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Catalog 96, C-G

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96. CAEN, Herb. Correspondence. April 1991 - January 1994. One autograph note signed and four typed notes signed, all on San Francisco Chronicle stationery, 5 1/2" x 7" (the ALS is 4" x 6"). Caen was the longtime columnist for the Chronicle, whose columns both reflected and helped define the city's ambience and culture. The TLS's are folded for mailing; two are a bit wrinkled and near fine; the other three are fine. For all:

97. CAPOTE, Truman. In Cold Blood. NY: Random House (1965). The advance reading copy of his most famous book, a bestseller that redefined the boundaries between fiction and nonfiction and helped define the New Journalism of the 1960s. Increasingly uncommon in the advance issue. Spine leaning slightly; else a fine copy in self-wrappers -- considerably crisper and fresher than this book usually appears.

98. (CAPOTE, Truman). DAVIS, Myrna. The Potato Book. NY: Morrow (1973). An unusual Capote appearance: recipes, games, drawings, history and beauty hints; with a foreword by Truman Capote. Small oblong quarto. Light bump at the spine base; else fine in like dust jacket.

99. CAREY, Peter. Oscar and Lucinda. NY: Harper & Row (1988). The first American edition of his Booker Prize-winning novel, basis for the recent, well-received film. Signed by the author. Very near fine in dust jacket.

100. CAREY, Peter. The Tax Inspector. Franklin Center: Franklin Library (1991). The limited first American edition of this novel, first published in Australia. Leatherbound, all edges gilt, with a silk ribbon marker bound in. Signed by Carey, and with an special introduction by him in which he attempts to draw a clear delineation between author and character. Fine.

101. CAREY, Peter. Jack Maggs. NY: Knopf, 1998. The first American edition of his well-received latest novel. Fine in a fine dust jacket and signed by the author.

102. -. Same title, the uncorrected proof copy. Fine in wrappers with promotional material and dust jacket art stapled to the inside front cover.

103. CARR, Caleb. The Alienist. Franklin Center: Franklin Library, 1994. The signed limited edition of this murder thriller set in turn-of-the-century New York, which became a surprise bestseller. Leatherbound, with a gilt stamped image of New York on the cover, all edges gilt, and with a silk ribbon marker. With a special introduction by Carr for this edition on the genesis of the work. A fine copy, and signed by the author.

104. CARR, Caleb. The Angel of Darkness. NY: Random House (1997). A sequel to the highly praised and bestselling The Alienist, involving a number of the same characters and the same setting, a year later. The uncorrected proof copy. Fine in wrappers.

105. CARVER, Raymond. Carnations. A Play in One Act. (Vineburg, CA): Engdahl Typography (1993). A posthumously published volume, edited and with an Afterword by Carver's bibliographer, William Stull, and with an Introduction by Richard Cortez Day. Of a total edition of 200 copies, this is one of 124 numbered copies bound in full cloth. One of the most attractively designed and printed of the many Carver limited editions. Fine.

106. (CARVER, Raymond). Snapshots. Undated, c. mid 1940's to mid 1980's. Fifteen "family" photos, all snapshot size (3 1/2" x 5") or smaller, both black and white and color. Half are boyhood photos of Carver with his brother James (and dog, and deer, and fishing hole, and childhood home, and parents). A half dozen shots document phases of Carver's first marriage (the wife, the wedding, the two children). The final two photos are from the 1980s and one pictures Carver with Tess Gallagher. The photos reflect the technology and style of their respective eras (yellow tone; matte finish; fluted edges, etc.), but all are near fine or better. For the set:

107. (CARVER, Raymond). ...When We Talk About Raymond Carver. (Layton): (Peregrine Smith) (1991). A collection of conversations about Carver. This copy has been signed by the writers Richard Ford, William Kittredge, Tobias Wolff, Geoffrey Wolff and Jay McInerney, and by the editor, Sam Halpert. Other contributors include Robert Stone, Chuck Kinder, Leonard Michaels, Douglas Unger, and Carver's first wife, Maryann Carver. Fine in a fine dust jacket.

108. (CARVER, Raymond). GALLAGHER, Tess. Correspondence. November, 1988 - August, 1992. Two autograph letters signed and seven typed letters signed; fourteen pages total, with one of the original mailing envelopes. All addressed to her mother-in-law and all written following Carver's death. The first letter dates from the time Gallagher has just completed writing the introduction to Carver's posthumous poetry collection, A New Path to the Waterfall and she later reports on the success of that title when published. Other topics covered include the lawsuit brought against Carver's estate by his first wife and his daughter; news of Carver's son; readings of Carver's poems; memorial services for him and documentary films about him; and repeated trips to Carver's grave. All the letters have been folded for mailing; a couple have small water spots; and a few have incidental wrinkles. Overall the lot is near fine or better. For all:

109. CASEY, John. The Half-Life of Happiness. NY: Knopf, 1998. The uncorrected proof copy of the new novel by the author of the National Book Award-winning Spartina. Fine in wrappers.

110. CHILDRESS, Mark. Gone for Good. NY: Knopf, 1998. The uncorrected proof copy of this new novel that appears to be based on the life of folk rock singer John Denver, by a novelist who earlier wrote a book based on an Elvis-like character. Fine in wrappers.

111. -. Another copy. Very slight ripple to the front cover; else fine in wrappers.

112. CHRISTOPHER, John. The Tripod Trilogy. NY: Macmillan (1967-1968). The first American editions of the three volumes: The White Mountains, The City of Gold and Lead and The Pool of Fire, a trilogy in which several boys set out to free first themselves and then the world from the mind-controlling effects of the Tripods' "capping" ceremonies. Faithfully adapted by the BBC. Like Ursula LeGuin's Earthsea Trilogy, this series is ostensibly aimed at young adults but has captured a wider market over the years, especially in the wake of the TV adaptation. This is a very near fine set in near fine, mildly rubbed dust jackets with several short edge tears. The first volume is price-clipped.

113. COLE, Jameson. A Killing in Quail Country. NY: St. Martin's (1996). The author's first book, a mystery that has been highly touted by collectors of hypermodern first editions. Fine in a fine dust jacket.

114. CRACE, Jim. Quarantine. NY:FSG (1998). The uncorrected proof copy of the first American edition of the latest novel by the author of Continent and The Gift of Stones, among others. Fine in wrappers.

115. CREWS, Harry. The Gospel Singer. NY: Morrow, 1968. His uncommon first novel. Signed by the author. The usual discoloration to the endpages and trace wear to the cloth edges; near fine in a fine dust jacket. An attractive copy of an uncommon first book, which had a first printing of only 4000 copies, the smallest printing of any of his trade editions.

116. CRUMLEY, James. The Last Good Kiss. NY: Random House (1978). His third book, second mystery, written in hardboiled style but with a comic edge that predates such popular contemporary novelists as Carl Hiaasen, and which has an opening line to rival Melville: "When I finally caught up with Abraham Trahearne, he was drinking beer with an alcoholic bulldog named Fireball Roberts in a ramshackle joint just outside of Sonoma, California, drinking the heart right out of a fine spring afternoon." Remainder mark; slight foxing; else fine in a fine dust jacket and signed by the author.

117. CRUMLEY, James. The Pigeon Shoot. Santa Barbara: Neville, 1987. A mystery screenplay by Crumley, issued as a limited edition. Of a total edition of 376 copies, this is one of 26 lettered copies, bound in full leather and signed by the author. An attractive edition, and the scarcest of Crumley's limited editions. We haven't seen the lettered issue of this title on the market in several years. Fine without dust jacket, as issued.

118. CRUMLEY, James. The James Crumley Trilogy. (London): Pan Books (1991). The uncorrected proof copy of the first combined edition of his three mysteries, The Wrong Case, The Last Good Kiss and Dancing Bear. With an introduction by Crumley for this edition which does not, to the best of our knowledge, appear elsewhere. Near fine in wrappers. Laid in is a (folded) proof dust jacket that bears the title The Collection.

119. CURRIE, Ellen. Moses Supposes. NY: Simon & Schuster (1994). Her second book, first collection of stories, which were written and published over a span of more than 35 years. Very near fine in dust jacket and signed by the author.

120. DAVIES, Robertson. Happy Alchemy. (n.p.): Viking (1998). The advance reading copy of this posthumously published collection of essays about music and the theater, edited by Davies' daughter and wife. Fine in wrappers.

121. DAVIS, Kathryn. Hell. (Hopewell): Ecco Press (1998). The advance reading copy of the well-received new novel by the author of Labrador and The Girl Who Trod on a Loaf. Fine in wrappers.

122. DELILLO, Don. Great Jones Street. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1973. His third novel. Trace foxing to the foredge; else fine in a fine dust jacket with slight edge-foxing to the flaps. No fading, no tears, no rubbing. A much nicer than usual copy of this book, and signed by the author.

123. DELILLO, Don. "BIRDWELL, Cleo." Amazons. London: Granada (1980). The first British edition of this pseudonymous fictional memoir of the first woman to play in the National Hockey League. DeLillo's name appears nowhere on the book, but the text does feature Murray Jay Siskind, sidekick to the protagonist in White Noise. Slight crown bump; else fine in a fine dust jacket.

124. (DELILLO, Don). "Take the 'A' Train" in Stories from Epoch (1947-1964). Ithaca: Cornell U. Press (1966). An anthology that includes stories by DeLillo, Pynchon, Roth, Oates, Harvey Swados, and others. An uncommon book appearance by Pynchon ("Mortality and Mercy in Vienna") as well as by "Donald DeLillo," preceding his first book by some five years. Near fine in a very good, rubbed dust jacket with one triangular chip at the upper edge of the front panel, covered with a clear piece of tape. An important collection.

125. DOBYNS, Stephen. Saratoga Strongbox. (n.p.): Viking (1998). The advance reading copy of the latest in his highly praised Charlie Bradshaw mystery series. Fine in wrappers.

126. DOIG, Ivan. Ride with Me, Mariah Montana. NY: Atheneum, 1990. The uncorrected proof copy of the third volume in his McCaskill trilogy, which ends in 1989, the year of Montana's centennial celebration. Fine in wrappers and signed by the author.

127. DOWELL, Coleman. One of the Children is Crying. NY: Random House (1968). First novel by this Kentucky author whose fiction earned high praise from such writers as Tennessee Williams, Walter Abish and Gilbert Sorrentino. Signed by the author and additionally inscribed in 1976. Date stamp (1968) on front flyleaf, else fine in a very good dust jacket with moderate edgewear and a small but open tear at mid-spine.

128. -. Same title, the first British edition, retitled The Grass Dies (London: Cassell, 1968). Inscribed by the author in 1975. Fine in a very good dust jacket. A scarce edition, and books signed by this writer who committed suicide at a relatively young age are uncommon.

129. DOWELL, Coleman. Mrs. October Was Here. (NY): New Directions (1974). His second novel, and his first to be published by New Directions. Signed by the author and additionally inscribed in 1976. Fine in a fine dust jacket.

130. DOWELL, Coleman. Island People. (NY): New Directions (1976). A review copy. Inscribed by the author in the year of publication. Fine in a very near fine dust jacket with a corner crease on the front flap. With review slip and two pages of promotional material laid in.

131. -. Same title. Folded and gathered sheets. The stringbound signatures of the book, issued as an advance review copy. Inscribed by the author on the (blank) front cover more than three months prior to the date of publication. Near fine.

132. DOWELL, Coleman. Too Much Flesh and Jabez. (NY): New Directions (1977). Inscribed by the author in the year of publication and signed by the book's designer, Gertrude Huston. Only issued in wrappers. Fine, with a "Compliments of the Author" card laid in.

133. (DOWELL, Coleman). "The Drought Ends" in Ambit 65. London: Ambit, 1976. An excerpt from Too Much Flesh and Jabez. Inscribed by Dowell: "For ____ & ____/ my first porno/ Coleman." Illustrated by Ralph Steadman. Very near fine in wrappers, in a mildly sunned dustwrapper.

134. DRURY, Tom. The End of Vandalism. Boston/NY: Houghton Mifflin, 1994. His first book, which won him recognition as one of Granta's top 20 young American novelists. Fine in a fine dust jacket and signed by the author.

135. DUBUS, Andre. The Lieutenant. NY: Dial, 1967. The author's uncommon first book, and his only novel -- a military tale not unlike William Styron's book The Long March -- a story of the peacetime military and the challenges to manhood and honor that its rigid code of morals creates. Dubus has been quoted as saying that after he wrote this novel someone introduced him to Chekhov's short stories, and he threw away the manuscript of what was to be his next novel and began writing short fiction -- of which he is now one of our most acclaimed and accomplished practitioners. This is a fine copy in a jacket that is nice in appearances only, having several internally tape-repaired edge tears and glue-repaired flap folds, as well as an abrasion to the front panel; good only.

136. DUBUS, Andre. Selected Stories. (London): Picador/Pan (1990). The first British edition of this collection reprinting a number of stories from earlier books as well as two that had not yet appeared in book form. In our experience, an uncommon edition. Fine in a very near fine dust jacket.

137. DUBUS, Andre. Broken Vessels. (London): Picador (1993). The first British edition of this well-received collection of essays, Dubus' first book of nonfiction. With an introduction by Tobias Wolff. Erasure front flyleaf; else fine in a fine dust jacket.

138. DUBUS, Andre. Dancing After Hours. NY: Knopf, 1996. The uncorrected proof copy of his most recent collection of stories -- his first in over a decade -- published to enormous critical acclaim, and nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award. Fine in wrappers and signed by the author.

139. DUBUS, Andre. Meditations from a Movable Chair. NY: Knopf, 1998. The uncorrected proof copy of his new collection of essays, to be published in June. Fine in wrappers.

140. DUFRESNE, John. Louisiana Power and Light. NY: Norton (1994). His highly praised second book, first novel. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket.

141. DUFRESNE, John. Well Enough Alone. Candia: John LeBow, 1996. Limited edition consisting of two stories and thirteen poems, by the author of The Way That Water Enters Stone and Louisiana Power and Light. Of a total edition of 476 copies, this is one of 150 numbered copies in wrappers, signed by the author. Fine.

142. DUNNE, John Gregory. True Confessions. NY: Dutton (1977). The uncorrected proof copy of his fourth book, first novel, basis for a movie with Robert Duvall. Near fine in tall wrappers with erratum sheet laid in. Uncommon.

143. ECO, Umberto. The Name of the Rose. NY: HBJ (1983). The first American edition of this medieval mystery -- an unlikely bestseller by a postmodern scholar and semiotician that was made into a successful Hollywood film. Light foxing to top page edges and slight splaying to boards; near fine in a near fine dust jacket. A nicer-than-usual copy of this bulky book.

144. ELKIN, Stanley. Early Elkin. Flint: Bamberger, 1985. Four early stories and a "reading memoir" from the Fifties, here published in book form for the first time. Of a total edition of 500, of which 200 were hardcover, this is one of 50 hardcover copies numbered and signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket. Elkin provides an introduction for the edition commenting on his early writing.

145. ERDRICH, Louise. The Antelope Wife. (NY): HarperFlamingo (1998). The uncorrected proof copy of her new novel, just published, which expands the cast of characters from her earlier Native American sequence, beginning with Love Medicine. Fine in wrappers.

146. FAULKNER, William. The Hamlet. NY: Random House, 1940. The first book in the Snopes trilogy, a Yoknapatawpha County sequence which is considered one of Faulkner's great accomplishments. Modest foxing to endpages; a near fine copy in a very good, bright pictorial dust jacket with minor edgewear. By far the scarcest of the Snopes novels, the other two of which were written in the 1950s, after he had won the Nobel Prize, and had first printings much larger than this title did.

147. FISHER, M.F.K. A Life in Letters. Washington, D.C.: Counterpoint (1997). The uncorrected proof copy of this collection of correspondence from 1929 to 1991. With an introduction by novelist Anne Lamott and a reminiscence by Lawrence Clark Powell, a longtime friend and fellow writer. Fine in wrappers.

148. FLAGG, Fannie. Autograph Notes Signed. Undated. Two autograph notes on her personal stationery, 7 1/4" x 10 1/2". One conveys a third party's address to the recipient and extends thanks for "the much neede [sic] encouragement." The other is a thank you note for having attended a dinner party, in part: "You are always the hit of any gathering." Each is folded in fourths for mailing; else fine. For both:

149. FORD, Richard. Women with Men. NY: Knopf, 1997. The uncorrected proof copy of his latest book and first collection of stories. A surprisingly small number of proofs seem to have been done, at least for a writer of Ford's stature, and few have shown up on the market. This is the first issue, with text on the last two pages that differs from that of the published book. One page corner creased in production; else fine in wrappers.

150. -. Same title, the limited edition (New Orleans: B.E. Trice, 1997). Of a total edition of 176 copies, this is one of 26 leatherbound lettered copies signed by the author. Fine in a fine slipcase.

151. FRANCIS, Dick. 10 Lb. Penalty. (NY): Putnam (1997). The uncorrected proof copy of his latest mystery, shot from typescript and reproducing holograph corrections. Fine in wrappers.

152. FRAZIER, Charles. Cold Mountain. NY: Atlantic Monthly Press (1997). Well-received Civil War novel that became a word-of-mouth bestseller and a publishing phenomenon, and then the winner of the National Book Award. It reached #1 on the bestseller lists of The New York Times Book Review, The Los Angeles Times and Publishers Weekly -- a rare occurrence for a literary novel, let alone a first novel, in these days of mega-blockbusters with first printings numbering sometimes in seven figures. This title had a modest first printing of 25,000 copies. Fine in a fine dust jacket and signed by the author.

153. GADDIS, William. The Recognitions. NY: Harcourt Brace (1955). His first novel, which received wildly mixed reviews upon publication and proceeded to sink into obscurity until the early Sixties, when a small literary journal in Greenwich Village single-handedly resurrected the novel, declaring it an under-appreciated masterpiece. The book was reissued at that time, with a number of revisions by the author, and the critical consensus is now that the book is indeed one of the great American novels of the postwar era. Two of Gaddis' other three books have won the National Book Award. This copy has a few penciled numerical notations on the rear free endpaper and is otherwise very near fine in a near fine dust jacket whose greatest flaw is that the verso of the flaps are abraded from having once borne vertical strips of tape. Inscribed by the author "with kind regards" in 1975.

154. GALLANT, Mavis. Home Truths. Toronto: Macmillan (1981). A review copy of the true first, i.e., Canadian, edition. Top corners mildly bumped; else fine in a near fine, internally tape-strengthened dust jacket.

155. GANESAN, Indira. Inheritance. NY: Knopf, 1998. The uncorrected proof copy of her well-received second novel. Fine in wrappers.

156. GARDNER, John. The Resurrection. NY: New American Library (1966). Gardner's first work of fiction, one of the handful of significant literary first novels that were published by NAL under the editorship of David Segal. NAL was primarily a paperback publisher, with an emphasis on mass market paperbacks and a strong commercial focus. Publishing such writers as Gardner, William Gass, Cynthia Ozick and Michael Shaara was a fairly daring step; given the scarcity of all those first novels, it would seem that such publishing daring was counterbalanced with caution in the form of short print runs: this novel, for example, had a 2500 copy first printing, a minuscule number for a country the size of the U.S., and a high percentage of those would have been earmarked for libraries. This copy is signed by the author on the dedication page. Slight wear at the spine extremities, and bowing to the boards; about near fine in a dust jacket with mild spine fading; foxing on verso; a narrow, shallow crease to the front panel; and both flaps corner clipped (but not price-clipped). A very scarce novel, especially so signed.

157. GARDNER, John. On Moral Fiction. NY: Basic Books (1978). A review copy of what is arguably Gardner's most important book, a controversial polemic that took the unpopular position that artists bear a moral responsibility that they ignore at the risk of rendering their work irrelevant. The controversy around this essay beset Gardner beyond all expectations, and he was painted by some as a fascist and throwback to a time when Art only served the prevailing moral order. The author's untimely death in a motorcycle accident in 1982 short-circuited the debate, which has been picked up since by others who have, like Gardner, argued for meaning and relevance in art, not just expression. Fine in a fine dust jacket. An excellent copy of one of the most significant books of criticism of the postwar period.

158. GINSBERG, Allen. Siesta in Xbalba and Return to the States. Icy Cape: Self-Published, 1956. Ginsberg's second book, published two months after Howl for Carl Solomon and several months prior to the publication of the City Lights edition of Howl and Other Poems. One of an estimated 52 copies: Ginsberg wrote in a letter to Kerouac at the time of publication that 52 copies were done. Other than Howl for Carl Solomon, of which only 25 copies were printed, this is doubtless Ginsberg's scarcest publication, a single long poem whose genesis was in a trip to southern Mexico, the area inhabited by the ancient Maya and their present-day descendants. Stapled wrappers, reproduced from typewritten copy. A few small stains to the covers; very good.

159. GOLDEN, Arthur. Memoirs of a Geisha. NY: Knopf, 1997. The uncorrected proof copy of this highly praised first novel written from the point of view of a young geisha, which became a surprise bestseller. Considerably scarcer than the advance reading copy. Slight corner turns to front cover; else fine in wrappers with jacket art stapled to the inside front cover.

160. GORDIMER, Nadine. Burger's Daughter. NY: Viking (1979). The first American edition of this important novel of South Africa, which was originally banned there when it was first published. Signed by the author. Very slight spine slant and faint sunning to top board edges; still very near fine in a fine dust jacket. A nice copy of one of her major novels.

161. GORDIMER, Nadine. A Sport of Nature. NY: Knopf, 1987. A novel by the South African Nobel Prize winner. Near fine in a near fine dust jacket and signed by the author.

162. GORDIMER, Nadine. None to Accompany Me. NY: FSG (1994). A novel set in the period just before South Africa's change from the apartheid system to a system of majority rule based on free elections. Fine in a fine dust jacket and signed by the author.

163. GORDIMER, Nadine. The House Gun. NY: FSG (1998). First American edition of this novel. Fine in a fine dust jacket and signed by the author.

164. -. Same title. The uncorrected proof copy. Paper clip imprint front cover; else fine in wrappers.

165. GRAFTON, Sue. "B" is for Burglar. NY: Holt Rinehart Winston (1985). The second novel in her critically acclaimed and bestselling Kinsey Millhone mystery series, which helped trigger the wave of detective series by women writers, featuring female detectives, in the past decade. This is a near fine copy in a near fine dust jacket. One of the scarcest of the series, possibly even scarcer than the first book.

166. GRAFTON, Sue. "F" is for Fugitive. NY: Henry Holt (1989). The sixth Kinsey Millhone book. Fine in a fine dust jacket.

167. GRAFTON, Sue. "H" is for Homicide. NY: Henry Holt (1991). Near fine in dust jacket and signed by the author.

168. GRAU, Shirley Ann. The Black Prince. NY: Knopf, 1955. Her first book, a collection of nine stories. Inscribed by the author. Near fine in a good dust jacket with several edge chips and tears and threatening to split at the folds. With a full page blurb by Harriette Arnow on the rear panel.

169. GRAU, Shirley Ann. The Hard Blue Sky. NY: Knopf, 1958. Her second book, first novel. Very near fine in a very good, spine-darkened dust jacket with minor wear at the extremities and folds. Inscribed by the author on the title page.

170. GRAU, Shirley Ann. The House on Coliseum Street. NY: Knopf, 1961. Her third book, second novel. Inscribed by the author. Trace sunning to spine; else fine in a near fine, spine-tanned dust jacket nicked on the rear panel.

Inscribed Pulitzer Prize Winner

171. GRAU, Shirley Ann. The Keepers of the House. NY: Knopf, 1964. Her fourth book, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Inscribed by the author. Fine in a near fine, spine-tanned dust jacket with slight wear at the crown. An attractive copy of an award-winning novel that has become scarce in recent years.

172. GRAU, Shirley Ann. The Condor Passes. NY: Knopf, 1971. A review copy of her fifth book, a novel. Inscribed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket, with publisher's review slip laid in.

173. -. Same title, the advance reading copy, also inscribed by the author. Near fine in wrappers.

174. GRAU, Shirley Ann. The Wind Shifting West. NY: Knopf, 1973. Her sixth book, second collection of stories. Inscribed by the author. Slight offsetting to spine cloth from jacket lettering; else fine in a fine dust jacket.

175. -. Same title, the uncorrected proof copy. Inscribed by the author. Fine in wrappers. Scarce.

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