Weekly Sale

London, Hamish Hamilton, (1982). Fine in a fine dust jacket. [#912937] $100
$65

Frankfurt, Zweitausendeins, 1980, 1982. Three copies of the German editions of these two collaborations between Burroughs and illustrator S. Clay Wilson: one copy each of The Wild Boys and Cities of the Red Night, each signed by Burroughs and Wilson, and one copy of The Wild Boys in a trial binding that was rejected by Wilson, who was displeased with the endpapers, but which is signed by Wilson, with his handwritten explanation: "Trial endpapers not to my liking. They corrected this error for the published edition. I wanted the endpapers to appear as wallpaper reflecting my 'take' on Burroughs' text "I see his face in every flower." Both copies of The Wild Boys have some rubbing to the covers; very good. Slight corner tap to Cities of the Red Night, else fine. All three in cardstock slipcases. [#033129] $1,500
$1,125

NY, Random House, 1998. An advance copy in the form of a bound photocopied typescript. 467 pages, double-spaced and double-sided, with the title header "Orno & Marshall" and the date header "11/4/97," and significant textual variations between this and the published text. Sent by a Random House editor to Peter Matthiessen, hoping for a publicity comment. An additional handwritten letter is laid in, from John [Sterling?] to Matthiessen's wife, expressing happiness that the Matthiessens will be coming to Sun Valley [likely the Writers Conference]: "It will be a social zoo, of course, but we will have one another (and Mark Salzman's humor) as comfort." Tapebound, with an acetate cover; near fine. An early -- and at this point possibly unique -- version of the second novel by Canin, with distinguished provenance. [#032272] $250
$163

(Queensland), University of Queensland Press, (1994). The first edition. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket. This book was considered a contender for the Booker Prize and it was a minor literary scandal when it wasn't even shortlisted for the prize. [#911425] $100
$65

(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] $500
$325

(Santa Cruz), (Kayak), (1970). Carver's first regularly published book, a collection of poems, issued in an attractive edition of 1000 copies designed and printed by George Hitchcock and illustrated with prints by Robert McChesney. Bound in yellow wrappers printed in green. (A few copies were bound in white wrappers printed in green.) Signed by the author. Fine. [#912361] $750
$525

NY, Painters and Sculptors Gallery, 1932. Small flyer (one sheet, folded to make four pages) for a show that ran the month of December, 1932. An entertaining biography of Cummings covers most of the inner pages, bearing the notation "from Anthropos or the Future of Art." Anthropos, a one-act play by Cummings, was not published as a book until 1944, but the play did appear, in 1930, in Whither Whither, or After Sex What? The brief biography ends by reporting that Cummings "was buried alive in Harvard (1912-15)." A bit of top edge creasing; one horizontal fold; very good. [#033007] SOLD

NY, Random House, (1975). His fourth book, a historical novel of America at the beginning of the twentieth century, peopled with such characters as Henry Ford, Emma Goldman, J.P. Morgan, Theodore Dreiser and others. Winner of the first National Book Critics Circle Award to be given and the basis for a highly successful film. Fine in a fine dust jacket. [#911487] $175
$114

(n.p.), Stuart Wright, (1984). His first limited edition, a single story issued in an edition of 200 copies. Dubus was a contemporary master of the short story form and the most accomplished writer of novellas in the U.S.; he was compared on numerous occasions to Chekhov. Clothbound, with paper spine label, issued without dust jacket. Covers splaying slightly, as is common with this title; spine label faded; near fine. Although the edition was done as a signed edition, this copy is not signed -- the only copy we have seen thus. [#026975] $60
$30

NY, Norton, (2003). Nonfiction, a guide to writing fiction. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket. [#914911] $100
$65

(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] $200
$130

(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
$595

(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
$700

1981. An airmail note, written from Oxford, declining an engagement on the grounds that he will be out of the country. Ellmann, one of the leading literary critics of his time, was a Joyce scholar; the recipient of the note directed a Bloomsday festival on Martha's Vineyard for over 35 years, among other Joyce-related activities. Jagged marginal tears from opening, else near fine. [#032644] SOLD

NY, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, (2001). An advance audio excerpt from his then-forthcoming novel The Corrections, along with excerpts of ten other books in FSG's Fall 2001 line-up. Cassette tape, signed by Franzen on a small label affixed to the printed cardstock sleeve. Fine. The Corrections won the National Book Award and is consistently cited as one of the top books of the 21st century's "new canon." An unusual advance issue for a literary novel, and likely the only signed copy. [#029924] $125
$81

London, Jonathan Cape, 2003. A promotional T-shirt with a "Curious?" tagline and a stabbed dog graphic. Blue, V-neck, "one size" (small-ish), 100% cotton; fine. A different design than the "Curious" t-shirts that are sold at the National Theatre Shop in conjunction with the theatrical release of this title. [#031394] $50
$25

1996. Promotional poster for the annual Toronto literary festival, which each year since 1980 brought together the best writers of contemporary world literature. The poster was designed by a leading artist of the day and is one of only a handful of copies signed by all or most of the year's participants. From the collection of the promoter of the festival himself, Greg Gatenby. Designed by Arnaldo Pomodoro. 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 others. 17" x 24". [#029752] $1,000
$700

NY, HBO/Cannon Video, (n.d). The 1975 Academy Award-winning movie based on Kesey's novel, in VHS format. Signed by Kesey on the case, over the picture of Jack Nicholson, who himself won an Academy Award for the lead role. The placement of the signature may have been a statement on Kesey's part: he was known to have strongly opposed the casting of Nicholson as McMurphy (thinking a more physically imposing actor, such as Gene Hackman, would have been more appropriate), and he reportedly considered having his own name taken off the movie in protest. Kesey's son, Zane, said that this was the only copy of the movie he had ever heard of being signed by his father, because of how thoroughly unhappy he was with the film. Fine in a very good, rubbed case, with a small sticker removal abrasion. [#028935] $750
$525

(n.p.), Well-Defended Press, 1990. A spoof on corporate reports, with contributions by a number of Canadian writers including Kinsella, Ann Knight, Spider Robinson, and others. Kinsella contributes "An excerpt from my essay, Treacherous Snivelling and Other Dangerous Trends in Contemporary U.S. Poetry." Also includes a poem (in Latin) by "Silas Ermineskin," a Kinsella alter-ego and one of the central characters in a number of Kinsella's highly praised Indian stories. Ermineskin's contribution is signed by "Ermineskin," somewhat illegibly. Also signed by Kinsella, Knight, Robinson and five others, presumably all the contributors, although the use of pseudonyms on the contributions makes it impossible to determine, from internal evidence alone, if this is the case. Folded sheets, with plain card-stock covers: apparently a home-made production by someone with a copier, a laser printer, and the friendship of a number of Canadian literary figures. Although the limitation is not stated, and the production methods did not preclude creation of more copies, we are told that there were 30 copies done. 24 pages, folded sheets in cardstock covers. OCLC locates only one copy, in the Canadian national archives. Fine. [#029934] $750
$525

Holyoke, Crossroads Press, 1999. The uncorrected proof copy of this limited edition. Signed by the author. Comb-bound with both printed and acetate covers. Stamp of Stanley Wiater on half title; near fine in wrappers. Scarce. [#029498] $115
$75

(London), Headline, (1995). Mild foxing to top stain, else fine in a near fine dust jacket. [#030948] $115
$75

(Seattle), (The Stranger), (2010). A September issue of Seattle's alternative weekly newspaper, with a cover story on Lin parodying the Time magazine "Great American Novelist" cover story on Jonathan Franzen that appeared the previous month. Signed by Lin on the cover, with an added "666" to his forehead. Also included is a clipped version of the following week's Stranger, with comments from readers who didn't get the joke. The issue is folded in half, else fine. [#029936] SOLD

NY, Knopf, 1994. A collection of stories, his first since Winter Count. Inscribed by the author: "___ -- / How lovely, to have / had your friendship, / your affection, all / these years. -- / Love, B." Spine cloth a bit mottled; near fine in a near fine dust jacket with a bookstore inventory label on the rear panel. A nice copy, and an extremely warm personal inscription. [#027038] $115
$75

(Springfield), Gauntlet, 2000. Warmly inscribed by the author. Bookplate of recipient on the front flyleaf, with his brief notation on the title page. Near fine in a fine dust jacket. [#030999] $60
$30

London, Heinemann, (1962). The uncorrected proof copy of the first British edition of his third novel. Signed by the author. Matthiessen was one of the very few authors who has won the National Book Award for both fiction and nonfiction. His novel after this one, At Play in the Fields of the Lord, a National Book Award nominee, represented a significant jump from this book in terms of literary accomplishment. The book prior to this, Wildlife in America, started him on the path toward becoming one of our most highly regarded writers of natural history. This short novel, a tale of the sea that is reminiscent of Conrad, dates from an early period in Matthiessen's career and is uncommon even in the U.S. trade edition. This is the only copy of the British proof we have handled. Spine-sunned, else fine in wrappers. [#015912] $565
$396

NY, Harper & Brothers, (1959). A history of relations between Indians and white Americans. Inscribed by Helen Peterson and Helen Maynor. Peterson, an Oglala Sioux, was, from 1954 to 1962, Director of the National Congress of the American Indian, a lobbying organization formed by tribal leaders. Maynor, a Lumbee, has been active in Indian affairs throughout her life, serving as Director of the Office of Indian Affairs of the Department of Education, among many other posts. A fine copy in a very good, spine-faded dust jacket with a few edge nicks. An excellent association copy. [#025616] $300
$195

NY, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, (1966). McPhee's second book, a portrait of Frank L. Boyden, the longtime Headmaster of Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts, where McPhee was a student during Boyden's tenure. Second printing. Inscribed by McPhee to the collector Arthur Rippey, "with warm regards." Rippey's bookplate front pastedown. Offsetting to front flyleaf; else fine in a fine dust jacket. [#024903] $95
$48

Bloomington, Indiana University Press, (1970). The poet's first book. Inscribed by the author to another poet in the year of publication "with love and best wishes, Sandy." Recipient's handmade bookplate on front flyleaf. Near fine, with various portions of the dust jacket clipped and pasted on the boards and endpages. [#022758] $40
$20

(n.p.), (n.p.), [2002]. A 25-page script for Moody's radio play, about an art student obsessed with the rotating cubical sculpture in New York City's Astor Place entitled Alamo but commonly known as "the cube." The play first appeared in Paris Review 162, but it was performed as part of WNYC's public radio show, "The Next Big Thing." This script for the performance belonged to Tony Award-winning actor and "Wilson" of television's House, Robert Sean Leonard, who here played the main character, Irv Paley. Leonard's holograph markings and comments appear in the text, i.e., a working copy of the script. Together with a program for the performance listing the cast members and other principals, and a two-page interview with the sculptor of "Alamo," Tony Rosenthal who, among other things, explains where the sculpture got its name. Among the other cast members is Peter Dinklage, currently of Game of Thrones fame. George Plimpton is credited with "Stage Directions" an Moody as Playwright. The place of the performance is not identified, but it would appear that this performance was the one that was recorded for radio play on WNYC in 2002: apparently it was performed again on WNYC in 2004, with a different cast; the later cast included Miranda July and Ethan Hawke. The script is a computer printout on three hole-punched sheets, one sheet of which is recycled from another script, in a plastic binder. Near fine. A unique copy of a rare printed version of an uncommon work by Moody. [#032804] $750
$525

NY, Knopf, 1985. O'Brien's fourth novel, about a man compelled to dig a bomb shelter in his back yard to protect his family even if it means losing them in the process. Signed by the author with the added phrase from the book, in quotes: "It's love I want. Worship." Remainder stripe; else fine in a near fine, spine-faded dust jacket. [#025152] $60
$30

NY, Random House, (1967). The second book by the noted conservative commentator. This copy belonged to the writer Geoffrey Wolff and bears his underlinings and marginal comments throughout, as well as two full pages of notes on the front endpapers. Presumably Wolff reviewed the book; he has reviewed more than 400 books over the years, and typically marks the book as he reads it, in preparation for writing. We don't know where this review appeared, however. Cloth mottled; near fine in a near fine dust jacket with fading to the title lettering on the spine. [#028989] $60
$30

(various places), (various publishers), (1977-2000). Six magazines with pieces by and about Robbins. Two articles and four interviews, as follows: an interview in Rolling Stone, November 1977; a brief essay on living in La Conner, WA in Pacific Northwest, April 1986; an interview in Interview, November 1993; an interview in Seattle Weekly, April, 1994; a cover article on living in the Northwest in Seattle Times, August, 1994, (plus a newspaper ad for the same) and, lastly, an interview in High Times, June 2000. All issues are near fine or better, and span his career from the year after Even Cowgirls Get the Blues to Fierce Invalids from Hot Climates. [#023608] $40
$20

NY, Farrar Straus Giroux, (2014). The advance reading copy of this novel by the Pulitzer Prize winning author of Gilead; this novel, also set in the town of Gilead, won the National Book Critics Circle Award. Slight splay to cover; else fine in wrappers, with publisher's promotional pages laid in. Like a number of other ARCs of recent years, this appears to have been done in minuscule quantities; we have seen very few of them on the market. [#031753] $95
$48

(Milwaukee), Membrane Press, 1976. Inscribed by Rothenberg to Clayton [Eshleman] and Caryl, "the pleasure of your company." Near fine in wrappers. [#033545] $45
$23

Kansas City, BkMk, (1975). Seventeen poems by Russell, under the title "A Great Chief," part of the series of books he wrote under the umbrella title of Indian Thoughts. The other poets featured are Frank Higgins and Gordon Osing. Slight staining to rear cover; near fine in wrappers. Unmarked, but from the library of Native American author, performer, and publisher Joseph Bruchac. [#031735] $35
$18

(n.p.), (Dial Press), (1968). The uncorrected proof copy of his Pulitzer Prize-winning play. Quarto, 8" x 11"; paper clip imprint to front cover and first few pages (clip still present); sunning to covers and the number 48 written in pencil on front; near fine. An uncommon format, suggesting that not many copies would have been done. [#007163] $190
$124

Cincinnati, Writer's Digest Books, (2007). An advice book for fiction writers. Inscribed by the author to Robert Stone, "with affection & appreciation, a 'cunning craftsman' if ever there was one." Very near fine, without dust jacket, as issued. [#033777] $45
$23

NY, Ballantine, (2001). Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket. [#916815] SOLD

Boston/London, (Mariner)/Picador, 1997/(1999). Both the first paperback edition and the first British paperback edition of Stone's first collection of stories, spanning the years 1969 to 1997. Both copies are from the author's own library. The U.S. edition is fine; the British edition is near fine. [#033831] SOLD

Boston/NY, Houghton Mifflin, 1998. Both the first edition and the advance reading copy: both from the author's own library. In this densely plotted political and metaphysical thriller set in contemporary Jerusalem, Stone tackles the religious hatreds, political intrigues and spiritual aspirations and malaise that intersect in one of the most historically significant, and volatile, places on earth. Finalist for the National Book Award. The book is fine in a fine dust jacket; the advance copy is fine in wrappers. [#033835] SOLD

(London), Picador/Pan, (1991). The uncorrected proof copy of the first British edition of Vol. 3 of the Gonzo Papers. Wrappers slightly stained and creased; very good. Uncommon advance edition; this is the first copy we've seen. [#032913] $150
$98

NY, Knopf, 1972. Her fourth book, which many consider her scarcest. Signed by the author. Label removal shadow on front board, else very near fine in a very near fine dust jacket with the slightest smudging on the rear panel. [#911151] $1,000
$700

(Boston), Public Media Foundation, 1991. The newsletter of the Public Media Foundation. The cover article is Updike waxing nostalgic about narrative radio. Inscribed by Updike: "For ___ ___ -- A tremendously rare item for her collection. Cheers, John Updike." One sheet folded to make four 8-1/2" x 11" pages. Top and bottom margin foxing; near fine. [#030286] SOLD

Helsinki, Eurographica, (1990). Copy number 321 of 350 copies signed by the author and dated 1990. Faint edge foxing, else fine in wrappers and dust jacket. [#030231] $115
$75

[NY], (Scientific American), (1969). The first separate edition of this physics-themed poem. One of 6200 copies printed as Christmas cards to be issued with W.H. Auden's A New Year Greeting (not present). 24 pages, illustrated. Fine in stapled wrappers. Lacking the cardboard sleeve that combined the two booklets, but in a custom three quarter leather clamshell case from the Praxis Bindery. This copy is inscribed by the author: "For ___/ Merry Christmas 1995/ John Updike [with a drawing of holly leaves and berries]." While the print run of this item was not particularly small, especially when compared with the many limited editions Updike has done, the nature of its distribution -- as a freebie to Scientific American subscribers -- suggests that most copies would have been lost or discarded. [#030850] $2,500
$1,875

Franklin Center, Franklin Library, 1997. The Franklin Library edition of this novel, which was initially published to mixed reviews: Margaret Atwood, in The New York Times Book Review, loved it; David Foster Wallace, a self-proclaimed Updike fan, wrote a scathing review of it in The New York Observer. Signed by the author, with a special introduction by him for this edition. Leatherbound, page edges gilt, with a silk ribbon marker bound in. Fine. [#013863] SOLD

NY, Knopf, 1987. A collection of stories. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket. [#912097] $175
$114

(n.p.), King Ranch Edition, 1972. The limited edition. Copy 54 of 1000 (or, likely, fewer) numbered copies produced for the King Ranch, at the time reputed to be the largest ranch in the world, and signed by the author. Additionally, this copy is inscribed by Vavra to the writer Peter Matthiessen: "For Peter - who at one time was also under the spell of the bulls of Iberia. Thanks again for your help with my new book. It would be great to have you at the ranch - imagine the ¡oles¡. All best/ Robert/ April 23, 1996." Foreword by James A. Michener. Clothbound; mild spine fade; else fine in a near fine slipcase with several lamination creases to the pictorial covers. The copyright page has blacked out information covered with a pasted-on label, suggesting this edition was made up of copies from the Seville, Spain edition which, although identified as a signed limited issue was not signed. It is doubtful that there were actually 1000 copies of this edition produced, or distributed: the book seems to be fairly scarce. A nice association copy. [#029011] SOLD

NY, Random House, (1966). An extra-annotated copy: inscribed by Wasserman, "To --- ---, a fellow quixotick -- with appreciation, Dale Wasserman, in 1968. Wasserman, who had had success on Broadway with an adaptation of Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest in 1963, wrote the book for Man of La Mancha which opened off Broadway in 1965 and moved to Broadway in 1966, where it won the Tony Award for best musical. Tipped into this copy is a plethora of Quixotic ephemera, as well as four typed letters signed from Wasserman. There is also a photo of a Cervantes-themed bracelet, which the recipient had sent to Wasserman, and which Wasserman mounted and photographed. The four letters span 1968-1969. In one, Wasserman notes: "It amuses me, the way The Impossible Dream has swept the world, gone into so many languages and been put to so many uses. For most often it's used wrongly, in a perversion of its meaning..." The owner has rather compulsively annotated not only the text of the book, and the added articles, reviews, and illustrations; he has also annotated Wasserman's letters. Binding broken from all the ephemera laid in. Thus a good copy, with the dust jacket absent but the jacket flaps preserved and pasted to the endpages. A unique copy. [#033200] $750
$525

(Edinburgh), Rebel, Inc, (1996). A collection of novellas by six Scottish writers, including "The Rosewell Incident" by Welsh. This copy is signed by Welsh. Fine in wrappers. [#912161] $100
$65

[1921]. May 30 [1921]. Written to Herbert Fay, Custodian of Lincoln's Tomb. One 8-1/2" x 11" sheet of white lined paper, written on both sides. This letter refers to White Eagle's being in charge of an exhibit in Chicago for the Custer Battlefield Highway Association and to his efforts to contact an Apache named Dr. Montezuma, who lived in Chicago, in order to provide Fay with a photograph for his collection. Folded in sixths for mailing. Near fine. [#003296] $650
$455

London, Hogarth Press, 1937. Dampstaining to cloth and the outer upper corner of the text block; foxing to endpages; a good copy in a good, spine-stained and darkened Vanessa Bell dust jacket that is edge-chipped and fragile at the folds. [#033362] SOLD