Catalog 163, D-F
48. DANIELSON, Garth and RILEY, Stephen T. The Garth Danielson Christmas Booke. (n.p.): Boowat, 1976. A small book by Danielson on the meaning of Christmas, meant to serve as a Christmas card. With tipped-in illustrations by Riley. Inscribed by Danielson to Riley: "Nice to have you aboard my magnum opus. Your decadent friend, Garth Danielson." Riley was an up-and-coming young artist, who had been illustrating fantasy novels and would later branch out to mainstream book illustration, including a collaboration with Pulitzer Prize-winning poet James Tate. By all appearances a handmade book; at the very least rare, perhaps unique. Clothbound; near fine without dust jacket, as issued.
49. (DAVIS, Lydia). John Cheney's Literary Magazine, #2. (San Diego): John Cheney, 1982. A journal of experimental prose, which includes several pieces by Davis: "Television"; "How W.H. Auden Spends the Night in a Friend's House"; and an excerpt "from The Cottages." Also includes pieces by John Cheney, Mark Cheney, Melvyn Freilicher, Bill Luoma and Rose Anne Raphael. Uncommon avant garde zine, with notes on contributors identifying Davis as a "harpsichordist in the court of Frederick the Great, where for the past 28 years her principle duty has been to accompany the monarch's performances on the flute." Also includes editor's commentary on other "New (Competing) SD Magazines." Stapled sheets. Fine.
50. (DAVIS, Lydia). Crawl Out Your Window, #11. La Jolla: Melvyn Freilicher, 1983. Another San Diego-area experimental prose zine, which includes Davis' two-part "The Cottages" (part 1 of which first appeared in John Cheney's Literary Magazine) and the nine-part "Extracts from a Life." Also includes Kathy Acker's "My Death by Pier Paolo Pasolini." A fairly early appearance by the recent winner of the Man Booker International Prize and also a winner of a MacArthur Foundation "genius grant," among many other awards and prizes. Near fine in wrappers.
51. (DAVIS, Lydia). "The Sock" in John Cheney's Literary Magazine, No. 3/4. [San Diego]: John Cheney, 1983. A double issue, bound back to back. Includes (in issue No. 3) a two-page story by Davis that was collected, much revised, in Break It Down in 1986. In the story the narrator has dinner with her ex-husband and his new wife. (Davis and Paul Auster divorced in 1977; in 1981 Auster married Siri Hustvedt.) Also includes Kathy Acker's "Narrative Breakdown for Carla Harryman." Fine in stapled wrappers.
52. -. Another copy. Laid in is a typed letter signed by the editor, Don Cheney, from August, 1983, in which he submits three works (not included) for consideration in Magazine. Several small spine tears; near fine in stapled wrappers.
53. DIDION, Joan. Run River. NY: Obolensky (1963). The first book, a novel, by this writer whose astringent fiction and essays comprise one of the defining voices of our time. Didion won the National Book Award for The Year of Magical Thinking in 2005, and she was presented with a National Medal of Arts and Humanities in 2013. Her essay collections, Slouching Toward Bethlehem and The White Album, are classics of the genre. Spine lean; near fine in a near fine dust jacket with light edge wear.
54. DOIG, Ivan. This House of Sky. [NY: HBJ (1978).] The author's own set of page proofs of his first publication for the general book trade. Signed and titled by Doig on the dedication page (the first sheet present) and with several corrections in his hand. Numbered to 314 pages, printed on rectos only; roughly 7" x 9" sheets, in a 3-ring binder. With a signed letter of provenance from Doig, on his stationery, attesting to the set as being from his archives and with his corrections. A memoir of growing up in Montana with his father and grandmother, This House of Sky: Landscapes of a Western Mind was voted one of the five best books ever written on Montana; winner of the Christopher Award and a finalist for the National Book Award. Doig received a Distinguished Achievement Award from the Western Literature Association. Tape to copyright page and a few paper clips scattered throughout; else a fine set. A unique copy of a modern classic, with impeccable provenance.
55. (Doors). SUGERMAN, Danny. The Doors. The Illustrated History. (NY): Morrow (1983). A history of the legendary rock music band. Assembled by Sugerman, the band's second manager, who started working for them when he was 12 years old, the book comprises hundreds of photographs of the band, and dozens of articles and essays about them from a wide variety of sources and by a large number of different writers. Contributors include Paul Williams, Lester Bangs, R. Meltzer, Digby Diehl, Sugerman himself, Jerry Hopkins, and many others. This is the very uncommon hardcover issue of the book; most of the print run was issued in softcover. This copy is signed by three of The Doors: Ray Manzarek, John Densmore, and Robbie Krieger. Near fine in a fine dust jacket with a 17" x 22" poster (folded in fourths) of Jim Morrison laid in. A scarce issue of the book, and exceedingly uncommon signed by all three then-surviving Doors.
56. DOYLE, Roddy. The Commitments. London: Heinemann (1988). The uncorrected proof copy of the first British edition of Doyle's first book, which was initially self-published in Ireland the previous year under the "King Farouk" imprint. Signed by the author. With a mock up of the British dust jacket. The rear blank and the front cover have several names, notes, and phone numbers, apparently written at various times, and all appear to be contact or attempted contact information for film companies (MCA and 20th Century Fox); musicians (the Irish band Prayer Boat and the British singer Beverly Craven); Doyle's agent (John Sutton); and two unknown names. There is also a reference to the screenplay for Doyle's The Snapper, which was filmed for the BBC in 1993. The Commitments was filmed in 1991, in a co-production between companies in Ireland, the U.K. and the U.S., and won four BAFTA awards the U.K. equivalent of the Oscars bringing Doyle and the book an unprecedented degree of attention and acclaim; he later won the Booker Prize for Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha. The proof reproduces multiple copyeditor's corrections, which is unusual for a book that has been previously published. Both the proof and the jacket are near fine. A unique copy of a landmark publication in contemporary Irish literature.
57. DUBUS, Andre. Separate Flights. Boston: Godine (1975). His second book, and the first collection of the short fiction for which he won a considerable reputation. Inscribed by Dubus: "For Jim/ with my thanks/ Andre/ 3 Oct 1990." Additionally signed in full on the title page. Owner name (not Jim) on the front flyleaf; else fine in a fine dust jacket. It is not an overstatement to say that the two books primarily responsible for the resurgence of the short story in American literature in the 1970s were Raymond Carver's Will You Please Be Quiet, Please? and Dubus's Separate Flights.
58. DUBUS, Andre. Broken Vessels. Boston: Godine (1991). His first book of nonfiction, a collection of essays, which was a finalist for the 19992 Pulitzer Prize in the category of General Nonfiction. Inscribed by Dubus to another author (of children's books) who at the time lived in a neighboring town. Also signed in full by Dubus on the title page. Fine in a fine dust jacket. A nice literary association, and a reminder that Dubus was famous for being supportive of, and a mentor to, younger writers: for many years he held a weekly writers' workshop in his home, free of charge, as a way (he said) of giving back for all the help he received from his literary friends and colleagues after his traumatic accident.
59. DURRELL, Lawrence. The Alexandria Quartet. London: Faber and Faber (1962). The first one-volume edition of Durrell's Alexandria Quartet: Justine, Balthazar, Mount Olive and Clea, published here with some small revisions to the text and a preface by Durrell. Copy 220 of 500 numbered copies signed by the author. A fine copy in original acetate, in an edge-rubbed, very good slipcase that has a 2" crack along one edge. A very nice copy of Durrell's masterwork, one of the high spots of 20th century English literature.
60. EGGERS, Dave. The Circle. (NY/San Francisco): Knopf/McSweeney's, 2013. The uncorrected proof copy of Eggers' most recent novel, a foray to the dark side of the internet and a 21st century company modeled on several of the current internet giants. Eggers, a hero of the contemporary, here looks askance at the price we have paid for allowing ourselves to be redefined by the technologies we use. Uncommon: while the first trade printing is announced on the cover of this proof as being 200,000 copies, this is the only proof we have seen of it: publishers in recent years have cut back on the number of advance copies they print, preferring to fill some of the functions of advance issues with digital editions. Printed advance copies, which were always scarce in relation to the published trade edition, are even more so today. Fine in printed white wrappers, with the cover art bound in.
61. ELLIN, Stanley. The Specialty of the House and Other Stories. NY: Mysterious Press (1979). The collected mystery stories of this three-time Edgar Award winner and recipient of a Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America. The title story of the collection was Ellin's first published story, in 1948. One of 26 lettered copies of the limited edition of this title Although the colophon only states there were to be 250 numbered copies, there were actually 276 and this is letter "P." Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket, in fine slipcase.
62. ELLROY, James. The Black Dahlia. NY: Mysterious Press (1987). The uncorrected proof copy of the first book in Ellroy's L.A. Quartet, a Hollywood noir novel that focuses on the most notorious murder in Hollywood history. This was Ellroy's breakthrough book, which established his reputation as a powerful writer whose work transcends the crime genre. Basis for the 2006 Brian De Palma film. Two small, shallow creases to the wrappers, else fine in a fine proof dust jacket and custom clamshell case. The proof is difficult to locate, and especially so with the proof jacket.
63. FIGES, Eva. Five Typescripts, with Typed Letters Signed. 1984-1986. Figes' publisher's file from Art & Antiques magazine, which includes the original typescripts of articles Figes contributed over a three year period, as follows: "Family Altar," 5 pages, July 1984, with typed letter signed; "Stitching Samplers," 5 pages, January 1985, with typed letter signed, plus Figes' hand-corrected photocopied galleys from later in the month with an additional typed letter signed registering disapproval with the editing; "Inkstands," 5 pages, May 1985, with typed letter signed; "American Connection: Theodore Earl Butler," 5 pages, July 1985, with typed letter signed, and again, a 6-page second draft typescript from October 1985, with typed letter signed; an additional October typed letter signed referencing both the article on inkstands and the one on Butler; "Fond Faces: Portrait Miniatures," 6 pages, November 1986, with typed letter signed; and an additional typed note signed from September 1986 arranging a lunch meeting. All the letters and typescripts are on British issue A4 paper; mailing envelopes included; near fine or better. Figes wrote an influential feminist tract in 1970, after having won the Guardian Prize for fiction in 1967. Later she wrote novels, literary and art criticism, and memoirs that explored her upbringing as a child in Nazi Germany and as an exile in England. A highly respected writer and intellectual, original manuscript material by her is highly uncommon. In all, five separate original typescripts, one with a complete second draft, totaling over 30 pages of typescript; one set of hand-corrections; and nine pieces of correspondence.
64. FLYNN, Gillian. Gone Girl. NY: Crown (2012). The advance reading copy of her third book, a dark thriller. The hardcover spent 80 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list, until the paperback came out, which went immediately to number 1 and remains on the list still. Gone Girl was a publishing phenomenon a literary thriller that appealed to virtually every category of reader. A Salon.com reviewer lamented that it received no serious consideration for the National Book Award or the Pulitzer Prize, presumably because of its categorization as genre fiction. Janet Maslin of the New York Times selected it as one of her 10 best books of the year. A major Hollywood movie is in production. Trace corner wear; very near fine in wrappers. The first edition is somewhat uncommon; the prepublication advance reading copy is extremely scarce.
65. FRANZEN, Jonathan. The Corrections. NY: FSG (2001). The first issue (pages 430 and 431 transposed) of his National Book Award-winner, in the first issue dust jacket, without the Oprah seal. Franzen courted controversy with his lukewarm response to the book being selected by Oprah for her book club; after the fallout from it, which included his not appearing on her television show, Winfrey went back to her earlier practice of selecting classics, rather than new publications, for her book club. Signed three times by Franzen: once on the title page, once on page 431 (with a frowny face); once on the erratum slip laid in explaining the error (with a smiley face). Fine in a fine dust jacket with the slightest crimp to the crown.
66. -. Same title. The advance reading copy. Signed by the author. Fine in wrappers.
67. FROST, Robert. Mountain Interval. NY: Henry Holt (1916). The first issue of the first edition of his third book, with the duplicate line on page 88 and "Come" for "Gone" on page 93. Includes several of Frost's most famous poems, including "The Road Not Taken." Minor foxing to the endpages; a very near fine copy in a near fine dust jacket with tiny corner chips and a few tiny, closed edge tears. A clean, attractive copy of this early collection, his first book to be published under an American copyright, after the author returned from living in England for several years. Frost went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for poetry four times, more than any other poet. (This book's publication preceded the establishment of the Pulitzer Prize.) A high spot of 20th century American poetry; In a custom clamshell case.
68. FULLER, Buckminster. No More Secondhand God and Other Writings. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press/(Arcturus)(1969). Third printing of this collection of short pieces by the futurist, inventor and thinker who coined the term "Spaceship Earth," among many other innovations. Inscribed by Fuller to Annie [Dillard], author of Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, among others: "To Annie, with love*/ Bucky Fuller/ *see Intuition." Fuller's reference is to his collection of essays and prose-poems titled "Intuition," which has a short concluding section entitled "Love," with his own definition of the word. A nice association copy between Fuller, the eminence grise of American letters for a generation, and Dillard, the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and essayist. Fine, in a plain brown (homemade?) dust jacket.