28 COHEN, Leonard. Beautiful Losers. New York: The Viking Press, 1966 Presentation copy to a fellow Canadian poet First edition, first printing, presentation copy to the American writer Paul Metcalf, inscribed by the author on the half-title, “Dear Paul, I have depended on you over the years. Thank you, Leonard Montreal 1977”. Metcalf (1917–1999) wrote poetry and prose, and his works – published over almost four decades – “offer beautifully composed alternative histories of America, written from the native American viewpoint of writers like William Carlos Williams and composers like Charles Ives. Metcalf employs montage to great effect, weaving together both fictional and non-fictional material, the latter drawn from a wide range of sources, including history, biology, mythology, and geography” (Stringer, p. 446). Metcalf’s writings are cited as influencing a number of other leading authors including Howard Zinn, William H. Gass, Robert Creeley, and Wendell Berry. Cohen’s inscription certainly hints at a similar influence of Metcalf on his own works, though if so, the influence has gone largely unnoticed in the literature on Cohen; either way, this is an excellent association copy linking the two great literary Canadians. Beautiful Losers , “a disagreeable religious epic of incomparable beauty” (jacket), was Cohen’s second and final novel, published before he began his career as a singer-songwriter. Octavo. Original black cloth, spine lettered in gilt and silver. With dust jacket. A little rubbed and contents toned, else very good in very good jacket, a little light chipping and rubbing at extremities, without repair. ¶ Jenny Stringer, ed., The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Literature in English , 2004. £3,500 [155365]
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by the loss, having been vocally confident of his success, and overwhelmed by the attention the affair had garnered his debut. When he returned to France, he sent Espiau this letter of invitation, apparently unpublished. The letter invites Espiau to dine with Céline and the previous winner of the Renaudot, Philippe Hériat. The letter is undated, aside from a “le 3”. Espiau gave continued vocal support of Céline, writing in an article for Les Nouveaux Temps in 1941 that “I liked Céline straight away, the barely dry proofs of his unalterable Voyage au bout de la nuit . I immediately fought for him within a literary panel – the only one who crowned him – and where, moreover, everyone was quickly won over . . . a writer of his kind is a blessing from the gods”. Céline was grateful for the support, sending thanks for the article: “I know you and remain greatly in your debt for the admirable courage with which you defended my first book, at the time when the league of Perfect Thinking already had me in a lasso” (Letter to Marcel Espiau, March 1941). This is the uncommon first printing of the trade issue, with the following points: “Grande Imprimerie de Troyes” imprint in the colophon, “Le Flute Corsaire” advertised on the bottom right of rear wrapper as “Sous presse” and with no imprint below the red frame, and a lowercase “m” printed upside down on p. 150 line 10. Some copies, although not this one, also have the lowercase m on p. 541 line 37 and 8 pages of publisher’s advertisements at the rear on grey-blue paper dated 1932; these are not of priority. Octavo. Original white wrappers printed in red and black, edges untrimmed. Housed in a custom cream flat-backed box, lettered and ruled in red and black imitating the wrappers. Spine lightly sunned, two short closed tears to foot of spine and rear corner, trivial chip and a few nicks to head, front joint a little rubbed, contents uniformly toned. A beautiful copy, clean and fresh. Letter folded, one nick and one short closed tear, a little paper adhered to verso, very sharp and bright. ¶ Connolly, The Modern Movement 74F; En français dans le texte 366. François Gibault, Céline 1932– 1944: Délires et persécutions , 1985. £22,500 [158019]
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All items are fully described and photographed at peterharrington.co.uk
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