hardcover
The Bookman's Wake
New York: Scribner, 1995. 6 1/4 x 9 1/2". 351 pp. First edition; Illustrated dust jacket in near-fine condition; Tan cloth over maroon boards with red lettering on spine, signed by the author on the title page with date of "4-12-95", binding a little loose in the spine, otherwise in near-fine condition.
This is the author's second book and the second time with the Cliff Janeway character. It involves a mysterious and rare Edgar Allan Poe book that someone might kill for and probably did.
The Burglar in the Library
New York: Dutton, 1997. 342 pp. 6 1/4 x 9 1/4"; First Edition. Pictorial dust jacket in fine condition; Black cloth over black paper boards with crisp gilt lettering on spine, author inscribed on title page, in fine condition.
A delightful mystery with the scenario from the flap describing, "What do you get when you combine an English-style inn, a group of snowbound guests, and a dead body in the library". A fun bibliographic whodunit.
The Devil Tree
New York: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, Inc., 1973. 208 pp. Approximately 5 1/2 x 8". Inscribed by the author on the half-title page, "For Michael B. Meyers, in appreciaton of his interest, and with every best wish, Jerzy Kosinski, December 1972". Illustrated dust jacket, with some edge wear and creasing on the flaps, in very good condition. Black cloth 1/4 bound over green boards with silver title on spine, top edges foxed, previous owner's name on the half-title page, otherwise in very good condition.
Oh, such hardship. A rich young heir in his quest for self, sidetracked by hippie colonies, opium brothels, luxury suites in Manhattan, drugs, and of course, sex. From the jacket: "This fierce novel, swift in action, replete with characters and events, and rising to an unpredictable, shattering conclusion, is a powerful and memorable experience."
The Exquisitry of William Lewis Washburn
New Britain, CT: REM Miniatures, 1999. (44) pp. Approximately 2 3/4 x 2 1/4". LIMITED EDITION of 99 copies, this being #28. Black buckram, printed paper label on upper cover, illustrated, unpaginated, slide-on paper sleeve, all enclosed in a decorated box with printed label. Signed presentation from the Massmanns on second free fly. A very fine copy; prospectus laid in. (Bradbury, REM, 100)
A tribute to William Lewis Washburn, publisher of miniature books and broadsides, with a short-title list of all his publications.
The Eyes of Texas
Austin, TX: Amistad Press, 1982. (28) pp. Approximately 1 x 1 3/8". LIMITED EDITION of 250 copies. Orange cloth over printed paper boards, illustrated, original packaging, signed by the publisher on the copyright page, fine condition. (Bradbury, Amistad Press 41)
A humorous little tale about how the song "The Eyes of Texas are Upon You" came into being. Written by Jack Maguire, Executive Director of the University of Texas Institute of Texan Cultures in San Antonio. This is the smaller first edition, as a larger second edition was printed in 1986.
The Griffin
San Diego, CA: Ash Ranch Press, 1989. 36 pp. Approximately 2 7/16 x 2 7/16". LIMITED EDITION of 126 copies, this being #34. Red leather over boards, blind stamped griffin design on cover with gilt title on spine, letterpress, marbled endpapers, illustrations throughout, signed on the colophon by the publisher, in fine condition. (Bradbury, Ash Ranch Press #14)
The subtitle of the book says, "The Griffin. A note on a fabulous creatures rise from a guardian of gold to a symbol of printing." A lovely little history with illustrations about the griffin symbol.
The Haploids
New York: Rinehart & Co., 1952. 248 pp. Approximately 5 1/4 x 7 3/4". First edition. Signed/inscribed by the author to "Loren Lewis, a good friend who I have found has an eye for the same sort of thing I have...Thanks. Jerry Sohl." Illustrated dust jacket with slight wear and some creases and minor chipping in very good + condition, not price-clipped; Black cloth over boards with title and design in color on spine, minor tanning, in near fine condition.
Jerry Sohl (1913 - 2002), was an American science fiction author who also wrote television scripts for such series as The Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Outer Limits and the original Star Trek series. This thrilling book is about the plot to exterminate the entire male population of the world. A classic in the genre.
The Library of Alexandria
Ann Arbor, Michigan: Alvey Jones, [2021]. LIMITED EDITION of 2, this being #2. Tan cloth over clamshell box with green spine cloth, lime green acrylic label on cover and green speckled marbling on box edges, enclosed are twenty-six miniature books (scrolls) in various media such as paper and wood (scrolls are non-removable), in fine condition.
Alvey Jones is a painter, printmaker and book artist whose work has been exhibited locally and nationally and is in many public and private collections in the United States and Europe. He has a BFA in illustration and design, an MA in art history and he mostly creates miniature books. This book is an homage to the famed ancient library at Alexandria, Egypt, which ceased to exist by the end of the Third century CE and contains miniature books (scrolls) in several languages.
The Passions of the Mind
Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, 1961. 808 pp. + acknlowledgments, glossary and bibliography. Approx. 6 1/4 x 9 1/2"; First edition printed after limited edition. Marbled dust jacket with some creases and rubbing, otherwise in very good condition; Blue cloth over boards with clear lettering spine, some spotting to top page edges, signed on the Sigmund Freud quote page, in near fine condition.
Irving Stone (1903 - 1989), was an American writer, best known for his novels of famous politicians, artists, and intellectuals. His best known works are Lust for Life, about the life of Vincent van Gogh, and The Agony and the Ecstasy, about the life of Michelangelo. This book is a biographical novel of Sigmund Freud.
The Persian Letters
Cleveland: The Rowfant Club, 1988. 8 x 11". 121 pp. LIMITED EDITION of 300 copies, this being #272. Marble paper covered board with maroon cloth spine and paper label on spine and paper paste-down title label on front cover, beautiful endpapers signed by the artis Renee Fuller, rending of George, Lord Lyttleton signed by artist John Sukys, in fine condition.
Lyttleton was an English gentleman in the eighteenth century, rather a mediaeval and Renaissance man. From the preface, "He was an active statesman, an avid reader, a generous patron, an observant, witty and graceful writer."