Timothy McSweeney's Quarterly Concern, 1998-2003 (12 issues) by EGGERS, David, edited by - 2003

(Brooklyn / Reykjavik: McSweeney's, 2003. Hardcover. Fine. A complete collection consisting of the first twelve issues, plus variants, published during the literary journal's first five years. Twelve issues [in a total of fourteen volumes, issue five has three variant bindings, see below]. Each volume is a first edition. Condition is overall near fine or better, full details below. All but two issues are Signed or Initialed by Eggers, and with the additional signatures of approximately 45 other McSweeney's contributors. A significant grouping of the first five years of one of the most significant and creative literary journals of the past few decades. Details as follows: Issue 1: "Gegenshein." (1998). Initialed by Eggers in 2002. Also Signed by Neal Pollack, Sarah Vowell, and Rick Moody, and Inscribed by John Hodgman. Near fine in wrappers. Issue 2: "Blues/Jazz Odyssey or Pollyanna's Bootless Errand." (1999). Initialed by Eggers, with "Always." Also Signed or Inscribed by Jonathan Lethem, Neil Pollack, Sarah Vowell, Tim Carvell, Todd Pruzan, Amanda Davis, Sean Wilsey, Paul Collins, Lawrence Krauser, John Hodgman, Paul Maliszewski, Arthur Bradford, and Colleen Werthman. Near fine in wrappers. Issue 3: "Windfall Republic." (1999). Initialed by Eggers in 2002. Also Signed by Jonathan Lethem, Rick Moody, Sarah Vowell, Judy Budnitz, Colleen Werthman, and Tom Tomorrow. Taped tear lower edge, else near fine in wrappers. Issue 4: "Trying, Trying, Trying, Trying, Trying." (2000). Published as an assortment of individual booklets and illustrated cardstock box. Initialed by Eggers in the back of "Notes and Background." Also Signed by George Saunders, Jonathan Lethem, Rick Moody, Sarah Vowell, and Lawrence Weschler. Contents fine with tiny tear on box tab. Issue 5: (2000). The first hardcover edition of the publication, which was issued (as best we can tell) in three variant bindings and four variant dust jackets. Listed in no bibliographically significant order: A) The Ted Koppel binding and the blank white front cover dust jacket. B) The anatomical arm plus text binding, in both the anatomical arm dust jacket and the "simple red cover" jacket. C) The "Susan Minot's Outtakes" binding in the head lesion dust jacket, onto which Eggers has drawn eyeglasses and Initialed the jacket in 2001; this copy of the book is Initialed by Eggers, with "yes" and Signed by Susan Minot (on the spine), and Signed or Inscribed by Lydia Davis, Neal Pollack, Paul Collins, Ben Greenman, Lawrence Weschler, Paul LaFarge, Ben Marcus, Ann Cummins, Sarah Vowell, Colleen Werthman, and Joshua Bearman. The first variant is bumped at the lower edge, otherwise the three are fine in near fine or better dust jackets. Issue 6: "Timothy McSweeney's Very Intense Heated Passionate Battle/Embrace with They Might Be Giants." (2001). Hardcover, issued with a CD by They Might Be Giants. Two variant bindings, only one of which is included here, the one reading "We Now Know Who" (the other reads "Find Them and Convince Them"). Initialed by Eggers with a drawing of a creature and captioned: "He started out fine"; adjacently Signed by Zadie Smith who has added: "He was never fine." Also Signed or Inscribed by Lydia Davis, Breyten Breytenbach, Sean Wilsey, Ann Cummins, Samantha Hunt, Arthur Bradford, Sheila Heti, Judi Budnitz, Lawrence Weschler, and John Linnell and John Flansburgh of They Might Be Giants. Fine, without dust jacket, as issued. Issue 7: (2001). Nine separate booklets laid into a binding and bound with the publisher's rubber band. Signed by Eggers ("D. Eggers") and Michael Chabon on the front cover. Signed or Inscribed in their booklets by Chabon, Kevin Brockmeier, Ann Cummins, Heidi Julavits, and cover artists Elizabeth Kairys and Sharon Leong. Fine. Issue 8: (2002). Signed by Eggers in 2002. Also Signed by Lynne Tillman, James Wagner, Lawrence Weschler, Rachel Cohen, Joshuah Bearman, and Darin Strauss. Fine, without dust jacket, as issued. Issue 9: "We Feel This One Is More Urgent." (2002). Gratefully Inscribed by Eggers in 2002. Also Signed by Val Vinokurov and Initialed by Joe Pacheco. Fine in wrappers. Issue 10: "McSweeney's Mammoth Treasury of Thrilling Tales." (2002). Signed by guest editor Michael Chabon and also by Sherman Alexie, Elmore Leonard, Nick Hornby, Harlan Ellison, and Jim Shepard, and Initialed by Joe Pacheco. Elmore Leonard has changed the title of his story to "Showdown at Checotah." Fine in wrappers. Later published by Vintage Books, in 2003. Issue 11: "It Can Be Free." (2003). Issued in four different colors of faux leather, this is the black variant. Inscribed by Eggers: "--- / Your help & genius is appreciated hugely. Also, here is Neptune [drawing of Neptune]. D. Eggers." Also Signed by Dow Mossman, and by Mark Moskowitz on the included DVD, and Initialed by Joe Pacheco. Fine. Issue 12: "Unpublished, Unknown, &/or Unbelievable." (2003). Signed by Shann Ray, Salvador Plascencia, Peter Orner, and Ben Ehrenreich. Fine in wrappers.