Catalog 160, G-J
29. GLANCY, Diane. Traveling On. (Tulsa): (Hadassah Press)(1980). Her first book, a collection of poetry. Published by a small press that apparently was her own. Inscribed by Glancy: "___, I share my unfortunate mistakes with you. It's been a pleasure! Diane." Approximately a dozen corrections to the text in the author's hand. Near fine in wrappers. This is the first time we have handled this work: a unique copy of a rare Glancy title.
30. GRATEFUL DEAD and KESEY, Ken. Excerpts from the Acid Test. San Francisco: Sound City Productions [1966]. The first recording by the Grateful Dead, who, a month earlier, had been known as The Warlocks. A 7" 33 RPM promotional record, labeled "For Radio Play Only, Not for Sale," with excerpts from the Acid Test album that Sound City was producing. The recording was made at the Sound City studio and was the seventh Acid Test -- communal events/happenings that were open to the public and at which LSD -- which was still legal in California at the time -- was distributed to the attendees. The Sound City Acid Test, because it took place in a recording studio, was more of a private event than earlier, or later, Acid Tests. It was also the last one Kesey himself participated in. He had been arrested for marijuana possession for the second time two weeks earlier, and had had to show up in disguise at the sixth Acid Test a week earlier at Longshoremen's Hall in San Francisco, in order to avoid reporters and the police. Within a week of the Sound City Acid Test, Kesey had left the country and gone into hiding in Mexico. The Grateful Dead had been the house band for the Acid Tests since they began in 1965, but under their earlier name of The Warlocks. By December 1965 they were starting to use their new name, and at the Acid Tests in January they were being billed as The Grateful Dead. This is the first time they were recorded as the Dead in a recording made for general release. The promo record was issued in March, 1966, and preceded the full length album released later that month. The only earlier recordings of the Grateful Dead are private ones that have made it into circulation as bootlegs; this, and the Acid Test album from which it was excerpted, were not only intended for public release but were also covered by "a couple of radio stations and a photographer for Look magazine" according to the Sound City press release, although the Look article apparently never appeared. "The purpose of the recording was to produce an album of unusual sounds, mental manipulations of the sometimes considered genius of Mr. Kesey and his cohorts during the actual happenings of a 'sugar' party. The results are different to say the least..." The Acid Test album itself is quite scarce; it was re-released in the 1980s. This promotional giveaway record is exceedingly uncommon, and a landmark for one of the most influential and long-lasting rock and roll bands to come out of the San Francisco Bay Area of the 1960s. The Grateful Dead went on to a 30-year career and became the most popular "jam band" of its time, triggering any number of similar jamming, touring bands in its wake, and capturing an essence of the hippie counterculture that lived on long after its historical moment had passed. Fine, in a plain white sleeve.
31. GROENING, Matt. Life in Hell. Bonus Fun-Fest Holiday Treat #3. (Los Angeles): (Self-published)(1983). A very early production by the creator of The Simpsons, preceding his first book by a year. This is a limited edition identified as a 1984 edition, copyrighted in 1983, with holiday and new year greetings on the copyright page. One of 100 numbered copies signed by the author on the front cover. Created and compiled by Groening, it includes comics from his "Life in Hell" strip as well as a number of his fictional "Sound Mix" columns of music reviews, a "Letters" section that may or may not be invented by the author (it probably is) and various other comic inventions, including ads, etc. A rare edition by the groundbreaking comic artist; we have never seen another offered for sale. Slight edge sunning; still fine in stapled wrappers.
32. HILLERMAN, Tony. The Fly on the Wall. NY: Harper & Row (1971). Hillerman's second book, a mystery set among political reporters in a fictional state capitol. Inscribed by the author: "How do you show a gun without tipping off the reader? See Chapter Twenty-two" and signed "Tony Hillerman." Fine in a very near fine, price-clipped dust jacket, mildly faded on the spine. A nice copy of an early Hillerman book, with an intriguing inscription.
33. IRVING, John. Typed Letter Signed. July 3, 1974. A two-page letter by Irving, written to "Carole," (apparently his publicist), describing his less than quiescent state of mind prior to publication of The 158-Pound Marriage, and after learning that the first printing of his novel had been reduced from 8000 copies to 6500 copies (in part): "Had a long talk with Joe [Fox, the legendary Random House editor], but the situation frankly depresses me; I have never lost faith in Joe as an editor, but as I told him, my faith in Random House as a publisher is somewhat shaken...I feel like a luxury item in a department store; when indications are that I'm not moving as well as the Hallmark cards, I get my stock reduced...I admit I am in need of affection or at least some attention..." He goes on to say, self-deprecatingly, "my well for self-pity (at this point in a book's publication) is always fairly deep, and I will try to be gentlemanly and not release it." Irving then offers some names of people who should get review copies, including writer Maureen Howard; a former Exeter classmate who has now won a Pulitzer Prize at the Rocky Mountain News; Phillips Exeter Academy itself, his alma mater, which he says might do a piece on "[m]e and Peter Benchley(class of ‘57)...that terrible book, Jaws, whose main character is a fish, is doing as you know rather well. And isn't there another bestseller starring a family of rabbits? You'd think people would be more interested in people, wouldn't you?" He goes on to say he's spending the summer writing an article with Gail Godwin for Harper's "about, of all things, Sex...I just hope it doesn't occur to Harper's that the article is only a thinly veiled excuse for Ms. Godwin and me to plug each other's books." He is also re-reading all of Virginia Woolf: "It is only slightly harder to like her now that everyone else likes her too." Irving then spends a paragraph on the current dilemma of whether the jacket for The 158-Pound Marriage should carry quotes by Vonnegut, Heller, and Elkin or instead "what people tell me is a good photograph...do I care more that people know what good people have said about me, or that they know I look nice?" [In the end, both the photo and the quotes were used.] Two pages: one page of Irving's personal stationery, plus a blue second sheet; double-spaced. Signed by Irving, with four small holograph corrections. Folded for mailing, else fine. With three penciled marginal markings, presumably by "Carole," noting where review copies are to be sent. It's possible that "Carole" is Carol Schneider, who was a publicist in 1974, becoming Publicity Director for Random House in 1979. By then Irving had left Random House for Dutton, who published The World According to Garp with a first printing of 35,000 copies, more than the sales of his first three Random House books combined. As Irving said earlier in the letter about having his Random House stock reduced and being moved to the back of the store, "Something of a self-fulfilling prophecy, I feel." Irving's letters seldom come on the market, and this one provides a revealing glimpse of the young writer trying to hold his own in the world commercial literary publishing.
34. IRVING, John. The Cider House Rules. (n.p.): Garp Enterprises/Radio-Telegraphic Company, 1991. Screenplay by Irving, based on his sixth novel, and winner of the Academy Award for best adapted screenplay. This is the earliest copy of the script we have seen; the film was released in 1999. This Dated "June 14, 1991, Revised." Hand-numbered "42." Signed by Irving. 130 pages, stringbound, with one remaining brad. Foxing to pages; near fine. There are substantial textual differences between this early version and the final version. A glimpse of an award-winning script as a work in progress.
35. JACKSON, Shirley. Contract for Nine Magic Wishes. NY: Crowell-Collier, 1961. A much-amended contract for Crowell-Collier to publish Jackson's 1963 children's book Nine Magic Wishes. Signed by Jackson and initialed by her ten times in the margins of the changes. 8 1/2" x 16" printed on both sides, folded in fourths for filing; near fine, with a couple of corner creases. Together with a 1962 letter from the publisher to Jackson's agent that includes an inadvertently omitted clause: this letter is also signed by Jackson. Folded for mailing, with staple holes to the upper margin; also near fine.
36. JACKSON, Shirley. We Have Always Lived in the Castle. NY: Viking (1962). A novel of the macabre by the author of The Lottery and The Haunting of Hill House. Inscribed by Jackson to Bernard Malamud and his wife: "For Ann and Bern - with warmest affection - Shirley/ September 1962." At the time, Malamud and Jackson's husband were both employed at Bennington College in Bennington, VT. The book was eventually donated by Malamud to the library of the college, as noted on a bookplate on the front pastedown. A bookplate to the rear pastedown labels it as a non-circulating copy, for reference only. Library stamps and notations also appear on the copyright page, the verso of the front flyleaf, and the top and bottom edges of the text block. Slight spine lean and corner taps; a very good copy in a very good dust jacket with minor sunning and rubbing and some foxing to the rear flap. An excellent association copy of the last of her books published in her lifetime.
37. (JOYCE, James). "Ulysses" in The Little Review. New York, 1918. Bound volume containing nine issues of the modernist literary journal from 1918, including five of the first seven installments of Joyce's Ulysses, including its first appearance in print, in March, 1918. Joyce had sent Ezra Pound the first three chapters of Ulysses by January, 1918, and Pound had forwarded them to Margaret Anderson, editor of The Little Review. The January issue contains an announcement of the upcoming serialization, which began in March. This bound volume includes copies of the January, February, March, April, June, July October, November and December issues, which include Parts 1, 2, 4, 5 and 7 of Joyce's masterwork. Condition is only fair: the hinges of the binding have been strengthened; some of the issues are missing their wrappers; there is considerable foxing and edgewear and one issue is missing the last couple of pages. Still, the Little Review was printed on cheap, acidic paper and copies that survive are typically in less than ideal condition, and issues with the Ulysses excerpts seldom appear on the market: we only note six runs appearing at auction since the 1970s. A fragile, early appearance in print of one of the great literary works of the 20th century.