paperback edition published by the University of New Mexico Press. Later, Carter was discovered to be a white man from Alabama who had worked for right-wing politician George Wallace, writing racist propaganda. Carter may have written racist tracts for George Wallace, but in The Education of Little Tree he endorsed humanist values of a high order, which he ascribed to Native American traditions -- respect for the land and one's family, honoring one's elders, promoting generosity and good faith, abhorring hypocrisy and brutality. Even as fiction, The Education of Little Tree raises serious and difficult questions, but it has been taken by many as strongly promoting a healthy sensitivity to, and respect for, Native American traditions and perspectives. In some circles, the question of the book's authenticity is today less of an issue than that of its sentimentality. "Little Tree" handwritten on spine; paperclip imprint top edge of front cover; near fine in tall wrappers. Extremely scarce: this is the only copy of the proof we've ever seen, and it dates from an era when, first, proofs were less widely distributed than they later came to be and, second, they were less likely to be viewed as collectibles and filtered into the rare book market, and more likely to simply be discarded after use.
27. CARTER, Forrest. Watch For Me On The Mountain. (NY): Delacorte (1978). A novel of Geronimo, reflecting the author's interest in Indians and in southwestern American history. The uncorrected proof copy, with the original title of "Cry Geronimo!" Sunning and creasing to spine; corner creases to covers; very good in wrappers. An uncommon advance issue.
28. CARVER, Raymond. Will You Please Be Quiet, Please? NY: McGraw-Hill, 1976. The uncorrected proof copy of Carver's breakthrough book of short stories, his first book published by a major publisher and one of the most influential books in the renaissance of the short story form in the 1970s and beyond. Carver's stories were compared to those of Hemingway and Flannery O'Connor. Laid into this proof is a slip of paper that has been signed on both sides by Carver as well as an autograph note signed, apparently to his typist or editor, requesting certain corrections be made to several pages of an unidentified work (not, apparently, this proof). Publisher's information slip pasted to front cover and again to title page; fine in wrappers. Housed in an attractive custom quarter leather clamshell box. A scarce proof of an important book.
29. CARVER, Raymond. This Water. Concord: William B. Ewert, 1985. An advance copy of this collection of poems that was issued in a limited edition of 136 copies. This is one of eight prepublication copies prepared by the publisher, consisting of 13 loose sheets, 9" x 12", in double flat gatherings printed on rectos only. Numbered, dated and signed by the publisher on the top sheet. Signed by Carver on the title page. Of the eight copies so prepared, this is one of six with a blue and white label on the folding cardstock case. One of the scarcest issues of the Ewert productions of Carver's work. Fine.
30. CARVER, Raymond. The Painter and the Fish. Concord: Ewert, 1988. Prepublication proof issue. One of 15 unbound copies, unnumbered and unsigned -- apparently page proofs and a proof of the wrapper. The woodcut illustrations are laid in and each is numbered "#8" and signed by the artist Mary Azarian. Fine in wrappers.
31. CARVER, Raymond. Where I'm Calling From. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press (1988). The uncorrected proof copy of the first trade edition of Carver's last collection of stories, which will probably stand as his defining work. This title was published just before Carver died and it includes stories selected from all of his previous collections as well as seven new, previously uncollected stories. Tear at front spine fold; near fine in wrappers.
32. (CARVER, Raymond). HALPERT, Sam. Raymond Carver: An Oral Biography. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 1995. An advance copy in the form of loose, typeset, 8 1/2" x 11" sheets. 196 pages. Edited by Halpert, with contributions by William Kittredge, Richard Ford, Robert Stone, Tobias Wolff, and others. Expanded from the 1991 collection When We Talk About Raymond Carver. Reproduces copy editor's notes in a couple of places. Fine.
33. CASTANEDA, Carlos. Tales of Power. NY: Simon & Schuster (1974). The uncorrected proof copy of Castaneda's fourth book in the influential series that began with The Teachings of Don Juan. Castaneda's books were published as nonfiction -- first person accounts of his extraordinary experiences with a Yaqui Indian shaman in Sonora, in northern Mexico. Later they were shown to have been largely or wholly fictional accounts derived from the author's readings and, presumably, his own use of hallucinogenic drugs similar to the ones he ascribes to Don Juan. Notwithstanding their fictional nature, they were and continue to be influential for having initiated a dialogue not only about cultural authenticity but also about the coherence of spiritual and mystical traditions in Native American and Mesoamerican cultures; in effect the books comprised, at the least, a critique of the cultural bias in traditional anthropology and helped usher in a new degree of critical thinking about such issues, a new sensitivity to cultural diversity grounded in that critical thinking, and also what became known as the New Age movement. Padbound proof; fine in tall wrappers. Scarce.
34. CHATWIN, Bruce. The Songlines. London: Jonathan Cape (1987). The uncorrected proof copy. By general consensus, Chatwin's best book -- a "novel of ideas," as the publisher puts it, of Australian aborigines, and the questions about man that arise from the vast gulf that separates the culture of contemporary, Western civilized man from that of the wandering tribes of Australia, whose "dream tracks" or "songlines" delineate both a physical and a psychic geography. Production crease near front joint; else fine in wrappers.
35. CHEEVER, John. The Stories of John Cheever. NY: Knopf, 1978. The uncorrected proof copy of this massive collection, which won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award, and was a finalist for the National Book Award. One diagonal crease to the upper corner of the front cover and the first few pages, otherwise near fine in wrappers. A landmark collection and to date the most complete collection of Cheever's stories available in a single volume.
36. CHEEVER, John. The Uncollected Stories of John Cheever, 1930-1981. (Chicago): Academy Chicago (1988). The uncorrected proof copy of this book that was never published, leaving 55 of the 68 stories contained in the book still uncollected. Cheever chose only 61 of his published stories for the 1978 Knopf collection, The Stories of John Cheever, which won the Pulitzer Prize. A decade later, a small mom-and-pop publisher, Academy Chicago, arranged to publish 68 previously uncollected stories. The project got as far as the printing of proof copies before the Cheever family, with the assistance of agent Andrew Wylie and the lawyer Martin Garbus, managed to cancel the contract that Mary Cheever had signed allowing for the publication of this volume. Academy Chicago later published a collection of 13 stories originally planned for this volume, but the remainder of the stories herein have never been available in book form. One of the publishing rarities of the last several decades, and a trove of stories by one of the great American writers of the 20th century, whose work was recently included in the Library of America series -- with only two of the stories from the later collection included, and none of the uncollected 55. Fine in wrappers.
37. COELHO, Paulo. The Alchemist. (NY): HarperSanFrancisco (1993). The advance reading copy of the first American edition of this internationally bestselling fable by a popular Brazilian writer. Although the book has reportedly sold 65 million copies worldwide and the first American edition was announced as being 50,000 copies, firsts are quite hard to come by and advance copies are remarkably uncommon. A film is reportedly in production. Small crown bump; very near fine in illustrated self-wrappers, with the author's name misspelled "Coehlo" on the front cover. The copyright page states "This is a preprint edition, not for sale. The hardcover edition will be published in May, 1993." Presumably thus one of the earliest copies of this title to appear in English.
38. CONROY, Pat. The Great Santini. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1976. The limited advance edition of his splendid first novel, basis for the excellent film with Robert Duvall in the title role. One of reportedly 35 copies of the uncorrected proof, and proof jacket, specially bound in leather for private distribution to friends of the author and publisher. This copy is signed by Conroy. A bit of handling to covers, still very close to fine. The text of the front jacket flap was changed between this version and the published version: "...his daughters to provide their husbands (Marines, naturally) with a good lay" was changed to "...with a good home." An unusual and uncommon edition, and especially scarce signed.
39. -. Same title, the uncorrected proof copy of the British edition. London: Collins, 1977. Padbound, as a text block, stamped "review copy only" on the front and foredge and with publication dates and possible prices on the rear blank. Bookshop stamp from a South African university on summary page. Foredge and top edge foxing, musty; near fine, laid into a near fine, foxed dust jacket with one creased edge tear. The only such copy of the U.K. edition of this title that we have seen.
40. CREWS, Harry. The Knockout Artist. NY: Harper & Row (1988). The uncorrected proof copy of this novel about a boxer, which combines the toughness and sweetness, as well as the humor, that Crews is known for. This is the first issue, shot from typescript and paginated to 382. Fine in yellow wrappers.
41. CROWLEY, John. Aegypt. NY: Bantam (1987). The uncorrected proof copy of the first book in an ambitious tetralogy that also includes Love and Sleep, Daemonomania, and Endless Things. Finalist for the World Fantasy Award and selected as one of David Pringle's 100 best fantasy novels of all time. According to Crowley, there were textual differences between this proof and the final published book. Signed by the author. Near fine in wrappers.
42. DELILLO, Don. Love-Lies-Bleeding. NY: Scribner (2005). The uncorrected proof copy of his third published play. Signed by the author. Small nick and faint sunning to spine; near fine in wrappers. Uncommon in proof format and uncommon signed.
43. DEW, Robb Forman. Publisher's Archive for Dale Loves Sophie to Death. NY: FSG (1981). A unique set of publisher's materials for her well-received first novel, winner of the short-lived National Book Award for best first novel. Printer's blues; two sets of long galley sheets; three copies of the dust jacket (folded flat); mock-up of binding. One jacket creased; else all items fine. Presumably this would have been the only such set generated, for the publisher's own internal use.
44. DUBUS, Andre. The Lieutenant. NY: Dial, 1967. Bound galleys of his first book and only novel, a story of the peacetime military and the challenges to manhood and honor that its rigid code of morals creates. Dubus said that after he wrote this novel someone introduced him to Chekhov's stories, and he threw away the manuscript of his next novel and began writing short fiction -- becoming one of our most acclaimed and accomplished practitioners, a "writer's writer" who was admired as a model and a mentor by many authors whose fame outstripped his own. 7-1/4" x 10", ringbound, printed on rectos only. Cover sheet partially detached; date and price handwritten at top; prior dampening most noticeable along the spine edge of the rear page. Still about near fine. Laid in is a typed note signed from E.L. Doctorow, in his position as editor-in-chief at Dial, to Wright Morris, soliciting comment. An unusual format for a proof, and a rare proof: we have never seen another copy of it, nor heard of one; the author himself did not have one in his library. Housed in a custom quarter leather clamshell case.
45. DUBUS, Andre. Dancing After Hours. NY: Knopf, 1996. The uncorrected proof copy of his last collection of stories, nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award. In plain printed wrappers, and far more scarce than the advance reading copy in pictorial wrappers that is sometimes identified as a proof. Signed by the author. Fine in wrappers.
46. DUBUS, Andre. Meditations from a Movable Chair. NY: Knopf, 1998. The uncorrected proof copy of his last book, a collection of essays. Signed by the author. Fine in wrappers.