The Bruce Kahn Collection
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The Bruce Kahn Collection 1 catalog150 Selections From The Bruce Kahn Collection Ken Lopez Bookseller | Between The Covers Rare Books 2 Ken Lopez, Bookseller 51 Huntington Rd. Hadley, MA 01035 A Note About This Catalog The Problem With Bruce Kahn (413) 584-4827 FAX (413) 584-2045 This catalog is made up of books from the collection of Bruce Kahn. We have selected a number of the “high spots” in I have been dealing with Bruce Kahn for at least two decades. He has always been a [email protected] his collection to list together because of the remarkable condition of so many of the books, including ones that almost pleasant and genial fellow. He is an articulate and engaging conversationalist on many never appear in such condition: it is only occasionally that a single copy of one of these titles comes on the market in the subjects, and most particularly literary subjects, and despite being a successful and very kind of stunning condition that typifies this collection. It is truly notable when such a large group, especially of such busy attorney, is always willing to make time to talk about them. For an attorney he is www.lopezbooks.com significant modern titles, comes on the market at once. unusually hip: he is an accomplished musician with a wide range of interests in cultural and counterculture issues, and has a ready store of interesting and amusing anecdotes. He CATALOG 150 Bruce Kahn is a lawyer in Michigan specializing in mergers and acquisitions. He has been a collector since he was a is a generous host. For all I know, like a Boy Scout, he is also probably cheerful, thrifty, The Bruce Kahn Collection teenager in the 1950s & 60s, starting with comic books and then building a comprehensive collection of science fiction brave, clean, and reverent. So what’s the problem with Bruce Kahn? first editions. He learned early on the mantra that the three most important factors in the collectibility of a modern All books are first printings of the first edition book are, as they say, “condition, condition, and condition.” He also learned early on the value of distinguishing his That’s easy: Jeez, he was a pain in the ass to sell books to. He always wanted his books or first American edition unless otherwise copies, even from others in superior condition, by getting them signed or inscribed by their authors. Many, if not most, to be in perfect condition, and even the slightest flaw would be either unacceptable, or noted. Our highest grade is fine. of his science fiction first editions were signed by their authors when he sold his collection in the mid-1980s. if he finally decided he could overlook some nearly microscopic flaw, it had damn well better be mitigated by being a unique copy or an exceptionally rare book, or an important New arrivals are listed in our catalog prior association copy, or preferably both. What’s a bookseller to do? This set a pretty high to their appearance on our website or their At that time he started collecting “mainstream” modern literature, along with modern mystery and detective fiction. It listing in any online database. We try to notify was a good time to begin such a collection: fine copies of some of the keynote titles of the postwar era were scarce but standard for selling him books, and to some degree it is amazing that he has managed to customers about specifically requested titles were nonetheless much more readily available than they are now, nearly a quarter century later. Beautiful copies of assemble a collection of about 15,000 books in beautiful condition, many of which you in advance of catalog mailings. Want lists are such books as To Kill a Mockingbird, On The Road, and The Catcher in the Rye could be had if one were patient and will be seeing in subsequent catalogues from Ken and I. welcome. persistent, and Bruce Kahn was both. However, the flip side of the ordeal of selling books to Bruce, was that now when it has We recommend that books be reserved come time to sell the books, there isn’t very much for prospective buyers to complain by phone, fax or e-mail. New customers He collected in the style of the old-time book collectors—that is, he collected authors in depth, pursuing all their are requested to pay in advance; existing published titles, variant editions such as proofs, advance copies, and broadsides, and in many cases U.K. editions as about. Indeed the reason Ken is the “general editor” of this catalogue is that I got sick customers may pay in 30 days; institutions well as U.S. ones. As a result, the author collections themselves end up being bibliographically significant, especially of writing “Very fine in very fine dustwrapper. Signed by the author.” Where’s the fun in will be billed according to their needs. All for those authors for whom there is not yet an “official” or definitive bibliography. Bruce has had a particular interest that, anyway? major credit cards accepted. Any book may in the writings of Jim Harrison, and his collection contributed significantly to the forthcoming Harrison bibliography. be returned for any reason within 30 days, but In this catalog, we have merely sampled the author collections, rather than listing any given author exhaustively; but In any event, in the sometimes perilous and occasionally anxious activity of buying we request notification. one gets a sense of the depth and range of the collection. modern first editions, the question of whether these books are going to be nice enough for Domestic shipping is free. Foreign shipping you probably isn’t going to come up. So I’d advise that if these titles appeal to you, get them is $15 for the first book and $10 for each We are issuing this catalog at a moment when our economy has experienced the most dramatic turmoil in decades. while you can. You probably won’t be seeing better copies. additional book and these orders are sent Air However, it may prove opportune to remember, as one of my colleagues recently wrote me, that the books and literature Mail. Shipping to Canada is $10 for the first that “we deal in will endure, and contains the seeds of knowledge and spiritual nourishment.” It is the understanding Tom Congalton book and $5 for each additional book. of this value—of what underlies monetary value—that can and should reassure us: these books are an important part Massachusetts residents please add 5% sales of our cultural makeup and our intellectual and moral heritage. That is and will remain true. After economic hard tax. times have passed, these will still be the books that have shaped our society’s evolution; in that respect their value will remain unchanged, and they will still be among the important works of literature of the 20th century. If books are still Although we specialize in Modern Literary First collected—and there is little doubt they will be—the books of the Bruce Kahn collection will still be among the most Editions, we also issue occasional catalogs in desirable copies of the most important titles of our time. We are honored to present such a comprehensive collection of the fields of the Literature of the 1960s and the such excellent quality. Vietnam War, Native American Literature, and Nature Writing. If you are interested, please contact us or visit our website. This catalog has been jointly prepared and is being jointly offered by Between the Covers Rare Books and Ken Lopez Bookseller, both of us longtime dealers in 20th century literature. For ease of logistics, the books are in one place, in We regularly issue email lists of selected titles. Hadley, Massachusetts, and the catalogs have been mailed from there. Please call or email Ken Lopez Bookseller with To receive elists, send your email address to your orders or inquiries. Thank you. [email protected] We are actively buying fine books in our Ken Lopez field. © 2009 Ken Lopez, Bookseller 5 The Bruce Kahn Collection 1. AUSTER, Paul. Wall Writing. (Berkeley): The Figures (1976). The lettered limited edition of his second book, a collection of poetry published in an edition of 526 copies, this being one of 26 lettered copies signed by the author. Fine in wrappers. Very uncommon issue of this early book by Auster. Drenttel A2. $1250 2. AUSTER, Paul. Fragments from Cold. (Brewster): Parenthèse (1977). The limited edition of this title, which had a total printing of 750 copies; this is one of only 20 numbered copies signed by the author and the illustrator. Fine in stapled wrappers and dust jacket. One of the smallest limitations of an Auster work, and extremely scarce these days. $1750 3. AUSTER, Paul. City of Glass, Ghosts and The Locked Room. Los Angeles: Sun & Moon Press, 1985 and 1986. One of 26 lettered copies signed by the author of the three volumes of his acclaimed New York Trilogy. City of Glass was nominated for an Edgar Award, given each year by the Mystery Writers of America for the best (mystery) novel of the year. Prior to City of Glass, Auster had been known as a poet, translator and essayist, but his fiction was little-known and generally considered to be of the post-modern, meta-fiction variety. Ironically, his Edgar nomination— and his deliberate use of the conventions of the mystery genre as a frame on which to hang a metaphysical and meta-fictional exposition—served as a breakthrough for him to a much wider audience, after years of being published by small presses (his own included).