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The Accidental Bookseller
Specializing in Interesting and Uncommon Books in Unusually Nice Condition
Membership(s): IOBA, FABA
Selected Poems
$1,200.00
Frost, Robert
New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1923. First Edition.
A very good copy with cloth-backed green patterned boards, erasable pencil writing to rear free endpaper, tight other than a little gingerness to the hinge in the middle of the book, corners rubbed (one scuffed) and curling inward in a very good unclipped dust wrapper, lightly chipped, spine toned, small tear to side of front flap.
First printings in dust wrapper are scarce with only three appearing in auction since 2000.
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Scarce Publication in the Burroughs Canon, Signed
Port of Saints
$1,200.00Covent Garden Press/Am Here Books: London/Ollon (Switzerland). Dated 1973 though not issued until 1975 due to paper supply shortage. The true first and only edition with this text. A revised edition was issued by Blue Wind Press in 1980. Only 200 copies printed, 100 numbered and signed, the remainder unsigned. This is one of the 100 unsigned copies which has been subsequently signed by Burroughs on the title page. A not terribly well made book, this is a nice near fine copy, boards slightly dust soiled, in a near fine example of the fragile dust wrapper, a bit rubbed to the extremities. One of the scarcer publications in the Burroughs canon.
Offered for Sale by: The Accidental Bookseller -
With Holograph of Poet's Most Widely Known Work
Selected Poems
$1,500.00Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1955. First edition. Unique copy, inscribed on the front pastedown and featuring a holograph of ‘The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner’, commonly viewed as the poet’s most widely known and frequently anthologized work. From my mother’s sleep I fell into the State,And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze.Six miles from earth, loosed from its dream of life,I woke to black flak and the nightmare fighters.When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose. First published in 1945, the poem drew directly from Jarrell’s own involvement with military aircraft and airmen during WW2. “While the people and events of World War II are commonly found in Jarrell’s poetry, this poem is unique for its lack of wit. Indeed, the grim tone of this poem places it firmly in the Modernist movement of literature.” Jarrell reportedly “admitted to fearing most of his reputation as a poet is tied up in [this poem]. But, there are certainly worse outcomes for a poet’s career in this poem which has been referred to as the best war poem ever written.” Bottom corners a little scuffed, else nearly fine in good dust wrapper with unprofessional repairs to interior.
Offered for Sale by: The Redbridge Book Co. -
One of 15 Copies Bound in Full Morocco
Innocence in Extremis
$500.00New York: The Grenfell Press, 1985. From the colophon: “118 copies have been printed & published at The Grenfell Press, New York City, in spring/summer 1985. Copies numbered 1-85 are printed on Saunders paper and bound in quarter morocco with the covers and frontispiece by T. L. Solien. Roman numeral copies I-XV are bound in full morocco hand-colored by the artist and contain a frontispiece. Lettered copies A-R are for the author and artist. Bindings are by Claudia Cohen; Michael Bixler has set the text in Dante. Each copy has been signed by John Hawkes and T. L. Solien.” Copy XIII of the Roman numeral edition. T. L. Solien’s work has been the subject of numerous exhibitions across the country and is included in public and private collections around the world. Selected collections include: Metropolitan Museum of Art, Whitney Museum of American Art; Smithsonian American Art Museum; Art Institute of Chicago; Milwaukee Art Museum; Madison Museum of Contemporary Art; Minneapolis Institute of Art; Tate Gallery, London; National Gallery of Australia; Singapore Art Museum, among others. (source: Tory Folliard Gallery). Near fine, slight uneven tanning to boards, small and shallow abrasion to rear cover. In publisher’s plexiglass slipcase, one seam split as appears to be common to be this title, small chip and a couple of cracks, neither affecting the case’s integrity.
Offered for Sale by: The Accidental Bookseller -
One of 25 Copies, Red Ozier Press Highspot
Paul’s Blues
$1,200.00New York: Red Ozier Press, 1984. Large 4to quarter cloth. Limited to 115 copies (90 in wrappers) signed by composer and artist, this is one of 25 copies bound in Claire Maziarczyk’s wastepapers over boards. Very slight indentation lower front board, still easily a fine, unread and bright copy. In an essay on Red Ozier, press bibliographer Michael Peich highlights this title: “Red Ozier published dozens of titles that are distinguished examples of the physical book. One book, Paul’s Blues, deserves mention for its combination of solid typography and interesting art. The text reproduces songs that the composer Ned Rorem wrote based on lyrics composed by Paul Goodman. In the introduction Rorem discusses his association with Goodman and how the songs were written in 1947. Following the introduction is a reproduction of Rorem’s fair-hand manuscripts for each of the three songs, the printed lyrics of the songs, the composer’s journal entries from around the date of Goodman’s death on 3 August 1972, and an afterword by Rorem. The manuscript is a complex mixture that is both solemn (Rorem’s tribute to his friend) and entertaining (the songs themselves). [Press founders] Ken and Steve solved the textual complexity by choosing a straightforward, elegant typographic presentation. The only adornment in the book is Rivers’ energetic title page which addresses the creative collaboration between poet and composer; in an almost excited way it prepares the reader for the text that follows. The finished product is a masterful job of keeping all the elements of the text in perfect balance and harmony. It is a high point of production from the press because it combines, with almost disarming ease, classical typography with a new technology (the title page was reproduced by color Xerox and transferred to the sheets).”
Offered for Sale by: The Redbridge Book Co.