Catalog 170

Boston, Godine, (1988). An uncorrected proof copy of this collection of stories by the late master of the form. Featuring "ten tales for reviewers" out of the 23 stories that appeared in the published book. Signed by Dubus. Foxing to the front edges; near fine in cream wrappers, with blurbs by reviewers, including John Updike, on the rear cover. This is likely the second issue proof, as there was another issue that erroneously featured the 13 stories omitted from this version. [#033258] $125

London, Godine, (1990). The uncorrected proof copy of the first British edition, and the first proof to contain the full complement of all 23 stories: the U.S. proof was intended to be issued with only ten of the stories; was mistakenly issued with the "left out" 13; and then re-issued with the intended 10. Signed by Dubus. Foxing near the spine; near fine in wrappers. [#033260] $250

NY, Knopf, 1996. The advance reading copy of this collection of stories, which was his first book published by Alfred A. Knopf, the leading literary publisher in the U.S., after years of his being published by David R. Godine, a small Massachusetts publisher. This book, for the first time, brought the author widespread public recognition and commercial success commensurate with the level of critical acclaim his earlier books had achieved. Signed by the author. Fine in wrappers and near fine publisher's cardstock slipcase. This elaborate advance reading copy was one of the marketing efforts Knopf made to get Dubus' work more widely noted. [#033376] SOLD

NY, Atlantic Monthly, (1987). The first collection of stories by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Independence Day. Inscribed by Ford to Andre Dubus, himself a master of the short story form: "with long-overdue admission of my admiration for your wonderful work. I hope some day we meet. I hope your work flourishes, as it has." Trace foxing and bumping; near fine in a very near fine dust jacket with a bit of fading to the spine lettering. A nice association copy between two of the preeminent fiction writers of their era. [#033255] SOLD

Boston, Houghton Mifflin, 1990. A collection of related stories that share a number of characters as well as the narrator -- a "Tim O'Brien" whose experience bears certain similarities to the author's own. Inscribed by O'Brien to fellow writer Andre Dubus: "to Andre, Best, Tim. Call me!". The Things They Carried is a meditation on war and death, and on the place that storytelling has in bringing these ultimately unfathomable experiences within our grasp. Nearly three decades after its first publication, this is by consensus one of the best, if not the best, work of fiction to come out of the Vietnam war. Dubus has marked several passages in the text, mostly to do with bravery and regret, and he has written two names and some numbers on the rear flyleaf. An outstanding association copy, being inscribed to a writer whose time in the military, and the sense of honor and sacrifice that came with that, influenced his own writings throughout his life. Trace edge foxing, thus near fine in a fine dust jacket (second issue, with the spine lettering properly aligned). [#033257] SOLD

Redding, Addison-Wesley, (1997). A biography of Earhart, inscribed by the author to Bradford Washburn, and with Washburn's ownership signature. Bradford Washburn, explorer, mountaineer, photographer, cartographer, and longtime Director of the Boston Museum of Science, was also a pilot (of a Lockheed Electra, as was Earhart) and an author, whose first two books (Among the Alps with Bradford and Bradford on Mount Washington) were published when he was a teenager by George Putnam, who later married....Amelia Earhart. When Earhart was looking for a navigator for her 1937 flight around the world, Putnam suggested they talk to Washburn. The meeting took place (and is mentioned in this biography, with further details available from Washburn's autobiography): there Washburn reviewed Earhart's flight plans and suggested that she first have a radio placed on Howland Island, her intended speck of a refueling spot for the penultimate leg of her journey. Earhart thought it unnecessary; Putnam said the extra cautionary step would mean that the planned book about the flight "will not be out for Christmas sales." Earhart's plane was lost on July 2, 1937 after she, and navigator Fred Noonan, took off from New Guinea, attempting to find Howland Island. Spine push, with concomitant drop to text block; near fine in a fine dust jacket. A notable association copy. [#033377] SOLD

(n.p.), McSweeney's, (2000). A painting of a wolf by Eggers, executed on the previously blank dust jacket of Timothy McSweeney's Issue No. 5. Signed (initialed) by Eggers. With an additional drawing by Eggers on the front flyleaf, of a scarf, which is captioned "I hate this guy." Eggers, known for his memoir A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, his novels and nonfiction works with themes of social justice, his founding of the McSweeney's empire, and his nonprofit work with childhood education, has at various junctures also been a painter, a cartoonist, or an illustrator. He often pairs animals with simple, or Biblical, text: in 2010 he published a collection of these entitled It is Right to Draw Their Fur. Issue No. 5 was the first hardcover issue of Timothy McSweeney's Quarterly Concern, and it was issued in three variant bindings and four variant dust jackets. This is the Ted Koppel binding with the previously blank white front. In addition to Eggers' artistic contributions, it is signed by Susan Minot, Ben Marcus, Ben Greenman, Sarah Vowell, and Paul LaFarge. Tiny lower board nick, else fine in a very near fine dust jacket. [#032949] SOLD

(n.p.), McSweeney's, (2000). A drawing by Eggers of a broken bird-like creature, executed on the previously blank dust jacket of Timothy McSweeney's Issue No. 5. Signed (initialed) by Eggers. Additionally initialed by Eggers in 2001 and signed by Lydia Davis, Susan Minot, Ben Greenman, Lawrence Weschler, Paul LaFarge, Ann Cummins, and Sarah Vowell Issue No. 5 was the first hardcover issue of Timothy McSweeney's Quarterly Concern, and it was issued in three variant bindings and four variant dust jackets. This is the Ted Koppel binding with the previously blank white front. One tiny corner tap, else fine in a very near fine dust jacket. [#032950] $1,000

(n.p.), McSweeney's, (2000). An ink drawing by Eggers of a malformed human, captioned "Things have changed since then, executed on the previously blank dust jacket of Timothy McSweeney's Issue No. 5. Signed (initialed) by Eggers. With an additional ink drawing by Eggers on the flyleaf, of an amoeba shape, captioned, "At one time they were all like this." Eggers has been selling his captioned paintings and prints of captioned animals to benefit ScholarMatch (which he also founded), an organization that funds college educations. Additionally signed by Ben Greenman. Issue No. 5 was the first hardcover issue of Timothy McSweeney's Quarterly Concern, and it was issued in three variant bindings and four variant dust jackets. This is the Ted Koppel binding with the previously blank white front. Two tiny spots to foredge and small lower board nicks; near fine in a very good, mildly dusty jacket with a couple of closed tears. [#032951] $850
On Sale: $595

San Francisco, Chronicle Books, 2018. The advance reading copy of Eggers' inclusive and motivational book for children, with art by Shawn Harris. Signed by Eggers. Fine in stapled wrappers, with a "Citizen's To-Do List" folded and laid in. An uncommon advance copy by the McSweeney's founder and author of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius among many others, and especially scarce signed. [#033378] SOLD

NY, Pantheon, (2004). Subtitled "A Journey into Cold," this book collects Ehrlich's thoughts as she travels from Tierra del Fuego, to her cabin in Wyoming, to the Spitsbergen archipelago, all in search of winter and in search of answers to what will happen to us if we are "deseasoned" by climate change and winter ends. A powerful and poetic take on global warming, grounded in science but with an eye to the human, cultural and other costs that are easily overlooked in the scientific debate. Unmarked, but from the author's own library. Fine in a fine dust jacket. [#033380] SOLD

NY, Pantheon, 2013. The uncorrected proof copy of this book written in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated the coast of Japan and destroyed a nuclear reactor, causing untold damage to the neighboring land and sea. From the library of Peter Matthiessen: with a reverential letter to Matthiessen from the Editorial Director laid in, soliciting a comment for the book. Fine in wrappers. [#031383] SOLD

NY, Pyramid, (1967). An early story collection by Ellison, one of the most prolific and influential science fiction writers of his time, and winner of numerous awards for his writings, including a Hugo Award for best short story for the title story of this volume. A year earlier, Ellison had won both the Hugo and Nebula Awards for best short story of the year. Eventually he won the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Horror Writers Association, and was named a Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Introduction by Theodore Sturgeon, at that time an established science fiction author and later, among other things, the model for Kurt Vonnegut's character Kilgore Trout. Stamp of another author inside the front cover. Paperback original, near fine in wrappers. [#033447] SOLD

NY, Bantam/Mandala, (1977). Published as Star Trek Fotonovel #1, this is Ellison's graphic novelization (using still photos from the TV show) of his own script for the 1967 Star Trek episode, "the single most popular TV show ever aired by Star Trek" (according to the front cover), and winner of a Hugo Award. Ellison was reportedly unhappy with the way Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry edited his script, and many years later a new edition of this title with four variants of the script, was published. Stamp of another author inside the front cover. Near fine in wrappers. [#033448] SOLD

North Hollywood, Essex House, (1968). A paperback original, an "adult novel," i.e., science fiction erotica, published by a short-lived house dedicated to erotic literary fiction. Farmer won a Hugo Award in 1953 for his first published science fiction, a novella called "The Lovers," which broke the taboo on sex in science fiction, according to the Cambridge Companion to Science Fiction. Several years after this book Farmer wrote the novel Venus on the Half-Shell, which was published under the pseudonym Kilgore Trout, who was a fictional character created by Kurt Vonnegut. This volume has a postscript by Theodore Sturgeon, the science fiction writer who reportedly was the actual model for Trout. Owner stamp of another author inside the front cover. Mildly rubbed; near fine. [#033449] SOLD

Toronto, Quantum Theology, (2000). The first book by this Canadian horror fiction writer, a collection of four stories, signed by the author in 2001. One of the stories, "The Emperor's Old Bones," won the International Horror Guild Award for Best Short Story of 1999. Files was also a contributor to the Canadian television series The Hunger, an erotic horror anthology produced by Tony and Ridley Scott, and hosted in its two seasons by Terence Stamp and David Bowie. Files provided four of the stories for the 44-episode series, which was compared favorably to The Twilight Zone when it aired in 1997-2000. Fine in stapled wrappers. Includes a bibliography of her published short fiction up to that point. Uncommon; no copies listed in OCLC. [#033450] SOLD

Toronto, Quantum Theology, (2001). Her second book,signed by the author in the year of publication. Laid in are two autograph notes signed by Files. A collection of five short stories, including a reprint of her award-winning story, "The Emperor's Old Bones," which was included in her first collection, Soaked in Light. This volume has an introduction by Michael Rowe, the Canadian writer, and an updated bibliography of Files's short stories. Fine in wrappers. Only one copy listed in OCLC. [#033451] SOLD

Gorham/Portland, [University of Southern Maine], 1971. Poster advertising two dates for a showing of a film "featuring a history of experimental cartoon work and animation" by Charley Murphy and Stan Vanderbeek, and "a new film by Kenneth Anger," plus a "surprise film." 14-1/2" x 16". Black on gold; near fine. [#033333] $100

Gorham/Portland, [University of Southern Maine], 1971. Poster advertising two showings of films by Kenneth Anger, Harry Smith, Stan Brakhage, Ed Emshwiller, and "one unannounced film on an American Mythical Event," to be held on two campuses of the University of Southern Maine. Anger's films were his landmark Scorpio Rising and his 1969 Invocation of My Demon Brother, which had a soundtrack by Mick Jagger and won a Film Culture award in 1970 for best experimental film. Brakhage's films included the Dog Star Man sequence and two others from the early 1960s, one of which includes a typo in its title ("Theigh" instead of "Thigh"). 19" x 24". An attractive and compelling design, four color on green background; near fine. [#033334] $150

Gorham/Portland, [University of Southern Maine], 1971. Poster advertising two showings of films by Kenneth Anger, Harry Smith, Stan Brakhage, Ed Emshwiller, and "one unannounced film on an American Mythical Event," to be held on two campuses of the University of Southern Maine. Anger's films were his landmark Scorpio Rising and his 1969 Invocation of My Demon Brother, which had a soundtrack by Mick Jagger and won a Film Culture award in 1970 for best experimental film. Brakhage's films included the Dog Star Man sequence and two others from the early 1960s, one of which includes a typo in its title ("Theigh" instead of "Thigh"). 19" x 24". An attractive and compelling design, four color on blue background; near fine. [#033335] $150

Gorham/Portland, [University of Southern Maine], 1971. Poster advertising two showings of films by Kenneth Anger, Harry Smith, Stan Brakhage, Ed Emshwiller, and "one unannounced film on an American Mythical Event," to be held on two campuses of the University of Southern Maine. Anger's films were his landmark Scorpio Rising and his 1969 Invocation of My Demon Brother, which had a soundtrack by Mick Jagger and won a Film Culture award in 1970 for best experimental film. Brakhage's films included the Dog Star Man sequence and two others from the early 1960s, one of which includes a typo in its title ("Theigh" instead of "Thigh"). 19" x 24". An attractive and compelling design, four color on what we believe to be the more common white background; near fine. [#033336] $125

NY, Dell, (1955). A paperback original, and the basis for the classic 1958 science fiction movie, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, directed by Don Siegel, and re-made twice since then, in 1978 -- directed by Philip Kaufman and starring Donald Sutherland and Brooke Adams -- and in 2007, titled Invasion, and starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig. Stamp of another author inside the front cover; age toning to pages, slight waving to covers, presumably from glue shrinkage, and some rubbing to the joints; a very good copy. [#033452] SOLD

NY, Scribner, 1920. Fitzgerald's second book, and first collection of stories, published in an edition of 5000 copies. Fitzgerald's first book, This Side of Paradise, published earlier in the same year, had gone through eight printings by the time this was published, totaling over 38,000 copies in print. This title went through three more printings before the end of the year, bringing the total number of copies in print to over 13,000. Rear hinge starting, spotting to spine and loss of gilt there; a very good copy, lacking the dust jacket. [#033453] SOLD

NY, Scribner, 1923. A play by Fitzgerald, written at the height of his popularity and the last book he published before his masterwork, The Great Gatsby. As a play it was assumed to have a much smaller market than his novels and its first printing, 7650 copies, reflected that: by comparison, The Beautiful and Damned, published the year before this book, had a first printing of 20,600 copies. A good copy only, with some insect damage to the inner front hinge and a loss of spine gilt, a tear in the cloth at crown, and with the rear panel of the dust jacket attached to the front pastedown. [#033454] SOLD

NY, Scribner, 1925. Fitzgerald's third novel and, by consensus, his masterpiece -- one of the great American novels of the 20th century and the book that immortalized its author and placed him permanently in the American literary pantheon. This is the first issue, with "sick in tired" on page 205 and the various other textual variants that mark the first printing. Spotting to the endpages and covers, edge wear to the cloth; about a very good copy, lacking the rare dust jacket. [#033455] SOLD

NY, Henry Holt, (1949). Later printing. Inscribed by Frost to Margaret Anderson, daughter of George and Ethel Anderson, and dated at Bread Loaf, 1952. A bit of play in the binding and rubbing to the board edges; a very good copy, lacking the dust jacket. [#033384] SOLD

NY, Rinehart, (1958). Inscribed by Cook: "For Ethel and George Anderson/ Bread Loafers from away back/ and George the master Chaucerian/ scholar-teacher of our days. With appreciation -- Reginald L. Cook/ Bread Loaf 1958." Cook was an English professor at Middlebury College for many years, and involved with Bread Loaf almost from its inception, as Robert Frost was. Cook Commons, on the Middlebury campus, is named for him. A good three-way association, relating Cook, the Andersons and Frost, via the subject of the book and their longtime connections to Bread Loaf. Near fine in a good, foxed and spine-faded dust jacket that is fragile at the folds. [#033382] SOLD

Amherst, University of Massachusetts, 1974. Inscribed by Cook: "For George and Ethel Anderson/ with the affection of their Bread Loaf friend/ Doc Cook/ 25 July 1975/ Middlebury VT." Cook has also transcribed four lines of Frost's poem "Two Tramps in Mud Time." By 1975, Cook's association with Bread Loaf went back over 50 years, and the Andersons' nearly as much; a nice association copy. Boards splayed, foxing to top edge; a very good copy in a very good, foxed and rubbed dust jacket. [#033383] SOLD

NY, Dutton, 1967. The second novel by the author who is perhaps best-known for having written the screenplay for the film adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five, which won the first Hugo Award ever given to a film. Warmly inscribed by Geller to his in-laws in the year of publication. Stamp of another author on the front pastedown; spotting to edges; near fine in a rubbed, very good dust jacket. [#033456] SOLD

Boston, Little Brown, (1984). Her National Book Award-winning collection of stories. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket. [#033340] SOLD