1981-1983. Lopez's Crow and Weasel, a fable in the style of North American Indian tales, with beautiful water color illustrations by Tom Pohrt, was published by North Point Press in 1990. This archive predates publication by 7-9 years, and represents a path not taken, documenting the guidance of Lopez, the painstaking work by Pohrt, and the over-arching influence of designer Joel Schick, who amassed this collection during the collaboration, but who did not ultimately serve as the book's designer. According to Lopez, worked stopped on this title in 1983 and began again in 1989, by which time David Bullen had replaced Schick as the designer. Much of the groundwork for the finished product remains visible however, in over 60 pages of text and images, including three signed letters from Lopez to Schick; three copies of letters from Lopez to Pohrt; 6-1/2 (one page missing) letters from Pohrt to Schick; nine retained copies of letters from Schick to Pohrt, Lopez, or both; one retained letter from Schick to Lopez's agent, Peter Schultz; and approximately 15 pages of sketches by Pohrt. Included are meticulously detailed discussions on how to involve the reader; how to anthropomorphize the characters; the characters' motivations at the points of illustration; the overall aesthetic of the book; the smoothing over of the personalities collaborating; etc., all carried out via the primitive means of type, pen, and postal service. As just one example, of Schick writing to Pohrt: "You give up a lot in order to avoid drawing that fore-shortened muzzle and the farther eye. An aspect of composition that we should probably not discuss in front of Barry. Better that our motives always be pure, or at least seem to be, even if misguided...Barry's note about the horse concerned about himself may be handled by facing him away from the action, and toward the edge of the book...Back Cover: No Dead Things!..." Again, when the book was published, in 1990, David Bullen was named as designer. However, included here is a copy of the first edition, (second state, without the gold stamping on the front cover that was removed by request of the second designer, Bullen), inscribed by Lopez to Schick, "with gratitude and affection, and a sense of delight in our long friendship." It's worth noting that Schick was Lopez's designer on his 1979 John Burroughs Medal winning book, Of Wolves and Men. All items fine. [#032889] SOLD