Collection: American Literature

First printing of this collected edition of Auster's celebrated New York trilogy of novels: "City of Glass," "Ghosts," and "The Locked Room." Los Angeles: Sun & Moon Press, 1994. First edition thus. Octavo (5.25 x 7.75 in.); 464pp.; red cloth boards; silver spine titles; in... More

NY: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1982. First edition. Octavo; 216pp.; Orange boards, black quarter-cloth, in dust jacket. Signed by Babbitt on the title page. Herbert Rowbarge details the successful but unhappy life of the titular character through the lens of his adult twin daughters. Having been... More

NY: Doubleday, 1975. First edition. Signed by Ballantyne on the front free end paper. Octavo; 278pp.; speckled tan boards with black cloth backing. Purple remainder spray to bottom of textblock. Light shelfwear at spine ends. In an unclipped "$7.95" jacket with light rubbing at spine... More

NY:  Jewish Publication Society of America, 1941. Hardcover. 8vo. 394pp. First edition (no subsequent printings noted; 1941 date on both copyright and title pages). Full brown cloth with matching brown topstain, and black spine titles & front panel motif. Light bumping at spine ends, very... More

First trade edition of this book combining new stories with material drawn from Berlin's first three collections. Santa Rosa: Black Sparrow Press, 1990. First edition. One of 300 unsigned hardcover trade copies (there were also 125 numbered and signed hardcovers, and 26 handbound lettered and... More

Santa Rosa: Black Sparrow Press, 1990. First edition, trade paperback issue. 280pp. 8vo. Perfect-bound in printed wraps. Soft creases to rear corners; mild soiling to covers. Near fine. Though unstated, this copy from the library of New York School poet, librettist, and publisher Kenward Elmslie... More

Santa Rosa: Black Sparrow Press, 1993. First edition, trade paperback issue. 214pp. 8vo. Perfect-bound in printed wraps. Mild wear to bottom corners and base of spine, else about fine. Though unstated, this copy from the library of New York School poet, librettist, and publisher Kenward... More

Santa Rosa, CA: Black Sparrow Press, 1999. First edition, trade paperback issue. 240pp. 8vo. Perfect-bound in printed wraps. Sticker ghost to front cover, else fine. Though unstated, this copy from the library of New York School poet, librettist, and publisher Kenward Elmslie (1929-2022), a close... More

A pleasantly sharp copy of Berriault's first novel, a political satire about a near-future America driven underground by the looming threat of nuclear war. NY: Atheneum, 1960. First edition. Octavo (5.25 x 8.25 in.); 171pp.; black papered boards backed with pale yellow cloth, dark red... More

An immaculate first edition copy of the sole novel by the influential and controversial American literary critic: an interstellar explication of Christian Gnostic principles, with a plot heavily indebted to David Lindsay's sui generis fantasy "A Voyage to Arcturus" (1920). NY: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1979.... More

NY: New Directions, 1949. Hardcover. 8vo. 318pp. First edition, first printing (no subsequent printings stated on copyright page). Spine ends and board corners lightly bumped/softened. Some light soiling to boards. As usual, the pastedowns and endpapers show some adhesive-based offsetting, though nothing too severe. A quite... More

NY: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1969. Hardcover. 8vo. 242pp. Stated first edition. Inscribed by Carpenter with a doodle of what might be a frog on the front free end paper. Full black cloth with bronze spine titles. Rear board corners very lightly bumped, a touch... More

Collectible signed copy of Carpenter's ninth novel and the last to be published during his lifetime, a dark but honest reckoning with suburban malaise playing out among the members of a fractured family in Marin County, California. San Francisco: North Point Press, 1988. First edition.... More

Uncommon proof/advance copy of Don Carpenter's debut novel. NY: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1966. First edition; advance proof/review copy. Signature-bound in tan wraps, printed on front and rear covers only (spine blank). 5.75 x 8.5 in. 308pp. Forward cocking, scalloping, and some reading creases to... More

Weston, CT: Magic Circle Press, 1977. 8vo. 165pp. Perfect-bound softcover in printed black and white wraps. First edition. Signed and lovingly inscribed by Duncan on the dedication page. Softening at corners, wear along hinges and at spine ends. Binding secure, text clean and unmarked. A novel... More

Santa Barbara: Black Sparrow Press, 1983. First edition thus. One of 500 cloth trade copies. Octavo (9.25 x 6.5 in.); 265pp; decorative paper boards backed with maroon cloth, in original acetate jacket. Fine, with a few spots of nearly imperceptible foxing to textblock top. Near... More

First printing of this complete text of Faulkner's third novel, a shortened form of which was published in 1929 as "Sartoris." Edited and with an introduction by Douglas Day. NY: Random House, 1973. First edition. Octavo (8.5 x 5.75 in.); xi + 370pp.; mustard cloth... More

Uncommon first edition of the American writer's first adult novel and second published work, following only her 1966 children's book Maurice's Room. NY: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1967. First edition. Octavo, 8-1/4 x 5-1/2 in. 220pp. Blue cloth boards; black and gold spine lettering; in... More

NY: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1968. Hardcover. 8vo. 201pp. First printing. Full blue cloth with red topstain and white spine titles. NF/NF. Light shelfwear, two small water spots to topstain, light toning to textblock. In an unclipped, "$4.50" jacket with light wear at spine ends,... More

The first collected edition of Fuchs' enduring novels about life in Depression-era Brooklyn, Summer in Williamsburg, Homage to Blenholt, and Low Company, originally published in 1934, 1936, and 1937, respectively. Fuchs has lovingly inscribed this copy to Susan Foster, a long-time personal assistant to film... More

Signed first printing of Gaddis' fourth novel, winner of the 1994 National Book Award for Fiction. NY: Poseidon Press, 1994. Signed by Gaddis on the title page. First edition. Octavo (9.5 x 6.75 in.); 586pp.; brown boards with blue-quarter cloth spine, in dust jacket. Near... More

NY: Kraus, 1967. Hardcover. 8vo. 139pp. Second edition; a facsimile of the 1947 first issued by the Grolier Club. Two-tone grey cloth boards with gilt titles. Seven black and white plates. Lacking the slipcase if issued with one. Light wear at spine ends and tips,... More

NY: Random House, 1979. Hardcover. First edition. 8vo. 151pp. Full maroon cloth with silver titles. Gift inscription on front pastedown, short tear at head of front interior gutter, light bumping to spine ends. In a price-clipped jacket with a couple of short closed tears, light fading... More

First edition of Hazard's third novel, generally acknowledged as her finest, winner of the 1980 National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction. NY: The Viking Press, 1980. First edition. Octavo, 9-1/2 x 6-3/8 in. 337pp. Red boards backed with blue cloth; stamped in gilt to... More

Tidy copy of this British reprint edition of Hemingway's second book, a novella. Introduction by David Garnett. London: Jonathan Cape, 1964. Reprint. 156pp. Small 8vo. Dark green textured paper boards; gilt spine lettering; dust jacket. About fine in a very good (+) jacket, shallowly clipped... More