Hardcover
Passion Play
New York: St. Martin's Press, 1979. 271 pp. First Edition. Approximately 6 1/2 x 9 1/4". Illustrated dust jacket in fine condition. Black cloth 1/4 bound over red boards, signed on front free endpaper, some foxing to top edges, otherwise in near fine condition.
From the dust jacket: "Passion Play bears the stamp of Jerzy Kosinski's power and eloquence, heightened by an unusual tenderness and humanity. Fabian is the author's most romantic, most vulnerable hero - but also his most sexually driven - making Passion Play an indelible narrative of love and loss." Also from the dust jacket: "He seeks out women whom he met as girls, in whose minds he planted a seed of himself in preparation for a future harvest of seduction". A predator or a tender person? You'll have to read it to find out.
President Clinton, A Portrait Through Graphology, Astrology and Numerology
Brooklyn, NY: Pointeast Imprint, 1993. 49 pp. 2 7/8 x 2 1/4". LIMITED EDITION of 325 copies (75 in leather), this being # 93. Red cloth over boards, blind-stamped profile on cover, white title on spine, letterpresss, illustrated, tissue guard protected frontispiece, in fine condition. (Bradbury, Pointeast Imprint, 1)
The only miniature book published by this press, designed and printed by An-Khang Vu-Cong. Vu-Cong started his printing career in Vietnam. He came to the US and completed undergraduate and graduate studies and focused on printing and design in the early 1990s. Each author's section is signed by them and the publisher signed on the colophon.
Satyrs and Women
New York: Covici, Friede, 1930. Approximately 7 1/2 x 12". LIMITED EDITION of 1,250 this being #395. Original black slipcase with gold label on cover present but shows some wear, in very good condition. Blue cloth over boards with gilt design on cover, very sunned spine, 15 fullcolor tipped in illustrations, signed by the artist Majeska on the colophon, foxing throughout, otherwise in very good condition.
A fine press book on heavy paper, with a translated introduction by Pierre Loving, this book is full of sensual and intelligent poetry, accompanied by tasteful illustrations of partially naked women.
Shakespeare's Seasons
(Manteno, IL): Bronte Press, 1998. (28) pp. Approximately 2 3/8 x 3". LIMITED EDITION of 60 copies, this being #32. Marbled paper boards, calligraphy and illustrations by Suzanne Pruchnicki, hand-colored by Suzanne and Paul Pruchnicki, signed by the artist/printer. A fine copy, delightfully done. (Bradbury, Bronte Press #50)
Exceprts from Shakespeare's verses on the happenings of the seasons, all beautifully hand-colored.
Snake: a poem, with accompanying images by Kent Rush
Oakland, CA: Puissant Press, 1984. Approximately 12 1/4 x 16". LIMITED edition of 25 copies with this being #15. Beige cloth over boards form outer clamshell case, blindstamped title on cover, inner slipcase in gray cloth over boards also blind stamped with the title, all of which are in fine condition and beautifully crafted. Twelve unbound leaves as issued with tissue guards separating the prints, nine unnumbered leaves of lithographs and collotypes hand drawn (some in color) and printed by the artist accompanying text of poem, inscribed on the colophon by the artist, in fine condition.
Kent Rush (1948 - ) was a San Francisco Bay Area native before he settled in Texas. He studied art, drawing and printmaking, at the then California College of Arts and Crafts (CCAC), earning his BFA. He earned a Masters at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. His work has been exhibited extensively in the United States in solo, two and three person and group and competitive shows. Internationally he has also shown in London, Brazil, Peru, Mexico, and France. Kent inscribed a thank you to Beth Herrick, who hand set the typeface and hand printed the leaves at Puissant Press, Oakland, California and at Port and Starboard Press, Mount Desert, Maine (from the colophon). Only 3 institutional holdings at this time (9/19). "Snake" originally appeared as part of Lawrence's collection of poems, Birds, Beasts and Flowers, which was first published in the US in 1923.
Springtime a la Carte, Mamon and Archer, Last Leaf
Hyattsville, MD: Rebecca Press, 1988. 3 volumes, each 2 x 2 9/16". Textured homemade paper over boards (mauve, purple, dark green), beautiful endpapers, metallic slipcase, title on cover and spine, photocomposed, small illustrations, handsomely bound by Donald Brady, illustrated by Edith Caro, Limited edition of 200 copies, each volume numbered and signed by publisher Rebecca Bingham, in fine condition. (Bradbury, Rebecca Press 17-19)
Rebecca Saady Bingham has been designing and publishing miniature books since 1983. Her beautiful books are best known for their artistic details in the illustrations and bindings. She has complete control over the whole process, from choice of subject, to book design and types of materials used. These delightful books tell three short stories by O. Henry, a pseudonym of William Sydney Porter (1962 - 1910), an American author whose tales romanticize the commonplace, often set in New York City.
Star of Ill-Omen
London: Hutchinson & Co., 1952. 320 pp. 5 1/4 x 7 1/2"; First edition; Inscribed by the author on title page, Illustrated dust jacket has really minor edge wear and slight rubbing, price of 12/6 net intact, nice and bright colors, in very good + condition; Black cloth over boards with crisp gilt lettering on spine, a few spots on fore edges, two pages with old newspaper imprint discoloring, otherwise a lovely copy in very good + condition.
Dennis Wheatley (1897 - 1977) was an English writer who wrote 65 novels from the 1930's through the 1960's, mostly thrillers, science fiction, and occult novels. It is said that one of his main characters, Gregory Sallust, was one of the inspiration's for the James Bond character by Ian Fleming. This book has it all: German scientists, Russian spies, beautiful women, atomic weapons, and flying saucers.
Stinger
New York: Pocket Books, 1987. 442 pp. 5 1/2 x 8 1/2". First Hard Cover Edition. Illustrated dust jacket with Book Club Edition on front flap, minor dark marks that are very subtle, some edge wear, otherwise in very good plus condition; Brown paper over boards with crisp golden lettering on spine, signed on the title page, slight foxing on top fore-edge, in near fine condition.
Robert McCammon (1952 - ), is a well-known fantasy/horror writer, having been a recipient of the Horror Writers of America, Inc.'s Bram Stoker Award and nominated for the 1988 World Fantasy Award for Best Novel. This novel is about two aliens arriving in a small Texas town - one is a refugee and the other is a bounty hunter, who uses replicants with silver claws for hands and razor blade teeth to help him - the stingers. This is the true first hardcover edition, which precedes the British edition, published by Kinnell.
Stolen Faces
New York, Hagerstown, San Francisco, London: Harper & Row, 1977. 176 pp. Approximately 5 1/2 x 8 1/2". First edition, first printing, SIGNED and inscribed by the author on the title page. 1/4 bound brown cloth over boards with gold titles on spine and publisher blind stamp on cover, very slight shelf rubbing to bottom edges, otherwise fine condition. Illustrated dust jacket with a little rubbing in near fine condition. An excellent copy
From the jacket flap: Muphormosy, a disease not unlike leprosy, has ravaged the first settlers on the planet Tezcatl. Generations later, their similarly emaciated descendents live in a compound where they are isolated from the planet's normal inhabitants.
The Betrayed Confidence
Orleans, MA: Parnassus Imprints, 1992. Approximately 7 1/4 x 7 1/4". LIMITED EDITION of 250 copies, this being #165. Black paper covered slipcase in fine condition. Illustrated paper wrappers, includes a signed and numbered previously unpublished print laid in which bears the same signature and number as on the colophon of the book, all in fine condition. (Toledano A104a)
Edward Gorey (1925 - 2000) was an American artist and writer, best known for his eccentric imagery and stories, often set in Victorian and Edwardian settings. This book covers seven series of Dogear Wryde (an anagram of Gorey's name) postcards and includes: Scenes de Ballet, Menaced Objects, Alms for Oblivion, Interpretive Series, Neglected Murderesses, Tragedies Topiares, and Whatever Next? Some cards are captioned and some are not. A lovely example of the wide range of Gorey artwork and macabre humor.