Catalog 159, H-K
78. (HARBACH, Chad). What We Should Have Known: Two Discussions. (NY): N+1 Research, 2007. Prints the transcripts of two roundtable discussions aimed at guiding college students in the realms of literature, philosophy and thought. Harbach is one of four panelists in the second discussion, providing insights on his reading and writing practices. This copy is signed by Harbach and by Keith Gessen, the moderator. Fine in wrappers.
79. HELLMAN, Lillian. Maybe. (London): (Macmillan)(1980). One of Hellman's last books, a portrait of an acquaintance about whom the author has only intermittent and incomplete information. Inscribed by Hellman to V.S. Pritchett and his wife: "For Dorothy and Victor, with great love and admiration, as always/ Lillian." Pritchett reviewed Hellman's An Unfinished Woman for Life in 1969; Hellman held Pritchett to be in a class with Joyce, Beckett, and Pynchon (Conversations with Lillian Hellman). Dorothy Pritchett may have had the last word on Hellman: "We were all rather chopped about Lillian" (chopped apparently being British slang for "of two minds;" quotation and explanation courtesy of William Wright's Lillian Hellman). With Pritchett's ownership label on the front pastedown. Shallow crease to front flyleaf; else fine in a near fine, mildly spine-faded and dusty dust jacket. A nice literary association.
80. (HIGHSMITH, Patricia). "Girl Campers" in Woman's World, July 1935. Mount Morris: Woman's World Publishing, 1935. The first published work by the author of Strangers on a Train and The Talented Mr. Ripley, among many others. "Girl Campers" is a series of eight letters written by Highsmith to her mother and step-father over the course of a three-week stay at summer camp, when the author was twelve (published at age 14). Good content at a young age, including her delight in suspense ("The bus that was to take us to camp from the boat was late. We waited two hours and finally got a man to take us who drove like a maniac. We were all screaming bloody murder and singing songs"); pre-lesbian camp crushes ("There is a girl here named Janet Armstrong I want you to meet. She lives in Tudor City and her father is a publisher. We think we have things in common, as she speaks two languages and I would like to"); the desire for stimulants ("I miss my coffee and tea at meals. But they think we shouldn't have coffee or tea. I told my counselor that you only gave me one cup of coffee in the morning for breakfast. It doesn't matter. We don't get any"); her early interest in the comics, a field where she would land her first job after college ("Don't forget to bring me the Sunday funny papers if you come. I do hope you can come"). Approximately 1500 words total on learning to swim, daytrips, camp politics, and commentary on her companions. Minor foxing to covers and small address stamp there; near fine in stapled wrappers. A very nice copy of this large, fragile item, few of which can have survived in such condition.
81. IRVING, John. The Cider House Rules. (n.p.): Garp Enterprises/Radio-Telegraphic Company, 1991. Screenplay by Irving, based on his sixth novel. Winner of the Academy Award for best adapted screenplay. This copy is dated "June 14, 1991, Revised." Hand-numbered "42." Signed by Irving. 130 pages, stringbound, with one remaining brad. Foxing to pages; near fine. The earliest copy of the script we have seen; the film was released in 1999. There are substantial textual differences between this early version and the final version, and it is safe to assume that this version is highly uncommon and not easily obtainable: we have never seen another one, let alone a signed one. A glimpse of an award-winning script as a work in progress.
82. IRVING, John. The Cider House Rules. Los Angeles: FilmColony/Miramax, 1995. Screenplay by Irving, adapted from his novel. This copy states "Revised: December 1995," is hand-numbered "47," and bears the signature of Michael Goldsmith as well as changes and proposed changes to the text, apparently in Goldsmith's hand. Signed by Irving. An early version of the script for the 1999 film. Uncommon signed, and especially interesting with the changes and revisions visible, i.e., a working copy. 139 pages. Bradbound in Miramax covers; near fine.
83. IRVING, John. The Imaginary Girlfriend. (London): Bloomsbury (1996). The uncorrected proof copy of the first British edition of this title, which was incorporated into the U.S. edition of Trying to Save Piggy Sneed and had no separate U.S. printing. Inscribed by Irving. Fine in a near fine, proof dust jacket, worn where it overlays the proof, with the price of £13.99 (later lowered to £9.99). An uncommon proof (the British trade edition would have had a proportionally smaller printing than a U.S. one would have had, and the proof equally so), especially with the proof jacket, and even more so signed by Irving. This is the first signed copy of it we have handled.
84. IRVING, John. The Fourth Hand. Toronto: Knopf Canada (2001). The uncorrected proof copy of the first Canadian edition of this novel. Inscribed by the author on the title page. Fine in wrappers, with the dust jacket art bound in. An uncommon proof copy, and especially scarce signed; we've never seen another one.
85. IRVING, John. In One Person. NY: Simon & Schuster (2012). His most recent novel. Signed by the author on the title page. Scarce signed: Irving did not do any signings on the author tour he did promoting the novel, explaining that he was no longer willing to sign books at readings per his doctor's warnings, as it would hinder his ability to write his manuscripts by hand, as he prefers to do. He did sign a handful of copies at his local bookstore on the spur of the moment, and these are the only copies we know of that he was willing to sign; all other "signed copies" of this title have signed bookplates inserted. One upper corner lightly bumped, else fine in a fine dust jacket.
86. -. Another copy. Signed by the author on the title page. Upper corners slightly bumped, otherwise fine in a fine dust jacket with an "Autographed Copy" sticker on the front panel. Again, scarce signed.
87. (IRVING, John). TESICH, Steve. The World According to Garp. (n.p.): Burbank Studios, 1980. Tesich's second draft screenplay (September, 1980) for the film based on Irving's novel. 149 pages, bradbound in studio wrappers; "Garp" written on spine; near fine. Together with a "Confidential" 8-page synopsis of Tesich's January, 1981 final draft by story analyst Thomas Craig, dated 2/27/81: 7-pages of synopsis; 1 page of comment on how the final draft differs from the second draft that is included here. The final draft referred to by the synopsis and commentary was 10 pages shorter than this second draft.
88. ISHIGURO, Kazuo. A Pale View of Hills. (London): Faber & Faber (1982). His acclaimed first novel, a view of postwar Nagasaki, Japan -- the author's birthplace -- through the eyes of a middle-aged Japanese woman now living in England. A fine copy in a very near fine dust jacket with just slight fading to the spine. A very attractive copy of the first novel by a writer whose books have been shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize four times, winning it in 1989 for The Remains of the Day.
89. JOHNSON, Denis. The Man Among the Seals. Iowa City: Stone Wall Press (1969). Johnson's first book, a poetry collection published in an edition of 260 copies. Although not issued as a signed limited edition, this copy is signed by Johnson (using two pens, apparently the first one was failing). Label removal abrasions to front endpages and sticker removal mark on front cover. Sunning to the edges and spine; a very good copy, without dust jacket, as issued. Laid in is an announcement for a 2008 reading by Johnson and others, presumably the event where the signature was obtained. A scarce first book -- preceding his second by over a decade -- by a writer best known these days for his fiction, winning the National Book Award for his 2007 novel Tree of Smoke.
90. JOHNSON, Denis. The Incognito Lounge. NY: Random House [1982]. The uncorrected proof copy of his first major collection of poetry, and first book to be published by a mainstream publisher. A couple tiny spots to covers; very near fine in wrappers. A scarce proof and an important early book by Johnson.
91. JOYCE, James. Chamber Music. London: Egoist Press, 1923. The first issue of the third edition: one of only 107 copies. The edition was intended as 500, but 393 sets of sheets remained when Egoist was acquired by Jonathan Cape in 1924 [Slocum and Cahoon]. List of publications of the Egoist Press tipped to rear pastedown; offsetting to endpages; otherwise a fine copy.
92. KAZIN, Alfred. Contemporaries. Boston: Little, Brown (1962). A review copy of this collection of criticism, including pieces on Faulkner, Greene, Dreiser, Salinger, Bellow, Roth, Capote, and others. This copy belonged to Charles Shapiro, co-editor with Kazin of The Stature of Theodore Dreiser in 1955. Shapiro's ownership label on front flyleaf, his notes there on pages to cite, and a few more notes in the text; a near fine copy in a very good dust jacket with shallow wear to the edges and folds. Promotional pages and photo of Kazin laid in. Front flap stamped "Review Copy Courier Journal."
93. KEILLOR, Garrison. Autograph Letter Signed. 1984. A full page letter signed by Keillor, written to the editor of Clockwatch Review, on Minnesota Public Radio stationery, in response to being approached to judge "the Mark Twain contest" (a fiction contest celebrating the 1985 Mark Twain Sesquicentennial). Keillor declines, based on his last, local judging experience, which left him "feeling so shaky about my judgements and unable to defend them and generally feeling like an idiot upon whom a good education in English had been wasted." Folded for mailing, else fine, with hand-addressed envelope. Approximately 100-125 words, and a humble sentiment, funny and typically self-deprecating, from a cultural icon. Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion had already been on the air for a decade at this point, more than a quarter century ago.
94. KESEY, Ken. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. NY: Viking (1962). Kesey's landmark first book, a pivotal novel of the literature of the Sixties, which helped to shape a generation's attitudes on issues of authority, power, madness and, finally, individuality. The early printings of the U.S. edition contain text that was later excised and changed after a lawsuit was brought against Kesey and his publisher by a woman who worked at the institution which Kesey used as a model for the novel; she charged him with portraying a character that was based on her (and had the same first name) in a disparaging manner. The character was rewritten after the third hardcover printing, and later editions, including the mass market paperback and the "definitive" text in the Viking Critical Library Series, have an alternate character in her place. While not technically an "issue point" -- all copies of the first printing and even some early reprints have this text -- this is still noteworthy as the original, unchanged text: most readers will have read the revised version, with a male character, "Public Relation," replacing the "Red Cross Woman." In an irony that would have been too unbelievable for fiction, the woman who sued Kesey and Viking was herself sued over a decade later for a similar portrayal of a southern California nude therapist. Small crimp to cloth at crown; otherwise this is a fine copy in a very good, modestly spine-faded dust jacket with shallow wear to the spine extremities and a crease to the upper front panel. A nicer-than-usual copy of this title, with top stain still orange and less fading and wear to the jacket than is commonly encountered. The jacket is the first jacket, with the Kerouac blurb. Later jackets did not have this short comment, in which Kerouac called Kesey "A great new American novelist."
95. KESEY, Ken. Kesey's Garage Sale. (NY): (Viking)(1973). The scarce hardcover issue of this collection of shorter pieces, spanning the years of the Sixties, when Kesey's activities moved far from the strictly literary path he had been on when he wrote his first two novels. Inscribed by Kesey in 1985: "For ___ ___: The count! The pitch! Recalls the '72 series. Two down. Bottom of the balance! Maximising exponential! The official film of the imagination! Burroughs shitting glazed turkeys! Shortstop moving in! The swing! Clean, solid, high...The winds got it! It's...It's...It's...Ken Kesey." This was the first book Kesey published after Sometimes a Great Notion, almost a decade earlier. According to the author, the pieces were not conceived as a book but instead were drawn from various sources and put together, much as the title suggests, like the items in a garage sale -- thrown out to the reader for inspection, perusal, consideration. Between the publication of the two books, Kesey had led the Merry Pranksters on their famous cross-country bus trip, become a counterculture hero and advocate, and been a fugitive from the law, spending time in Mexico as a result of a drug bust. Other contributors to this volume include Allen Ginsberg, Neal Cassady, Ken Babbs and Paul Krassner, among others. Introduction by playwright Arthur Miller. Heavily illustrated with sketches by Kesey, photographs, etc. A fine copy in a near fine, lightly edgeworn dust jacket.
96. (KESEY, Ken and STONE, Robert). Program for a Reading. (NY): Unterberg Poetry Center/92nd Street Y, 1992. One sheet, folded to make four pages. Inserted in the center is a broadside, printing on one side an excerpt from Stone's Outerbridge Reach, and on the other side, "Dream of Jeannie with Light Grey Matter," an excerpt from Kesey's Sailor Song. Kesey and Stone were longtime friends, going back 30 years before this reading to their time together in Wallace Stegner's writing workshop at Stanford in the early 1960s. This copy is signed by Kesey on the front cover. Fine.
97. KINSELLA, W.P. Shoeless Joe. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1982. The uncorrected proof copy of his highly praised, much-loved first novel, winner of a Houghton Mifflin Literary Fellowship Award and basis for the award-winning movie Field of Dreams. A North American magical realist baseball novel, with J.D. Salinger as a character. Inscribed by the Kinsella in the year of publication. Recipient's signature to summary page; slight edge sunning and short crease at mid spine; near fine in wrappers.