Bright November by AMIS, Kingsley - 1947

London: The Fortune Press, 1947. Book. Very Good+. Hardcover. 12mo. An excellent ex-library copy with some sunning to crown and foot of backstrip. In priceclipped jacket with tape repair at crown and signs of tape to foot of jacket spine. Pages clean. Binding solid. [ Montreal Books rating system: 1. Fine 2. Near Fine 3. Very Good 4. Good 4. Fair ].

London: Fortune Press, 1943. First U.K. Edition. Hardcover. Fine. Fine first edition in black cloth of the author's scarce first book, a volume of poems. Lacking the rare dustwrapper. This copy INSCRIBED by Amis "To ____, Kingley Amis" Signed by Author.

London: The Fortune Press, 1947. First Edition. Hardcover. Very good. Presentation copy, inscribed and dated in the year of publication by Kingsley Amis to English crime writer Edmund Crispin (pseudonym of Bruce Montgomery, 1921-1978) on the front flyleaf. Amis and Crispin became friends while attending St. John's College, Oxford. The author's first book, a short collection of verse published by Reginald Ashley Caton's infamous Fortune Press. Octavo: 32 p. In the first issue black morocco-grain cloth with gilt titles. Minor scuff to the last page of the text, with a bit of mild rubbing to the corners and tips; otherwise very good.

London: The Fortune Press,, [1947]. First edition, first impression, later issue binding, of the author's first published book. The publisher R. A. Caton was an elusive one-man publisher who founded The Fortune Press, based at 12 Buckingham Palace Road, in 1924. He specialised in gay writing (several Fortune Press productions were burned after the 1934 obscenity trials), and in taking on new poets (whom he rarely paid - but could afford to publish due to judicious stockpiling of paper stock during the war years). He published Wallace Stevens, Dylan Thomas, and Philip Larkin, as well as Kingsley Amis, who delighted in the "Caton mystique" and wrote him into four of his novels as a thinly disguised rogue. Octavo. Rebound in near-contemporary red boards, spine lettered in gilt, edges uncut. With dust jacket. Slight smudge to p. 8, otherwise an excellent copy in the price-clipped jacket that has toned edges.

London: Fortune Press, 1943. First U.K. Edition. Hardcover. Fine. Fine first edition in black cloth of the author's scarce first book, a volume of poems. Lacking the rare dustwrapper. This copy INSCRIBED by Amis "To ____, Kingley Amis" Signed by Author.

London: The Fortune Press,, [1947]. First edition, first-issue binding, presentation copy inscribed in the month of publication "Best wishes from Kingsley Amis, November 1947" on the front free endpaper. Bright November was Amis's first published book. The publisher Reginald Ashley Caton (1897-1971) was an elusive one-man publisher who founded The Fortune Press, based at 12 Buckingham Palace Road, in 1924. He specialised in gay writing (several Fortune Press productions were burned after the 1934 obscenity trials), and in taking on new poets, whom he rarely paid but could afford to publish due to judicious stockpiling of paper stock during the war years. He published Wallace Stevens, Dylan Thomas, and Philip Larkin, as well as Kingsley Amis, who delighted in the "Caton mystique" and wrote him into four of his novels as a barely disguised rogue. Octavo. Original black morocco-grain cloth, spine lettered in gilt, edges untrimmed. Rubbing to ends, corners, and somewhat along joints, slight partial… Read More

London: The Fortune Press, 1947. 32pp, original boards in DJ. DJ professionally restored to spine, top edge of front panel and folds. Slight rubbing to spine ends and corners of book, light browning to endpapers, otherwise quite bright and clean. Inscribed and signed by Amis to front endpaper, 'Best Wishes from Kingsley Amis November 1947'. Signed by Author. First Edition. Hardback. Very Good/Good. 8vo.

2015 - Stated First Edition - Limited Edition - INSCRIBED by author on the title-page "Fran Marie, Friend for many years," - "Unlike the tradition of most books of poetry, Ransom includes photos and paintings." - book: near fine - tight, sound, and square - pages are clean and unmarked - dj: near fine

Rare original poetry book with cloth covered boards, copyright 1880 by J. W. Shoemaker & Co. This edition published in 1906 by the Penn Publishing company, Philadelphia. From the estate of my great-great grandfather.Includes many unique poems and recitations such as "To a skull", "Uncle Daniel's Introduction to a Mississippi Steamer", "The Leak in the Dyke", etc. More well-known poetry includes "Song of Birds", "Old Ironsides", and "Bannock Burn" by Robbie Burns. Light rubbing and bumps to outside spine edges. Back cover and interior cloth covered board has a stain at top. Original owner's name and address from 1908, but no other writing or marks. First 2 pages have a stain at top, but text of 192 pages of poetry and recitations is totally clean with light tanning of pages.

Comet Press Books, New York, 1956, Fine Hardcover / no dustjacket, 56 pages, 5.5" x 8.25". Inscribed by author on ffep.

New York, Grove Press, 2022, trade paperback, 272 pp, Advance Uncorrected Proof (ARC), New. Straight, tight and clean with no wear or markings in bright, pictorial card covers, no dustjacket as issued. The pieces in this collection, written between 1956 and 1961 and including short fiction, a radio play, and a stunning early novel, offer startling insights into Cohens imagination and creative process. Cohen explores themes that would permeate his later work, from shame and unworthiness to sexual desire in all its sacred and profane dimensions to longing, whether for love, family, freedom, or transcendence. ISBN 9780802160478

Trumansburg, NY: Out of Step Press. Fine with no dust jacket. 2016. Numbered Edition; First Printing. Pamphlet. The author's non-linear poem about the billeting of soldiers in civilian homes in wartime. Copy 89 of a limited edition of 250. Folded into the form of a letter, the work was letterpress printed in wraps of handmade "combat paper" made from military uniforms. The author says: "Some time ago-maybe a year, maybe two? I had a conversation with some of my Combat Paper brothers (well, the kids call them their combat paper uncles, so it follows…) that led to me writing the poem "Quartering." Which was informed by them, of course, and by all the rooms I'm in, and by imagining what is really required of all the caregivers I love. It's a thought experiment: if we tore down the barracks at military hospitals and offered incentives for Americans in the surrounding neighborhoods to quarter injured service members, what would the honest instructions… Read More

Plainfield: North Atlantic Books, 1976. First Edition, 8vo. [60pp], no pagination. Softcover, pictorial wraps. Very good condition, faint creasing, slight rubbing, top corner bumped and back cover small stain. This project was partially supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in Washington, D.C., a federal agency. Please see photos for specifics. A portion of all book sales from Babcock & 68th are donated to charity.

Singapore: Math Paper Press. Very Good. 2012. First Edition. Softcover. 9810728492 . Printed white wrappers, show moderate soil; light vertical crease front cover. Two Poem anthology, arising from the accidental advocacy of one poet, coming off the back of her love for walking about in the less beaten paths in Singapore. In a series of chapbooks borne of the Babette's Feast public gathering of writers.; 12mo - over 6¾ - 7¾" tall .

Palermo Edizioni Arte e Pensiero, 1947, paperback. Poetry, text in ITALIAN. SIGNED, inscribed by Giosue Sparito (pseudonym of Enrico Fagone). 123 pages. Softcover. Good used condition: binding unglued from spine, covers edgeworn, page margins tanned.

Winnetka, IL: Vixen Press, 1985. First Edition. Pictorial Paper Covers. Fine. 20pp, colophon; six colored wood engravings by Caryl Seidenberg. 9.5" x 6.5" This is #222 of 250 copies only, set in Centaur and Arrighi types and printed by hand on dampened Rives heavyweight. Signed under the colophon by Seidenberg and by Friedberg.

NY: Exposition Press, 1976. Burgundy leatherette boards, bright gilt lettering. Pages [63] clean, unmarked, binding tight and square. Semi-transparent waxpaper dust jacket, appears to be original; in new archival mylar, age discoloration at edges and spine, some edge wear, small bit missing. The author graduated Kennett (Missouri) High School in 1973. Copy of newspaper [DDD] article about the KHS reunion on Jan 18, 2004 laid in. Now also available is a signed copy, same condition but without the transparent dust jacket. Media Mail, Priority & most international shipping include free tracking information. Every book listed is located in my smoke free and climate controlled shop. All are inspected by me and will have qualities and/or flaws described. . First Edition. Hard Cover. Near Fine/Good+.