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Catalog 159, A

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1. ABBEY, Edward. Fire on the Mountain. NY: Dial, 1962. The third novel by the author of Desert Solitaire and The Monkey Wrench Gang and his first book to deal explicitly with the ecological and environmental themes that dominated his later writings. Abbey's passionate and uncompromising writings in defense of the wilderness of the American West helped lay the groundwork for the activist environmental movement in the 1960s and since, encouraging the creation of such radical groups as Earth First! and helping to initiate the dialogue on "deep ecology" that defined much of the discussion in environmental circles. This is a fine copy in a fine dust jacket with the merest suggestion of rubbing at the corners and folds. One of the nicest copies we've ever seen of this book, which tends to rub and fade easily.

2. (ABBEY, Edward). BISHOP, James, Jr. Epitaph for a Desert Anarchist. NY: Atheneum (1994). The uncorrected proof copy of the first biography of Abbey. With an epilogue by Charles Bowden, whose own hard-hitting writing is very much in the tradition of Abbey's. Upper margin of rear pages a bit wavy; near fine in wrappers.

3. ACKER, Kathy. Pussy, King of the Pirates. NY: Grove (1996). A review copy. With a full-page inscription by Acker to Greg Gatenby, founding Artistic Director of Toronto's International Festival of Authors: "For Greg, Listen, I can't thank you enough - it's not only the Festival which you know is GREAT! - the range of the writers - which is your taste, Greg - eclectic & profound - no, there's more! The generosity of you, that you work from your heart and at the same time, you know how to do things in the world - on such a major level - you have all my respect and admiration, Greg, and thanks - Love, Kathy Acker." Dated "Toronto, Halloween, '96." Gatenby's signature on half title; fine in a fine dust jacket with publisher's press release laid in. A nice association and inscription by this important punk, post-modernist writer, who died at a young age barely a year later. While Acker was not averse to signing books if asked, we have seldom seen so expressive an inscription in one of her books.

4. (ALLEN, Woody). "A hangover is when..." in Jem, March, 1957. (Jersey City): (Body Beautiful)(1957). A men's magazine, with a one-liner by Woody Allen on page 47. An early appearance in print by Allen, from the time (age 21) when he was writing for television (The Ed Sullivan Show; The Tonight Show), and preceding even his stand-up career. His first film wasn't released until years later; his first book wasn't published until a decade later. This issue also includes a (clothed) Tina Louise layout, from the pre-Ginger era. Near fine.

5. (ALLEN, Woody). Annie Hall Pressbook. (n.p.): United Artists [1977]. Original uncut movie pressbook for Allen's Academy Award-winning film: Best Picture, Best Director (Allen), Best Original Screenplay (Allen and Marshall Brickman), Best Actress (Diane Keaton). Also on the American Film Institute's list of the top 100 films of all time. 8 pages; 11" x 17"; nearly two dozen sample ads, and a page of press to be quoted, including articles on Allen, Keaton, Tony Roberts, Colleen Dewhurst, Paul Simon, and one article giving the locations where various scenes of the film were shot. Folded once; shallow creasing upper outer corner; small area of sticker residue rear cover; near fine in stapled wrappers. A scarce, ephemeral piece from what will likely be considered Allen's magnum opus.

6. ANDERSON, Kent. Night Dogs. (Tucson): Dennis McMillan, 1996. His second novel, which follows Hanson, the protagonist of his first novel, Sympathy for the Devil, after his return from Vietnam to his job as a beat cop in Portland, Oregon -- a path the author himself also took. This novel became one of the year's most sought-after books: the small first trade printing (1900 copies) was quickly exhausted; the book was later published by Bantam in 1998. This copy is signed by Kent Anderson and by James Crumley, who provided the introduction (and signed it "Jim Crumley"; a Crumley blurb also adorns the dust jacket). Also signed by the publisher Dennis McMillan and by Michael Kellner, who designed the dust jacket. Additionally inscribed by Anderson to fellow author Terrill Lee Lankford: "To Lee on a rainy night and the Dogs are out in the dark, waiting/ Kent." Fine in a fine dust jacket. With a note from Lankford laid in: "To ___, Enjoy this copy of Night Dogs! It was signed by the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse on a stormy night in the City of Angels! I hope it serves you well! Terry Lankford." A nice association copy of this highly praised book.

7. (Anthology). Words and Music. Comment by Famous Authors About the World's Greatest Artists. (Camden): RCA Victor Records [c. 1950s]. 44 writers comment on 44 musicians. Writers include Eudora Welty, Tennessee Williams, James Hilton, James Thurber, Thomas Mann, James Michener, J.B. Priestley, Kay Boyle, Conrad Aiken, Rebecca West, and others. Creasing and rubbing to covers; very good in wrappers. Interesting promotional item from the early years of hi-fi recordings, with an impressive array of contributing writers.

8. (Arkham House). The Arkham Sampler. (Sauk City): (Arkham House)(1949). Four issues: Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall, 1949, the complete second year of this periodical. The first is an "All Science Fiction Issue," and includes work by Ray Bradbury, Theodore Sturgeon, A.E. Van Vogt, Jules Verne, Donald Wandrei, and others. Bradbury's first book, Dark Carnival, had been published by Arkham in 1947; Van Vogt's Slan, published in 1946, had been intended to launch a science fiction line by Arkham, which took its name from H.P. Lovecraft's fictional New England town and had focused primarily on horror fiction. The Spring issue includes a story by Clark Ashton Smith; the Summer issue, stories by Bradbury, Verne, and David H. Keller; the Autumn issue, again a story by Bradbury, as well as work by Clark Ashton Smith and Anthony Boucher. Each issue has the stamp of horror writer Stanley Wiater inside the front cover; titles and dates handwritten on the spines; the Winter issue has a chip to the lower spine; all the issues are wearing at the spine folds and have a bit of bleedthrough at the staples. Still a very good set of the second, and last, year of the Arkham Sampler. Each issue had a print run of 1200 copies. Scarce now.

9. (Author Autographs). 1995-1999. A collection of approximately 50 authors' autographs, in the form of autograph notes signed, autograph postcards signed, typed notes signed and one signed bookplate, all obtained by a collector in the course of requesting that books be signed. Authors represented include: Julia Alvarez, Kristen Bakis, Jen Banbury, Nevada Barr, Dave Barry, Nicholas Basbanes (2), Madison Smartt Bell, Pinckney Benedict, Elizabeth Berg, Michael Cunningham (initials), Ellen Currie, Charles D'Ambrosio, Edwidge Danticat (3), Stephen Dixon (2), John Dufresne (2), Tony Earley, Jennifer Egan, Jeffrey Eugenides (2), Janet Evanovich, Nicholas Evans, Jonathan Franzen, George Dawes Green, Jane Hamilton, Ron Hansen, David Haynes, Julie Hecht, Peter Hedges, Ursula Hegi, Katherine Hester, A.M. Homes, Thomas Keneally, Andrew Klavan, Dennis Lehane, Jonathan Lethem, Frank Manley (2), Sharon McCrumb, Bradford Morrow (initials), Stewart O'Nan, Janet Peery, Marge Piercy (2), Jane Rubino (2), Richard Russo, Mona Simpson, Robert Skinner, Elizabeth Strout, Andrew Vachss, Susan Vreeland, Mary Willis Walker, Larry Watson (2), and Eric Zencey. An impressive collection: the collector wrote to these writers when most of them were young and relatively unknown; now they have several Pulitzer Prizes, National Book Awards, and an array of other literary prizes between them. About a dozen are without envelopes, possibly because they were included in book mailings. One of the two Dufresne signatures is on a split fold; otherwise the lot is fine.

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