Baltimore: Beeline Books, 2009. Hardcover. Fine in paper covered boards with blue title to front cover. This book features a humorous essay by the artist about her summer custom of accompanying her husband to Arundel Golf Park where she often sketches and observes the golfers. It is bound in a triptych format and appropriately features a digital reproduction of a colored pencil drawing of the golf course which was completed on site. Unpaginated. [6 pages.] ARTB/122809. Fine. More

Washington DC: Blue House Press, 1989. Softcover. Number 34 of 500 copies. Signed and numbered by the book artist. Nancy Garruba is a writer, photographer, and graphic designer. Her artists' books have been collected by many museums and libraries. This scarce work is a meditation on birth and death after the loss of a baby. The contemplative text is accompanied by monochromatic photographs of sky, clouds, water, along with that of a woman giving birth and a solitary unmoving figure. The book can be opened as a codex or fanned out in carousel fashion to see all of the pages at once. Transparent covers reveal the photographic paper boards with title. In near fine condition with slightest wear to corners of covers. 7.5 x 7.5 inches. Unpaginated. PI/050218. Near Fine. More

Riverside, CA: Bo Press Miniature Books, 2015. Hardcover. Mary Roberts Rinehart and others of the "Golden Age" of mystery writing became known as the "Had I But Known" school for their use of this useful bit of prolepsis: a foreshadowing device that allows a work-around for the strictures of first-person narration. I've collected  examples from all eras of literature and placed them each on their own page, like little jewels of purple prose.      ~ "Had I but known that Saacho was his father, I woulf have poured a deluge of my blood to save one drop of his."  The Spanish Friar, by John Dryden      ~ "Ah,had I but known:: the agony! the deceit! You cannot possibly imagine the trials, the letters, the steps, this strange fantasy exacts. I have seen only a few Academicians, but already my nerves are completely upset."  The Letters of Charles Baudelaire to his Mother      ~"In a state of suffocating agitation the mistress gasped forth the words, "Had I but known: Freiscutz! Presciosa! I'll turn every soul into the streets!"   -  The Spectator, Volume 38   Carl Maria von Weber A choice collection ('though I say it myself), printed in Garamond Premier Pro on Monarch Superfine paper, and bound in a Japanese chiyogami paper printed with a stormy sea and turbulent waves, a fitting backdrop for a young woman in a lacy nightgown fleeing a dark castle with a single light in the tower window . . . Size: 2" x 2 1/2" inches. 100 pages, 7 illustrations. Fine. More

Riverside, CA: Bo Press Miniature Books, 2016. Hardcover. Pat Sweet describes herself as creating illuminated miniature books of curiosity, humor, and delight. She creates both miniature (under 3 inches) and macro-miniature (under 1 inch) books. She also makes miniature pocket globes, astronomical instruments, orreries, tellurions, and occasional oddities. She writes: "Rear Admiral Sir Francis Beaufort, (1774-1857) had no notion of poetry when he devised his long-needed standardized scale for the effect of wind on sailing ships, but his descriptions have a beauty and clarity that come close to it: 'Surface smooth and mirror-like. Calm, Smoke rises vertically. Scaly ripples, no foam crests. Smoke drift indicates wind direction, Still wind vanes.' I've paired Beaufort's poetic descriptions with land (and sea-) scape paintings that illustrate his wind levels, with technical details on the back of each fold out page. The twelve fold-outs have tiny tabs to pull out the pages." Printed on Monarch Superfine paper in UnZialish and Tempus Sans fonts, and bound in black watered satin cloth with endpapers of blue and silver Japanese paper. There are paper titles on the front and spine. In fine condition. Measures 2 3/4 x 2 3/8 inches. 46 pages. ARTISTSBOOK/021518. Fine. More

New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company, [circa 1950]. Hardcover. A beautiful edition of Browning's famed romantic sonnets to her intended husband, Robert Browning. They are accompanied by b&w and color romantic and erotic illustrations by Willy Pogany. Bound in light red cloth with gilt titling to spine and cover, with gilt rosebud also on front cover. Light signs of handling. Interior pages are in near fine condition. Gift inscription dated 1957 on front free endpaper. Measures 7.5 x 10.25 inches. 93 pages. POETRY/010621. Near Fine. More

London, Glasgow, and New York: George Routledge and Sons, circa 1890. Hardcover. Includes poems and short stories arranged by season with color illustrations throughout. Bound in the original brick red cloth boards with color illustration to front board and gilt title to spine. Minor chipping and wear to spine ends and corners. Minor smudge marks to edges of boards, but clean overall. Clean, bright interior with full color illustrations by Cooper. Light offsetting from illustrations. Gift inscription in pen dated '82 to front free endpaper. Paper lining interior hinge is tearing, but mull (fabric) remains intact. Binding is tight. A charming book. Size: quarto. About 120 pages - each season is about 40 pages. CHILD/110221. Very Good. More

New York: Street and Smith, No date. Paperback. SCARCE. 8vo. Good+ with worn illustrated front wrapper and chipping to the spine. Black title to front wrapper and to spine. Chipping, rubbing and creasing to front wrapper. Rear wrapper missing. Yellowing to pages. 305 pages. Arrow Library, No. 187. Literature. LIT1/3142. Good + in Wraps. More

New York: Simon and Schuster, 1964. Hardcover. First U.S. edition. Review copy with review slip laid in. Blue cloth stamped in silver on spine with decorations on front cover. In light blue dust jacket titled in orange on spine and front panels. Slight fading to spine panel of jacket and light wear to edges. 223 pages. LIT/111116. Fine / Near Fine. More

London: Skeffington and Son, 1896. Hardcover. FIRST EDITION. British novelist, Marie Corelli (1855 - 1924), was a very popular author during her time, although she was often criticized, as many women authors then were, of being melodramatic. This book addresses the plight of a wealthy woman married to an abusive, arrogant aristocrat who takes great advantage of her kindness and finances. Appropriately, Corelli's introduction implores her readers to place greater value on women and their roles in marriage and society. Very good in original maroon cloth boards with gilt title to spine and front board. Slight roll to spine and minor wear to edges and spine ends. The end pages are browned with a small spot of soiling on the first two. Also, there are a few spots of foxing to the title page, there is an inscription from the previous owner on the half title page dated 1896, and there are occasional smudge marks throughout. A nice copy despite noted wear. 292 pages. LIT/012109. Very Good. More

Baltimore: Society of American Poets, (1947). Paperback. Very good in blue paper wrappers with black title to front wrapper. Minor edgewear. Interior is clean and bright. 184 pages. Poetry. POE211161. Very Good. More

Baltimore: Society of American Poets, (1947). Paperback. Very good in paper wrappers with black titles to front wrappers. Each issue is a different color. Minor edgewear. Interiors are clean and bright. Poetry. POE/051815. Very Good. More

New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2003. Hardcover. Stated first edition. A REVIEW COPY with slip from the publisher and original photograph of the author inserted. 451 pages. Clean and bright. In white paper covered boards with gilt title to spine. White jacket with orange spine panel titled in white. Very light wear to edgs of jacket. LIT/031221. Fine / Fine. More