Catalog 172

San Francisco, The City Lights Pocket Bookshop, (1955). Ferlinghetti's first book, and The Pocket Poets Series: Number One -- the first book in the long-lived and highly influential Pocket Poets series, published by Ferlinghetti out of his City Lights bookstore. One of 500 copies in wrappers. Bit of glue-darkening to the yellow wraparound cover label; near fine in wrappers. A nice copy of a landmark publication. [#034830] SOLD

London, Secker & Warburg/Faber and Faber, (1967, 1977). Two novels, each inscribed by Figes to her parents. Winter Journey, her second novel, is inscribed: "To my parents with love and gratitude/ Eva." Fine in a fine dust jacket. Nelly's Version is unsigned but is inscribed "To Mummy with love/ July 1977" (Figes's father having passed away in 1973). Oddly, the rear flyleaf has been excised; otherwise the book presents as near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Exceptional association copies by one of the key feminist writers of the 1960s and 70s. [#034872] SOLD

NY, Simon and Schuster, (1953). The uncorrected proof copy of the first American edition of her second book to be published outside of South Africa, and first novel. Published with the title The Lying Days, but here bearing the title Believe the Heart, which is crossed out on the cover, and replaced with only "A Novel." The cover also has "Gardimer" hand-corrected to "Gordimer." Gordimer had a short story with this title published in Mademoiselle magazine in October, 1953, two months after this novel was published, but we can find no other record of this book having this title: the Gordimer papers at the Lilly Library do not list it and there are no listings we could find in OCLC. Tall (7" x 12"), stringbound galleys, printed on rectos only, with a back cover of cardboard. Foxing to page edges; otherwise near fine. Gordimer received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1991. A rare issue of a first novel by a Nobel Prize winner. [#034618] SOLD

1936. A letter from Gus Bagnard to his brother Lyle and his wife, from Bermagui, Australia, written while traveling with Zane Grey. Brothers Gus and Lyle Bagnard were long-time friends of Grey, and they also worked as Grey's photographers and cameramen. This letter from Gus to his brother (after commenting on the physiques and personalities of various Australians and tourists) speaks of "Z.G.'s" fishing and work schedule, and describes how Grey's demeanor is more outgoing there than when he is in Oregon. Cameo appearances in the letter by Emil Morehardt and the actress Lillian Pertka. An interesting glimpse of Grey's fame and celebrity internationally, and a stark contrast to its expression at home in the U.S. A 6-page letter, written on two sides of two 6 1/2" x 10 1/4" pages. Folded for mailing; very good. Signed, "Lots of love, Gus." [#034873] SOLD

NY, Dodd, Mead, (1923). Poetry, on the theme of walking, by this Oregon poet who lost the ability to walk in childhood and who observed passersby on a Portland sidewalk from an upper floor of her family's home by use of a mirror on a windowsill. This copy is signed by the author. This is her second book, and the last of her books published in her lifetime: she died the following year, at age 38. The Oregon Book Award for Poetry carries her name (along with that of William Stafford). Loss to the spine label; a near fine copy in a very good, supplied dust jacket with a faint red X and a small chip at the mid spine. [#034874] SOLD

NY, Random House, (1969). The uncorrected proof copy of this unusual volume of nonfiction -- an extended essay on "An Approach to the Engineering of Man's Divinity," written by a novelist (The Revelations of Doctor Modesto, among others) who was a friend of Jack Kerouac and Neal Cassady, as well as of Edward Abbey and William Eastlake. He was the model for Hal Hingham, who was visited by Kerouac's and Cassady's alter-egos in On the Road. As both a writer and a firm believer in the power of mind over body (he was also a friend of Timothy Leary), Harrington provides an unusual link between the writers of the Beat Generation, with their explorations of alternate states of consciousness, and the nature writers of the American Southwest that emerged in the 1960s. Inscribed by the author: "____, I think this is my/ best,/ Alan Harrington/ Tucson, February '76." Harrington has also re-written the second sentence of the book by hand. Bound galleys printed on rectos only. 7 1/2" x 11 3/4". Comb-bound. Front cover separating at lower rings; near fine. [#017827] SOLD

Kingston, Kingston Publishers, (1992). The true first (Jamaican) edition of Campbell's autobiography which deals, to a great degree, with the obscenity case brought against him and the Two Live Crew for their lyrics on their album "As Nasty as They Wanna Be." The album was declared obscene and illegal to sell; Campbell and two others were arrested after performing songs from the album at a club in Florida. They were acquitted after Henry Louis Gates, Jr., among others, spoke on behalf of their lyrics. This book was published in Kingston, Jamaica, with a "Parental Advisory" notice on its cover, because it was thought that it might not be publishable by an American publisher. When it was finally published in America, after the trial and appeal had ended, it became a bestseller, but the Jamaican edition, which is the true first, is scarce. OCLC lists only 6 copies of the Kingston edition. Light wear to spine and corners; near fine in wrappers. [#034789] $1,500

Cherry Valley, Cherry Valley Editions, (1980). Inscribed by Huncke to his friends Arthur & Kit [Knight], publishers of a number of books by and about the Beat writers. A nice association. Heavy creasing to covers; very good in wrappers. [#034832] SOLD

NY, Harper & Row, (1969). A children's book about three friends, one of whom does not know how to swim. Unremarkable, but that one of the friends is Black, and it's 1969, which is the same year Mister Rogers felt he had to teach white America it was acceptable to share water with Black neighbors by placing his feet in a wading pool with Officer Clemmons. The fight for equal access to swimming pools and beaches had been won repeatedly by 1969, but as with voting, the theoretical right to pools, beaches and private clubs did not necessarily equate with actual access. Fingerprint on one inner page; else near fine in a very good, price-clipped dust jacket. [#034877] SOLD

NY, Akashic Books, (2005). The first book by the author of the Booker Prize-winning A Brief History of Seven Killings and the National Book Award finalist Black Leopard, Red Wolf. Signed by the author. One of the most elusive and highly praised first books by a 21st century author who has achieved wide acclaim and numerous awards with his later books. Kaylie Jones compares this title to early Toni Morrison, Jessica Hagedorn, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Akashic Books is a small, Brooklyn-based independent publisher and it's likely the first printing was quite small. Certainly, now, many years after publication, signed first printings are notably hard to find. Age-tanning to pages; crown gently tapped; still a very near fine copy in a fine dust jacket. [#034786] SOLD

(San Francisco), City Lights, (1967). Pocket Poets No. 21. Owner name, address and date inside the front cover; near fine in wrappers. A nice copy of this collection of poems by one of the few Black poets associated with the Beat movement. [#034833] SOLD

NY, Grove, (1958). The limited edition of Kerouac's first novel to be published after the success of On the Road. This is Copy No. 99 of 100 numbered copies, quarterbound in brown cloth over boards, without dust jacket, as issued. Cursive "L" written on the recto of the rear blank. Edge-darkening to boards; a very good copy. Scarce: this issue of The Subterraneans seldom shows up on the market. [#034835] SOLD

NY, Grove, (1958). The hardcover trade edition of Kerouac's first novel to be published after the success of On the Road. A bit of glue bleeding at the front hinge, and handling apparent to the cloth covers. Still about near fine, without dust jacket, probably as issued: the dust jacket for The Subterraneans reliably shows up on advance copies -- review copies and f&g's -- with unprinted flaps, without a price, or with a rubber-stamped price on the front flap. The second printing shows up in dust jacket much more often, and it's likely that there were no dust jackets when the first printing was issued, so the few advance jackets that existed were pressed into service, and later the jackets were ready in time for the second printing. The published bibliographies to date do not address this issue, but in our experience a first printing in dust jacket that was not married to a jacket from another edition is one of the true Kerouac rarities. [#034836] SOLD

NY, Grove, (1959). The signed limited edition of this novel that is part of Kerouac's Duluoz saga, a multi-volume, semi-autobiographical account of his life and times. This is Copy F of 26 lettered copies, signed by the author. Some faint spotting to the front cover and top edge; near fine without dust jacket, as issued. The smallest limitation of any signed Kerouac edition, and extremely scarce: this is the first copy we've handled in 40 years of dealing with Beat literature and modern first editions. A very nice copy of a Kerouac rarity. [#034837] SOLD

(NY), (New Directions), (1959). A signed limited edition of this book of excerpts from Kerouac's work-in-progress, which was only published in its entirety after he died. This is Copy No. 738 of 750 numbered copies signed by Kerouac. Faint spine and edge-sunning, else a fine copy, lacking the original acetate dust jacket, but including the publisher's promotional slip. A beautiful copy of this book, seldom found in this condition. [#034838] SOLD

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. Inscribed by Kesey: "For Jason: It's getting so I can't install a single frigging component. Ken Kesey/ '82/ By the way, this is an original print...I was sued by this woman who said she was the Red Cross Nurse so I had to change her to The Public Relations. I think there were less than 1000 of these sold before the recall. KK." Kesey was wrong about the "1000" copies: the character of the nurse was rewritten sometime after the third hardcover printing, and later editions, including the mass market paperback and the "definitive" text in the Viking Critical Library Series, have the alternate, male character in her place. Apparently the terms of the settlement of the lawsuit included not publicizing it, and this is the only place we are aware of where Kesey recounted it in writing. (An irony: the woman who sued Kesey and his publisher was herself the subject of a similar lawsuit a dozen years later, when she wrote a novel about a California nude therapist and was sued by the model for her book's protagonist, despite her having changed the gender of the therapist.) This is a very good copy with some spotting to the spine and some fading to the top stain, in a near fine dust jacket with some green cloth bleed on the verso, but outwardly a beautiful copy but for a touch of the endemic fading to the spine. Now housed in a custom leather clamshell case. A bibliographically noteworthy copy, recording the little known changes to this book's original text. [#034839] SOLD

(n.p.), Viking, (1992). The advance reading copy of Kesey's third novel, brightly inscribed by Kesey to Keith Abbott: "Write on!!!" Abbott was the faculty liaison for Kesey at Naropa in July 1994, when Kesey and his cast gave a performance of Kesey's play "Twister" at the Boulder Theater as part of a tribute to Allen Ginsberg that was organized by the university. Abbott's lecture “Twisting in the Wind: A Memoir of Ken Kesey at Naropa University 1994” was later presented at a Western Literature Association conference, in 2008. Abbott is also a poet, and he wrote a well-received memoir of Richard Brautigan. Fine in wrappers. [#034840] SOLD

Baltimore, Cemetery Dance Publications, 2001. The lettered limited edition of this "guide to the worlds of Stephen King," written by Stanley Wiater, Christopher Golden, and Hank Wagner. Of 52 copies, this is designated "PC" and as an "Author's Copy," and is from Wiater's library. Signed by Wiater, Golden and Wagner. White leather stamped in black, with silk ribbon marker; fine in a fine dust jacket and fine dark blue leather tray case. [#034608] $650

Port Townsend, Copper Canyon Press, 1984, 1996. Two poetry collections by Kizer, each inscribed by Kizer to fellow poet and friend Denise Levertov. The earlier inscription reads, under the subtitle "Poems for Women": "especially for Denise, with love from Carolyn/ Berkeley/ Nov. '84." The later inscription reads: "for beloved Denise, the best woman I know, Love, Carolyn/ Christmas 1996." Kizer has actually written "the best" twice, and crossed one out. Laid into this copy is a photocopied typescript draft of one of her included poems, "On a Line from Valery (The Gulf War)," which bears marked differences from the poem as published, including a change in title. Mermaids in the Basement is the simultaneous softcover issue; Harping On is also softcover, but preceded the hardcover by a few months. Each is fine in wrappers. A small glimpse of the long friendship between the two contemporaries and colleagues. [#034701] SOLD

NY, Ronald Press, (1957). A review copy of Leary's first regularly published book, written while he was Director of Psychology Research at the Kaiser Foundation Hospital in Oakland, California. The book was voted the best book on psychotherapy in 1957 by the American Psychological Association. Among other things, Leary's book argued that "individual character functions as an inextricable part of a larger social network," an insight that was later crucial in his experiments with the use of psychedelic drugs in psychological treatment, and also with his non-academic experiments with such drugs. The accolades Leary received after publication led directly to his being offered a teaching position at Harvard, where he taught from 1959-1963, before leaving to pursue an iconoclastic path as an avatar of the counterculture in the 1960s, and as a prominent advocate of the use of psychedelic drugs for insight. This copy belonged to psychologist Will Schutz and bears his owner name, as well as several dozen marginal comments in the text, presumably also by Schutz. Bears two stamps and the spine label of the Esalen Institute, where Schutz practiced from 1967-1973. Review slip and stamp front pastedown. Front hinge cracking; cloth, foredge, and top edge stained. A good copy only, but an excellent association and provenance. [#034640] $1,250

NY, Delacorte, (1976). The uncorrected proof copy of the second of Leonard's mysteries published by Delacorte in the mid-'70's, just before he gained wide recognition and popularity. Issued in tall padbound wrappers: the front wrapper has been removed, and a page of reviews taped to the first leaf serves as cover. Signed by Leonard on the title page. But for the absent cover (which may have been by design, to draw attention to the reviews), near fine in tall, pad-bound wrappers. An unusual and fragile format of one of the books that helped launch Leonard into the top tier of American crime fiction writers. [#034730] SOLD

NY, Henry Holt, 1919. "An Essay on the Victory of 1918" published a few months after the Armistice. Lippmann was one of the preeminent journalists in the U.S. in the early part of the 20th century, and in the 1920s and '30s he conducted an ongoing philosophical debate with educational philosopher and psychologist John Dewey about the role of journalism in a democracy, and the question of whether the citizens of a democracy needed to be guided by knowledgeable elites or were able to provide their own guidance by consensus. The debate helped shape the vocabulary used for such discussions for decades, and its resonances can readily be found in today's political and philosophical arguments. Owner name and 1968 date on front flyleaf. Near fine, without dust jacket. No other copies online. [#034878] SOLD

NY, Harcourt, Brace, (1925). A volume in his evolving argument about the need for experts and elites in a democracy, to guide the masses of people. In this book he mitigated his original argument by recognizing that experts and elites were typically outsiders to the fields and the problems they would comment on, so less useful as leaders than he originally argued. This brought him and John Dewey closer together. This copy is from the library of legendary Johns Hopkins professor Richard Macksey, the polymath who introduced Jacques Derrida and the Structuralists to America, and who was fluent in six languages and an expert in a variety of fields pertaining to the arts. Marginal foxing throughout, small abrasion to the front pastedown; about very good, lacking the dust jacket. [#034880] SOLD

NY, Macmillan, 1935. A commentary on the New Deal and the question of whether it fundamentally revised the place of government in the lives of the citizens of a democracy. He argues that it did, but that the change came not from Roosevelt but earlier, from Herbert Hoover's attempt to take on the fallout from the stock market crash of 1929. Offsetting to endpages; near fine in a very good, spine-tanned dust jacket. No copies online, and Lippmann's Wikipedia page mentions this title as a "pamphlet" with no mention of a hardcover edition. [#034881] SOLD

Boston, Little Brown, 1937. An overview, which he called "An Inquiry into the Principles of a Good Society," building on his work two decades earlier, and colored by the experience of the World War. A major social and philosophical work: this book redefined liberalism, and provided the outlines for what came to be called "neoliberalism." Owner name and date front pastedown, and scattered notes and underlinings in text; else a near fine copy, lacking the dust jacket. A very attractive copy. [#034882] SOLD

Eugene, Lone Goose, 1997. One of 16 participant's copies of this limited edition of an essay from Crossing Open Ground, which was later issued in a trade edition by the University of Georgia Press. Here issued with twenty-three 11-3/4" x 11" woodblock images by Robin Eschner, hinged in a continuous presentation almost 22 feet long, encompassing the text. An elaborate production, involving a number of individuals prominent in the book arts, in addition to Lopez and Eschner: Charles Hobson, the designer, whose work is included in the collections of the Whitney Museum and the National Gallery of Art, among others; Sandy Tilcock, the publisher and boxmaker; Susan Acker, the letterpress printer; Nora Pauwells, the relief edition printer; and John DeMerritt, the binder, who is President of the Hand Bookbinders of California. Of a total edition of 66 copies, this is Copy L of 16 lettered copies signed by Lopez and Eschner and including a unique tire-tread print from Lopez's Toyota 4-Runner, the vehicle used in the journey from Oregon to Indiana that is described in the story. Fine, in a clamshell box. [#034702] $3,500

Everett, Visionary Publishing Co., 1936. The only book of Lovecraft's published in his lifetime, one of 200 bound copies, of 400 printed. Rubbing to boards and buckling to spine, typical of this poorly manufactured book. Still at least a very good copy in a fine dust jacket, without the illustration. Reportedly the book was first issued without a jacket, and jackets were provided at a later date, including in some cases to the people who had bought unjacketed copies. Lovecraft was reportedly dismayed by the shoddy production of this edition, but as the only book of his writings issued in his lifetime, it has a certain pride of place: at least he got to see it. Laid in is the errata slip, with more than 30 corrections. [#034885] SOLD

NY, Knopf, 1947. Millar's third novel. Written under his own name, before he established the "Macdonald" pseudonym under which his later books were published. Small spot to rear flyleaf, else a fine copy in a very good, modestly edge-worn dust jacket with light staining visible on the verso. [#034890] SOLD

1923-1924. Three autograph letters signed by Machen, and one handwritten itinerary of suggested sights to be seen in the Welsh countryside, the setting for his novel The Hill of Dreams. Two of the letters are written to David Moss, of the Gotham Book Mart. The first, dated July 2, 1923, informs Moss that he, Machen, will call on Moss at the Regent Palace Hotel the following day. There then follow four sheets of the hotel's stationery on which Machen has written directions to various sites in London as well as to Twmbarlwm, Mynyddislwyn, and the Llanthewy Rectory. The second letter to Moss is dated January 15, 1924, and in it Machen thanks Moss and his wife for the gift of an H.L. Mencken volume, in part: "I have always taken a great interest in the American idiom, and Mencken has solved most of my riddles for me..." He then speaks of the re-publication of two of his volumes, including Fantastic Tales, and the appearance of some of his manuscript material at auction. Both of the Moss letters have their mailing envelopes included. The third letter, written on February 27, 1924 and addressed "Dear Sir," informs the recipient that "Ornaments of Jade" will be published by Knopf the next March, with a price of $4.50. Three Machen letters, each signed in full, and approximately 10 pages of autograph material on the 7 sheets. All pages folded but otherwise near fine. [#034891] SOLD

Carbonnek, Privately Printed, 1923. Machen's translation of the 17th century French text Moyen de Parvenir by the poet and polymath Beroalde de Verville. Reprints his 1890 translation, with a new 8-page introduction, this being a limited edition: Copy No. 994 of 1050 numbered copies signed by the author. Machen was a writer of fantastic literature in the late 19th and early 20th century; had a great influence on the dark fantasy and horror published in the pulp magazines of the 1920s such as Weird Tales; and he was admired by such fantasy writers as Clark Ashton Smith, Robert E. Howard, and Frank Belknap Long (as well as by Jorge Luis Borges, who called him a great writer). H. P. Lovecraft, in his essay "Supernatural Horror in Literature," called Machen one of the four "modern masters" of supernatural horror. Machen was also an occultist, and Aleister Crowley admired his writings. A fine copy, quarterbound in vellum, in a very good dustwrapper. A nice copy of this bulky book, usually found quite worn. [#034892] SOLD