Weekly Sale

1996. A promotional poster for the annual Toronto literary festival, which each year since 1980 has brought together some of the best writers of contemporary world literature. This poster is one of only a handful of copies signed by all or most of the year's participants, approximately 70 signatures. Signed by: Nicholas Shakespeare, William Gibson, William Kotzwinkle, Kathy Acker, Sherman Alexie, W.P. Kinsella, Lynne Reid Banks, Louis Begley, Marie-Claire Blais, Isabel Colegate, William Gass, Matt Cohen, Maeve Binchy, Hershel Parker, Mavis Gallant, Janette Turner Hospital, Susan Sontag, Tobias Wolff, D.M. Thomas, Kazuo Ishiguro, Timothy Findley, Lawrence Block, Al Purdy, Paul Quarrington, Ruth Rendell, Joan Mellon, Nicholas Jose, Oksana Zabuzhko, Lorna Crozier, and many others. From the collection of the promoter of the festival, Greg Gatenby. Designed by Arnaldo Pomodoro. 17" x 24". Fine. [#029752] $1,000
$700

NY, Crowell, (1969). A collection edited by Aldan, who was nominated for the 1979 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for Between High Tides. Inscribed by Aldan in the year of publication, with a quote from the 11th century poem "Black Marigolds" and "in memory of race horses, with love." Near fine in a very good dust jacket with a pending chip at the spine base. [#027326] $95
$48

NY, Vintage, (1995). The uncorrected proof copy. Beckkett, Doyle, Banville, O'Brien, and many others. Moderate cover foxing; near fine in wrappers. [#036278] $50
$25

NY, Winter House, 1970. The issue in wrappers of this collection of short pieces and photographs, with illustrations by Mayo Thompson. Gift inscription front free endpaper; mild foredge foxing; one crease and general dustiness to white covers; a very good copy. [#035346] $150
$98

Worcester, Metacom Press, 1981. The hardcover issue. The first separate appearance of this short story, which first appeared in Antaeus. Of a total edition of 276 copies, this is one of 26 lettered copies, signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket. [#911362] $250
$163

(Brussels), (Fondation Europeenne pour la Sculpture), (1997). Bell provides a bilingual (English/French) fable as introduction to the catalog of work by Jean de la Fontaine: in 1997 the Luxembourg artist had installed his "Love of Camping" in a Brussels park. Number 452 of 500 numbered copies. Fine in stapled wrappers. A scarce piece by Bell, attractively illustrated. [#917040] $150
$98

June 22, 1988. Two pages promising to send an article which will apparently deal with the parallels between American Indian and Japanese ways of living, the life of Maria Sanchez, and "life lived as an entity, all of a piece. The artist as not a soul divided..." Folded in thirds for mailing; holograph corrections. A nice letter, with good content. Signed by the author. Fine. With envelope. [#015471] $95
$48

NY, Penguin, (1977). Near fine in wrappers. [#036027] $75
$38

1989-2001. Three typed letters signed; two typed postcards signed; one holiday card and roughly forty pieces of promotional material, tearsheets, press releases, article photocopies, etc., pertaining to Bruchac's roles as writer, speaker, activist, story-teller, father, and the drummer for the Dawn Land Singers. In the correspondence, Bruchac is encouraging of the recipient's writing and generous with family updates and updates on his own projects; the longest letter concerns his decision to turn down a co-editing project with his correspondent, apparently involving a collection of Native American writing and art. In part: "It takes a long time to put a special issue of any magazine together -- trust me on this after more than three decades of editing. It takes, on average, twice as long to get work from Native American writers." All items near fine or better. [#030769] $450
$293

ca. 1986. The 7-page typescript of an essay by Buckley about the maritime paintings in the collection of the Insurance Company of North America, intended for Art and Antiques Magazine, although we are uncertain as to whether if it ever saw publication. Together with an autograph note signed conveying the typescript, and a signed contract (with a second signed by Guy Davenport, apparently included in the file in error). Four additional pieces of signed correspondence (1986-1992) are included in the file, one of them alluding to Buckley's forthcoming novel, Wet Work. Buckley once held a position as deckhand on a Norwegian freighter, as well as writing Steaming to Bamboola: The World of a Tramp Freighter, while serving as Vice President George H.W. Bush's speechwriter. This essay opens with a scene from Moby Dick, in which Ishmael ponders a painting of a ship, and a whale, at the Spouter Inn. Fine, with unstamped mailing envelope. [#035838] $300
$195

1933. An autobiographical piece about Cain's family following his father's 1903 job change from St. John's College at Annapolis to Washington College at Chestertown, MD, and the culture shock that ensued from this move to a "hick place" from one of "smartness, competence, and class," a state of affairs that was partially redeemed by the actions of "a great man" on the occasion of a Washington College-Maryland Agricultural College football game. 23 pages, carbon typescript, with approximately three dozen changes made in Cain's hand, and more than a dozen additional small variations between this text and the published version. Published in American Mercury in November 1933, the year before his first novel, The Postman Always Rings Twice (and following Our Government in 1930, nonfiction based on Cain's column for New York World). Called "one of Cain's finest essays" by David Madden in James M. Cain: Hard-Boiled Mythmaker. Carbon paper a bit yellowed, some pencil rubbing, not affecting text; near fine. An early manuscript of a boyhood epiphany by a writer who gained a place in the literary pantheon for his famous first novel, which is still considered one of the high spots of American hard-boiled fiction. [#029577] $2,500
$1,875

(Salisbury), Scarab, (1982). Carver's first limited edition after his first brush with commercial success. Of a total edition of 100 numbered copies, this is one of 25 copies that were reserved for the author's use. Signed by Carver. Fine in saddle-stitched wrappers. [#912354] $475
$309

NY, Knopf, 1979. Uncorrected proof copy of his second book, a highly praised collection of stories. Laid in are two pages of publisher's promotional material, with review excerpts from Casey's first novel, including a John Irving blurb. Fine in tall wrappers, with a label pasted over bottom edge of pages. [#005033] $60
$30

Houston, Arte Publico Press, 1984. Inscribed by the author in 1986. Fine in wrappers. [#914438] $150
$98

(Marvin), Blue Cloud Quarterly, 1975. Vol. 21, No. 2 of the Blue Cloud Quarterly. A poem based on Hopi myth, believed to derive from the much earlier Anasazi culture. Inscribed by the author to Joe and Carol [Bruchac] in the year of publication, a nice association copy. Fine in stapled wrappers. [#025390] $80
$40

NY, (Pynson), 1936. New Series, Volume 1, No. 3. A near fine copy in a preserved, if darkened, glassine dustwrapper. [#033617] $75
$38

ca. 1928.

A large portrait by Cummings of his stepdaughter, Diana Barton, with one of her dogs at Joy Farm in New Hampshire, sometime between 1927 and 1930. Diana was born in 1921; Cummings met Anne Barton in 1925 and they spent several summers at Joy Farm beginning in 1927. Diana is standing outside, with her dog at her side and Mount Chocorua in the background.

One of the best-loved American poets of the 20th century, Cummings was also a prolific visual artist: he considered writing and painting to be his "twin obsessions." He exhibited his work in the annual Society of Independent Artists shows from 1916-1927, and he was the art editor of The Dial magazine, the preeminent Modernist literary journal in the U.S., in the 1920s. In 1933, Cummings published a book of his artwork in a limited edition. Called CIOPW, it took its title from the media he used in his art: charcoal, ink, oil, pencil and watercolors. In his early years he emphasized abstract painting; from the 1930s on he tended toward representational images, albeit with a range of inventive palettes, which some have compared to his inventiveness with words and poetic forms and structures.

This is an early, transitional image by Cummings, painted as he was moving from abstract to representational art but still using the brilliant color schemes and flourishes that link his later art back to his abstracts. In this painting, the sky is "psychedelic," the mountain range has a variety and richness of color, and Cummings has taken liberties with the proportions. 35-3/4" x 47-3/4". Oil on Upson Processed Board (a fiberboard used as a building material in the early 20th century), with a narrow (2" x 8") chip missing from the lower left corner, affecting only flora. "DIANA BARTON" written on the back (in a child's hand?); also "1928-9?" Unsigned, as was most of Cummings' artwork, as he adhered to the theory (popularized decades later) that art is best encountered independent of its artist, even as his paintings seem to shed light on his innovative, visual style of poetry.

[#033852] $15,000
$11,250

NY, [The Democratic Party], 1888. The Democratic Party Platform, as adopted in St. Louis on June 7, 1888. Grover Cleveland was running for re-election, against the Republican Benjamin Harrison: Cleveland won the popular vote, but lost in the Electoral College. (Cleveland would win a rematch, in 1892.) This pamphlet puts forth the ideals of the Democratic Party at the time, including: childhood education; the rights of organized labor; the separation of church and state; the equality of all citizens without regard to race or color; the reform of unjust tax laws that unduly enrich the few; the end of the sale of public lands to benefit corporations rather than settlers; the reigning in of tariffs; the admission of Washington, Montana, Dakota and New Mexico into the Union; and supporting the blessings of self-government and civil and religious liberty for all nations. The platform reaffirms the rights of native and naturalized citizens, but takes a hard line against the importation of "unfit" foreign labor. One sheet, folded to create a 12 page pamphlet, 3 3/8" x 5 3/4". Foxed, and fragile; about very good. Only two copies located in OCLC, at NYPL and Pittsburgh State University. [#034697] $1,000
$700

London, Unicorn, 1898-1899. Two bound volumes: Vol. One and Vol. Two of the New Series (October to December, 1898 and January to March, 1899). Owner names; bindings worn; contents preserved, but still only good copies. [#600032] $75
$38

(Santa Monica), Smart Art Press, (1998). The first appearance in print for the artist who, among his other successes, would become the "house artist" for the first McSweeney's store, in Brooklyn. Near fine in stapled wrappers. [#032975] $150
$98

(n.p.), (n.p.), 1988. A 120-page screenplay by Ford for a 1991 film adaptation that he did from stories in his collection Rock Springs. Signed by Ford. An unknown number of copies were produced, but Ford signed seven of them at a reading in 1990. Photo-reproduced sheets on 3-hole paper. In this copy, page 120 was typed on a different typewriter than the first 119 pages. Bound in a flexible blue binder; fine. The film was directed by Michael Fields and starred Dermot Mulroney, Lili Taylor, Sam Shepard and Valerie Perrine. [#911202] $1,000
$700

(n.p.), Twenty-Third Avenue Books/First Choice Books, 1997. A broadside excerpt from Frazier's novel, produced on the occasion of a reading by the author. Copy "A" of 26 lettered copies. 9-1/2" x 16-1/2". Signed by the author. Fine. [#912583] $500
$325

NY, St. Martin's, (1982). The uncorrected proof copy. Fuller explains his ideas on the structure of the universe and Man's place in it through the characters of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Quarto; very good in wrappers. [#035216] $50
$25

(NY), (Dell), (1980). First thus, Dell's Laurel Leaf paperback edition. Slight fading to top stain, else fine. A 1982 newspaper article about Hinton is laid in. [#036076] $45
$23

NY, Thomas Y. Crowell, (1960). A specially-bound author's copy of Hoagland's second book, a novel. Three quarter leather, raised bands, gilt stamped, marbled endpapers. Probably a unique copy made for Hoagland by the publisher, or one of a couple of copies created by the publisher for the author and publisher -- a somewhat widespread tradition in American publishing in that era. Front cover fully detached, and in need of repair to be functional; leather somewhat mottled. A 1964 newspaper clipping about the 31-year-old Hoagland receiving two literary grants is laid in. From the author's library. [#033460] $450
$293

NY, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, (1980). Folded and gathered sheets of this posthumous collection of Jarrell's essays and reviews, spanning the years 1935-1964. Edge-sunned, a little spotting and creasing to the last page; near fine. Jarrell, a poet and also the author of one novel and several children's books, was highly respected for his incisive criticism. A scarce advance issue of this collection. [#012861] $85
$43

Boston, Little Brown, (1977). From the library of Pauline Kael, and with her notes in the text. There are several instances of marginal notes, one of them approving of a turn of phrase; and about 50 words by Kael written on the front flyleaf...none of them complimentary. Clearly, Kael was a close reader, and not just of her own writing. Very good in a very good, edgeworn dust jacket. [#035651] $150
$98

(1980-1981). Three autograph letters signed (two on personal stationery; one written inside a card) to fellow writer Jay Neugeboren, praising his recent story in The Atlantic and his current novel. Kaplan is especially taken with the Jewishness of Neugeboren's work: "I think it's very rare to find such a daring, honest, wonderful story that is a genuinely Jewish story in a national magazine. (First of all, I think very few stories of that description are being written)....you've captured an attitude, a spirit in this story that except for the very early immigrant writers (& some of them were primitive so not "art") that has been either unknown or buried in the mainstream of American Jewish fiction." All items fine. [#012866] $40
$20

(n.p.), Grand Street, (n.d.). Offprint from the literary journal Grand Street, inscribed by the author to Pauline Kael, "with gratitude, respect, admiration, and _____ (fill in the blank)" and dated January, 1991. Klawans was the longtime film reviewer for The Nation, winner of a National Magazine Award for his reviews, and author of Film Follies: Cinema Out of Order and Left in the Dark, a collection of reviews. Slight wear; near fine in stapled wrappers. [#034560] $50
$25

(London), Golden Handshake, (1997). Inscribed by the author to Robert Stone and his wife "Miss you!" Near fine in wrappers. The cover has a label offering a CD inside; no CD included. [#033796] $50
$25

(NY), Viking, (1990). Signed by the author. Unmarked, but from the library of Robert Stone. Fine in a fine dust jacket. [#033754] $85
$43

Philadelphia, Chamberlain Press, 1954. Matheson's first hardcover publication, a collection of stories with an introduction by Robert Bloch, who later wrote Psycho. About 650 copies of this book had been distributed prior to a flood that destroyed the remaining bound copies, and a fire later destroyed the unbound sheets. Inscribed by Matheson to the horror writer Stanley Wiater, in 1992: "To Stanley -- with many thanks for the excellent interview in Dark Dreamers. Best always, Richard Matheson." Matheson's career began with placing short stories in the pulp magazines, and he later became one of the most important script writers for "The Twilight Zone." Ray Bradbury called him "one of the most important writers of the 20th century," and Stephen King cited him as "the author who most influenced me as a writer." A nice association copy. Wiater's bookplate on front pastedown. Lower boards show some water damage, text block fine, but still only a good copy in a good, damp-stained dust jacket with effects mostly visible on verso and rear panel. [#030756] $450
$293

(Thomaston), (Northwoods), (1984). Inscribed by the author to Peter [Matthiessen] in 1994: "Here's why I gave up on poems and cast my lot with fiction." Fine in wrappers. [#032102] $40
$20

NY, Random House, (1984). The uncorrected proof copy. Signed by the author. Fine in wrappers. [#911714] $200
$130

NY, Grove Press, (2001). The author's second collection of poems. Warmly inscribed by the author to writer Charles Newman ("her favorite dinner date") in the year of publication. Fine in wrappers. [#019701] $40
$20

Washington, DC, American Indian Policy Review Commission, 1976. Two reports: "Commission Briefing Paper/American Indian Policy Review Commission," dated November 19-22, 1976; and "Information Bulletin from the American Indian Policy Review Commission/A Joint Congressional Committee/(Public Law 93-580), which is undated. 41 and 26 pages, respectively. Corner stapled; edge-foxed; still about near fine. [#035858] $100
$65

(n.p.), [Self-published], (n.d.). Poetry, apparently self-published. Inscribed by the author: "Especially for Pauline Kael/ with the warmest regard of the author and in keen appreciation of your own remarkable literary accomplishments/ Travers Phillips/ 2nd April, 1985." Slightly sunned and spotted; very good in wrappers. [#034576] $45
$23

Toronto, Knopf, 2003. The first Canadian edition. Fine in a fine dust jacket. [#035469] $40
$20

(Wheeling), Innovation, (1991-1993). Six of the twelve issues (#s 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 11) of Innovation's graphic serialization of the third book in the Vampire Chronicles. All are fine in stapled wrappers. [#035828] $60
$30

(London), Little Brown, (2004). The advance reading copy of the British edition of this massive novel, which was loosely based on the author's life story, including his escape from an Australian prison and living on the run for a number of years. He wrote the novel while in prison, after being recaptured, and it became a bestseller. He is now working on a sequel to it. Labeled "uncorrected bound proof." Fine in wrappers. Uncommon in an advance issue. [#914678] $250
$163

Denver, 1967. "Washday Detergent." A postcard for a performance of Blue Cheer and Superfine Dandelion in Denver on November 3rd and 4th, 1967. 5" x 7", done by Robert Fried. Art of Rock, #FD D-10. Fine. [#008044] $125
$81

London, Fulcrum Press, (1967). Inscribed by Rothenberg to Clayton [Eshleman] & Caryl in 1979, "after between & with love." With Eshleman's ownership signature, dated in the year of publication. Near fine in wrappers. [#033534] $75
$38

London, Cassell & Company, 1894. Reproductions of seven photographs depicting the "seven ages" of life as described in Shakespeare's As You Like It. There were earlier volumes published on this same theme, but this may be the first publication to use photographs (rather than engravings). Disbound, with contemporary gift inscription. A fair copy, with all plates and both covers present; large lower corner chip to the front cover and some marginal insect damage, not affecting the photographs. Five copies found in OCLC. [#035619] $175
$114

NY, Time Out New York, 2001. An article on Gary Sinise, who played McMurphy in Dale Wasserman's stage revival of Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. This copy of the magazine is signed by Sinise and by Terry Kinney, who directed the play. Together with a display card for the play, also signed by Sinise and Kinney. Both items fine. [#027227] $100
$65

NY, Fiction, (1973). An excerpt from a novel-in-progress, which turned out to be Dog Soldiers. A bibliographically significant piece, in that this is the only place where Dog Soldiers is identified by the title Skydiver Devoured by Starving Birds. Signed by Stone. Also includes John Lennon, Donald Barthelme, Jerome Charyn, and others. Tall newsprint journal. Fine. [#914689] $125
$81

Austin, University of Texas Press, (1978). Text by the Stotts, with photographs by Fred Fehl. From the library of Cheryl Crawford, and with a lengthy, appreciative inscription to her by a third party. Spine crown worn, else a near fine copy in a good, edge-chipped dust jacket. [#034536] $45
$23

Amherst, Shanachie Press, 1980. A limited edition of a poem by Tate which first appeared in The New American Poetry Review. Of a total intended edition of 135 copies, this is Copy "F" of ten lettered copies reserved for Tate and for the artist, Stephen Riley, and signed by both of them. With etchings and engravings by Riley, each of these lettered and signed by the artist. Riley was a promising artist in the 1970s known for his fantasy illustrations, here accompanying Tate's surrealist poetry. Reportedly, most of the intended edition was never printed, and it's possible that only the 10 author's and artist's copies and 25 Roman-numeraled copies were actually produced. Loose sheets, 11-1/4" x 15", fine, laid into a near fine slipcase. An attractive fine press production, and one of the rarest pieces by the Pulitzer Prize- and National Book Award-winning poet. [#033654] $2,500
$1,875

NY, Scribner's, 1930. The first American edition, with Scribner's "A" on the copyright page. With the 1930 ownership signature of Joseph Barnes. We can offer no direct provenance but a Joseph Barnes (author of Willkie: The Events He Was Part Of, The Ideas He Fought For) was a translator of Russian authors for a number of years and a recipient of the PEN translation award. According to his obituary in the New York Times, in 1928 he made an extensive tour of the Soviet Union, on which he reported for The New York World. On the staff of the Institute of Pacific Relations from 1931 to 1934, he visited Russia, Manchuria, Japan and China; he edited “Empire in the East” by 12 members of the American Council of the Institute, published in 1934. Barnes joined The Herald Tribune in 1935. He went abroad as Moscow correspondent in 1937, wrote a series on Siberia in 1938, and then went to Berlin as correspondent. He returned to the U.S. at the end of 1939 and in 1940-41 was foreign news editor. From 1941 to 1944 he served as deputy director of the overseas branch of the office of War Information. In 1951 he cited his clearance for that position to counter accusations from McCarthy's House Un-American Activities Committee. He eventually joined Simon & Schuster as an executive editor. Again, we can not prove that this Barnes is that Barnes. A New Republic review of the book from 1930 is laid in, much acidified and split into pieces at the folds. The book itself shows mild foxing to the prelims, fading to the board edges and spine, and handling to the covers, including a partial cup ring. The binding is sound. A very good copy, lacking the dust jacket. [#035896] $500
$325

NY, Knopf, 2001. A volume in Knopf's "Everyman Library," collecting Bech: A Book, Bech is Back, Bech at Bay, and adding "His Oeuvre." Inscribed by the author: "For ___ ___/ warm regards, John Updike/ 4/19/01." Fine in a fine dust jacket. [#030267] $200
$130

[1980]. Dated "Jan 1". One paragraph, agreeing to sign books for the recipient's wife. Written on the verso of the colophon for the limited edition of Problems. Signed in blue, with recipient's address hand-written in pink across the top; the colophon has some math written in pink. Folded in thirds for mailing; else fine. [#013416] $115
$75

[Sacramento], (CoTangent Press), [1993]. A limited edition of a story from Thirteen Stories and Thirteen Epitaphs, preceded, in 1990 by a CoTangent edition of one handwritten folio copy, and issued here with revisions. This is Copy No. 23 of 200 copies signed by Vollmann and by the designer, Ben Pax. Illustrated by Vollmann. Fine in sewn wrappers and dust jacket. [#912137] $650
$455

(n.p.), Apparently Self-Published, (1978). Poetry. Rust to the staples, otherwise near fine in stapled wrappers. Stapled to the front cover is a typed letter signed to Peter Matthiessen. [#032237] $40
$20