A Comprehensive Collection
1972-2002. 24 titles in 52 volumes, plus papers. Includes all the 1st editions published in her life, most signed, one posthumous book, a few pointedly pertinent proofs, some half significant typescripts and letters, and one piece of ephemera. Item #317
1. Politics (n. p., 1972). 1st edition of her first book. Publisher’s clothbacked stiff wrappers, one corner bumped else near fine. Annoyingly scarce. Signed presentation copy inscribed on the title page, “Dear Paul, for everything, not least of which yr, jail poems which I just read, + for these few days: Love Kathy.” 2a. Childlike Life of the Black Tarantula (San Diego, 1973). 6 vols. Complete 1st edition in the original serialized parts, mailed to subscribers only. Wrappers, near fine. The first and rarest of her parts issues, the one you can’t get. Laid in to pt. 5 is a contemporary 61 word handwritten note, by Acker, in blue ink, to the subscriber referencing pt. 5, inviting a rendez–vous, and signed as TBT (the black tarantula). 2b. Childlike Life of the Black Tarantula (NY [Viper’s Tongue], 1975). 1st trade edition. White photographic pictorial wrappers. Very good. Signed presentation copy inscribed, “For Josh, Wow! All love, Kathy.” 2c. Childlike Life of the Black Tarantula (NY [TVRT], 1978). 1st printing of a different (better distributed) trade edition. Green pictorial wrappers. Fine. Presentation copy inscribed, “This book is for Burt – love – (with Acker’s drawing of a tarantula).” 3a. I Dreamt I Became a Nymphomaniac [“Was” for “Became” parts 2–4]. (San Francisco, 1974). 6 vols. Complete 1st edition in the original serialized parts, mailed to subscribers only. Wrappers, near fine. Splendid signed presentation copy with: 1. A note in pt. 1 “No more Tarantulas left. Hope this new series suffices. Enjoy Kathy.” [and] 2. A long inscription and elaborate decorations in pt. 2 (see pictures on previous pages 2 and 6). [and] 3. An inscription in pt. 4 “Thanks for stuff! Love, TBT” (the black tarantula). 3b. I Dreamt I Was a Nymphomaniac (n.p., 1974). An unbound set of photocopied proofs (rectos only) taken from the 1974 edition in 6 parts, but with the title now settled upon. 192 pages (2 pages each on 8 1/2” X 11” sheets). Complete. Signed by Acker. 3 notes in text. The proofs are laid into her homemade, tape–backed, black manila folder. 3c. I Dreamt I Was a Nymphomaniac (NY [Traveler’s Digest], 1980). 4 pre–publication proofs. To wit: 1. A near complete set of cut–up, pasted–up page proofs, before illustrations, for the 1980 Traveler’s edition. The glue has dried and most of the text fragments have come loose and scrambled, else good. Signed “Kathy Acker” on page 3. [and] 2. A mostly corrected proof with illustrations for the 1980 Traveler’s edition, but there are some additions, drawings, notes, etc. Loose sheets laid into a proof of the pictorial covers. Very good. Signed “Kathy Acker.” [and] 3. An unfolded, untrimmed mock–up proof of the Traveler’s pictorial covers (see photo above). Fine. [and] 4. 2 sets of printer’s sheets (8 pages per sheet) for the Traveler’s edition. Near fine. 3d. I Dreamt I Was a Nymphomaniac (NY [Traveler’s Digest], 1980). 1st trade edition. Near fine. Inscribed, “To the best dirty bookseller in the world, Love, Kathy.” 4a. Adult Life of Toulouse Lautrec (NY, 1975). 6 vols. Complete 1st edition in the original serialized parts. Wrappers, thin stain to the blank back wrapper of pt. 6 else near fine. Not a biography, but a novel, with all the charm of fire ants. 4b. Adult Life of Toulouse Lautrec, Part 6, The Life Of Johnny Rocco (NY, 1976). 30 page typescript (title + 29pp.) in very good condition, no corrections, but complete, and signed “Kathy Acker” on the first page. 4c. Adult Life of Toulouse Lautrec (NY [TVRT], 1978). 1st trade edition. Wrappers. Fine. Presentation copy, inscribed by Acker, “For Burt, All my Love, Tooloose [sic] Lautrec.” 5. Florida (Providence, 1978). 1st edition. Wrappers. Fine. Signed presentation copy, inscribed, “For Lorie, All love, Acker.” 6a, Kathy Goes to Haiti, A Trip to the Voodoo Doctor (n. p., 1977). 3 page typed manuscript, very good, with corrections, signed at the top “Kathy Acker.” An early version for the appearance in Traveler’s Digest, vol. I, no. I (a copy of the periodical is included). 6b. Kathy Goes to Haiti (Toronto, 1978). 1st edition. Pictorial wrappers. Fine. Signed and inscribed, “For Johre [?], dealings, Kathy, love.” 7a. Inside High School (Parents Stink [and] The Scorpions), from Blood and Guts in High School (n. p., 1978). Mimeographed typescript of an early draft, varying from the printed text of the published novel, which was copyright in 1978 but not issued until 1984. Parents Stink is 25 pages. The Scorpions is 30 pages (23 pages of text, and 7 pages of captioned illustrations) with 3 minor corrections. The Scorpions is signed, “Kathy Acker.” 7b. Blood and Guts in High School (NY, 1984). 1st edition. Fine in wrappers. 7c. Blood and Guts in High School Plus Two (London, 1984). 1st U. K. edition. The “Plus Two” are Great Expectations [and] My Death, My Life by Pier Paolo Pasolini (an Acker pseudonym). Fine in a very good dustjacket. 8. The Seattle Book (n. p., 1980). 1st edition. Privately printed. 17 pages (2 + 13 pages of text + 2 pages of illustrations). Near fine. A rarity, never seen for sale. 9a. Persian Poems (London, 1980. 1st edition. Wrappers. Fine. Signed presentation copy, inscribed, “For Harry, All my love, Acker,” 9b. 6 letters (3 handwritten, 3 typed, all signed) to Michael Perkins, circling the 1981 New York Poetry Project. Near fine. 10. N. Y. C. in 1979 (Buffalo [Top Stories], 1981). 1st edition. Pictorial wrappers. one corner crease, else fine. Signed presentation copy, inscribed, “For Harry, All love, Acker.” 11. Hello, I’m Eric Jong (NY, 1982). 1st edition. Wrappers lightly toned else fine. Signed presentation copy, inscribed, “For Harry, All love Acker.” 12a. Great Expectations (San Francisco [Re/Search], 1982). “Advance proof copy” of the withdrawn 1st edition. Pictorial wrappers designed by Enrico Chandoha and with a pencil note by him on the endpaper recalling that Acker pulled the book from this publisher. Not as great as Dickens’ version but a lot more fun than say, the Wikipedia entry for rope. 12b. Great Expectations (Barrytown [Open Book], 1982). 1st edition. Pictorial wrappers, one corner crease else fine. Signed, “Kathy Acker.” 12c. Great Expectations (A March 11–12 performance at “The Kitchen”). Pictorial flyer (10 3/4” X 8 3/8”). one tiny edge nick else very good. Signed, “Kathy Acker.” 13. Implosion (NY, 1983). 1st edition. Pictorial wrappers. Light rubs, near fine. Signed presentation copy, “This book, not to be stolen, is for Rhys! Cause I love him!! Kathy.” 14a. Algeria (London, 1984). 1st edition. Pictorial wrappers. Spine faded, a corner creased else near fine. Inscribed, “Yours, Kathy Acker.” 14b. Algeria, The Problem of We the Colonized (1984?). One page photocopy of an early typescript with one minor spelling correction. [and] Lotted with this page are (and always were) 2 other identical looking photocopied Acker typescripts, published elsewhere, On My Mother’s Death (4 pages), and, Miss. Slavey and Mr. Henry James Jr. (3 pages). 15a. Don Quixote (London, 1986). Bound proof of the 1st edition (published April, 24). Wrappers. Fine. 15a. Don Quixote (NY, 1986). Bound proof of the 1st American edition (published Oct. 31). Wrappers. Fine. 16. Literal Madness (NY, 1987). 1st edition. Collects (reprints) Haiti, Florida, and My Death My Life. Fine in fine dustjacket. Inscribed, “Love Acker.” 17. Empire of the Senseless (NY, 1988). 1st edition. Fine in fine dustjacket. Signed, “Kathy Acker.” 18. In Memoriam to Identity (NY, 1990). 1st edition. Fine in fine dustjacket. Signed, “Kathy Acker.” 19. Hannibal Lecter, My Father (NY, 1991). 1st edition. Collected from periodicals and earlier books. Wrappers. Fine. Inscribed, “For Denis, All my love, Kathy Acker.” 20. Portrait of An Eye (NY, 1992). “Uncorrected proof” (really an advance reading copy) of the 1st edition. Wrappers. Fine. Signed, “Kathy Acker.” Collects (reprints) Black Tarantula, Nymphomaniac, and Toulouse–Lautrec. 21. My Mother: Demonology (NY, 1993). 1st edition. Fine in fine dustjacket. Signed, “Kathy Acker.” Hugs are prison, cookies are shackles, moms are a male plot. 22. Pussycat Fever (Edinburgh and San Francisco, 1995). 1st edition. Pictorial wrappers, a good copy. Signed presentation copy, inscribed, “For Caroline, All my love, Kathy.” Publishes a part (75 pages) of Pussy, King of the Pirates. 23a. Pussy, King of the Pirates (NY, 1996). “Uncorrected proof” (really an advance reading copy) of the 1st edition. Wrappers. Fine. 23b. Pussy, King of the Pirates (NY, 1996). 1st edition. Fine in fine dustjacket. Signed, “Kathy Acker.” 24a. Rip–Off Red, Girl Detective and the Burning Bombing of America (NY, 2002). “Uncorrected proof” (really an advance reading copy) of the posthumous 1st edition. Wrappers. Fine. 24b. Rip–Off Red, Girl Detective and the Burning Bombing of America (NY, 2002). 1st edition. Pictorial wrappers. Fine. A harvesting of the core, and a pure one, free of padding, and a collection like this is not going to be obtainable anywhere else (a lack of choices clears the mind), so I shouldn’t have to sell it very hard. I mean, a bridge doesn’t run around the town looking for people to carry across the river, it just stands there and says, “Here I am.”.
Price:
$20,000.00