Catalog 146: W-Z

312. WELTY, Eudora. John Rood. NY: Contemporaries, 1958. A catalog of a Rood sculpture exhibition with text (two pages) entirely by Welty. "What he has to say is still fresh as a birdcall at morning." A scarce "A" item, not listed in the bibliography. Small corner crease to upper front cover; a near fine copy in stapled wrappers. $750

313. WELTY, Eudora. Women!! Make Turban in Own Home! (n.p.): Palaemon Press (1979). The galley proofs for this short piece issued as a limited edition, in which Welty describes life lessons learned from Popular Mechanics. Printed on proofing paper, on rectos only. With one sample sheet that includes the illustrations. Fine. Scarce: presumably only a small handful would have been done. $400

314. WHARTON, Edith. Italian Villas and Their Gardens. NY: Century, 1904. The first and only edition of this nonfiction volume, heavily illustrated with photographs, drawings, and 26 full-color plates by Maxfield Parrish. This copy has a two-page autograph letter from Maxfield Parrish tipped in, written in his elegant, calligraphic hand, and referring to four of his paintings that the recipient, Mrs. Sage, owns and that Scribner's wanted permission to reproduce. The recipient and her husband were friends of Parrish and collectors of his paintings. Also tipped in is a three-page autograph letter from Edith Wharton to Mrs. Sage, thanking her for her letter; apparently Mrs. Sage indicated that Wharton's book had been a great help to her and that she was sending Wharton a Piranesi etching of Villa d'Este as a thank you. The book has been extra-illustrated, presumably by Mrs. Sage, with images of Italian villas, including a large image of Villa d'Este on the front free endpaper. The owner's small tasteful bookplate adorns the front pastedown. A wonderful, unique copy of this beautiful book, with a history of personal connections to the author and illustrator. $10000

315. WHITE, E.B. Charlotte's Web. NY: Harper & Brothers (1952). His most famous book, a classic that has stayed in print continuously for more than fifty years and was the basis for two films. White was a poet and humorist before beginning a decades-long career as an essayist at The New Yorker, helping to give that magazine its reputation for clarity, urbanity and fine writing. His children's books are the only fiction that he wrote, and they have been much-loved over the years by children and adults alike, for their sensitive characterizations and their depictions of the bittersweet pain of life and loss. A couple of small spots of staining to front flyleaf and front board; small bump to crown; a very good copy in a very good, spine-tanned dust jacket with a small chip to the upper rear panel and very shallow chipping to the spine ends. $1500

316. WILLIAMS, Tennessee. The Rose Tattoo. (NY): New Directions (1951). A play by the Pulitzer Prize winner, and basis for an Academy Award-winning film adaptation in 1955. Sunning to top board edge; else fine (in first issue rose cloth) in a near fine dust jacket with several short edge tears, one internally tape-repaired. $200

317. WILLIAMS, Tennessee. Baby Doll. (NY): New Directions (1956). The screenplay for the film, which was directed by Elia Kazan and for which Williams was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Screenplay. Fine in a near fine dust jacket with trace edge wear and a small nick to the rear flap fold. A nice copy. $200

318. WILLIAMS, Tennessee. Suddenly Last Summer. (NY): New Directions (1958). A one-act play that Williams adapted with Gore Vidal for a 1959 film which received three Academy Award nominations. A couple small spots to rear board; else fine in a fine dust jacket. An especially nice copy. $200

319. WILLIAMS, Tennessee. Orpheus Descending with Battle of Angels. (NY): New Directions (1958). The first publication of Orpheus Descending and a republication of Williams' first published play, originally issued in 1940. Foxing to top edge and mottling to boards; very good in a near fine dust jacket with light rubbing at the corners. $150

320. WILLIAMS, Tennessee. Sweet Bird of Youth. (NY): New Directions (1959). Light foxing to top edge; else fine in a near fine, internally foxed dust jacket with fading to the spine lettering. $150

321. WILLIAMS, Tennessee. Steps Must Be Gentle. NY: Targ Editions (1980). "A dramatic Reading for Two Performers," published as a limited edition, this being one of 350 copies signed by the author. A little bleeding of the blue marbled paper boards onto the spine cloth; near fine in a near fine, spine-tanned plain tissue dustwrapper. $350

322. WILSON, Lanford. Collected Works 1965-1070. (Lyme): Smith & Kraus (1996). Second printing. Inscribed by the author to film director Anthony (Tony) Harvey. Front cover splayed, spine sunned; near fine in wrappers. $45

323. WINTERSON, Jeanette. The Psychometry of Books. NY: Knopf, 1996. A prepublication excerpt from Art Objects, preceding the American trade edition. This particular essay concerns Winterson's own passion for book collecting. One of 2000 copies, signed by the author on a label mounted to the title page. Fine in stapled wrappers and string-tied cardstock chemise. $175

324. WOLFE, Tom. The Right Stuff. NY: FSG (1979). His landmark account of the first years of the American space program and the culture of the astronauts whose characters helped define it. Signed by the author. Fine in a very near fine dust jacket with a corner crease to the front flap and slight wear to the crown. Together with Wolfe's signature on an 8 1/2" x 7" blue sheet, from which the binding die was made. Glue residue to top edge, not affecting signature. $375

325. WOLFF, Geoffrey. Black Sun. NY: Random House (1976). His first book of nonfiction, a well-received biography of expatriate publisher and writer, Harry Crosby, one of the key literary figures in the Paris of the 1920s. Inscribed by the author in the year of publication. Fine in a fine dust jacket. $85

326. WOOLF, Virginia. Walter Sickert: A Conversation. London: Hogarth, 1934. An essay on Art in the form of a conversation with Sickert, one of England's most influential painters at the time. Sickert has also been suspected, not least by mystery novelist Patricia Cornwell, to be Jack the Ripper, a theory Cornwell has claimed is in part evidenced by his paintings. Spotting to rear cover; near fine in saddle-stitched wrappers with Vanessa Bell cover art. $125

ADDENDUM

327. SALINGER, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little Brown, 1951. Salinger's classic first book, a coming-of-age novel that has influenced successive generations of young people with its adolescent hero's rejection of the "phoniness" of the adult world around him combined with the authenticity of his voice. Salinger's book retains the freshness it had when first published, and it stands as one of the great fictional accomplishments of 20th century American literature, included on every list of the 100 best novels of the century, and listed as number 2 on the Radcliffe list and number 6 on the Waterstone's list. A handful of small rust-colored spots on pages 6 and 7, otherwise this is a fine copy in a near fine, unrestored dust jacket with a bit of toning to the spine, a 1/8" tear at the upper edge of the rear panel and a tiny bit of wear at the corners. A beautiful copy: the pages are whiter than usual; the corners square and unbumped; the spine gilt bright; and the jacket is clean and unmarked, with the colors bright and unfaded. A very attractive copy of this book, which seldom turns up in such condition. (Images available on request.) $17500