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81 LONDON, Jack. Adventure. New York: Macmillan Company, 1911 with an excellent hawaii association First edition, first printing, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, “Mr W. R. Castle: – I read your Hawaiian book and went and saw some of the places you described. Now, when you read this yarn, do not go to see the Solomons. Sincerely yours, Jack London. Glen Ellen, Calif., Aug 18, 1915”. This title is scarce inscribed. William Richards Castle Jr. (1878–1963) was an American diplomat, born in Honolulu when it was the Kingdom of Hawaii. He was the eldest son of William Richards Castle (1849–1935), attorney general to King David Kalakaua and later Hawaiian Minister to the United States. Castle Jr. joined the US State Department in 1919, and took a strong interest in Pacific issues, in great part because of his background. He wrote Hawaii Past and Present (1913), the book London is evidently referencing, and although living and working in Harvard at the time of this inscription, he apparently found himself in London’s home-state of California just months prior to the author’s final trip to Hawaii in the winter of 1915. In addition to his travel essays, London wrote 13 stories set in Hawaii, which were collected into two volumes, House of Pride (1912) and the posthumously published On the Makaloa Mat (1919). An ardent voyager, he travelled extensively throughout the Pacific, and visited Hawaii on several occasions. It was a place he had much well-documented affection for, and its people are kindly represented in his work, including the present title; Joan Lackland, the protagonist’s partner and foil, maintains a “ceaseless longing for the wild riding and swimming of Hawaii”, where she was born. Octavo. Original blue cloth, spine and front lettered in white with palm tree scene in pale blue and white. With 6 pp. advertisements at end. Small bookplate to front pastedown. Spine toned, spine ends and tips worn, tiny chip to head of spine, front panel a little cockled, top edge a touch dust-soiled else clean, inner hinge just cracked to pp. 230–31. A very good, bright copy. £2,000 [155624]
“i might fall in love with you” First edition, first impression, presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the half-title, “To Lynette & Keidrych, from Alun, 13 March 1942”. This poetry collection is rare inscribed, published only two years before the poet’s death in Burma, and this is an extremely close and evocative association. Lynette Roberts (1909–1985) was a highly esteemed poet, praised and published by T. S. Eliot, deemed “one of the few true poets now writing” by Robert Graves, and described as “a curious girl, a poet, as they say, in her own right” by Dylan Thomas, who was best man at her and Keidrych’s wedding (McAvoy). Roberts was open about her attraction to Lewis, the author of this volume, who called her a “queer girl, who wears a red cloak and is unaccountable” (ibid.), writing to him that “I like your letters Alun but I should be frightened if you came too near. I might fall in love with you. I might be disillusioned. Of the two I prefer the first. The second is horrible” (quoted in Pikoulis, p. 25). The two exchanged poems, and Roberts’s “Poem from Llanybri” was an invitation addressed to Lewis: “No talk. Just a stare at ‘Time’ gathering / Healed thoughts, pool insight, like swan sailing / Peace and sound around the home, offering / You a night’s rest and my day’s energy. / You must come – start this pilgrimage / Can you come? – send an ode or elegy / In the old way and raise our heritage”. Beneath Lewis’s inscription to the couple is a manuscript addition in Lynette’s hand noting, “[Lewis] who died March 5th 1944 (Sunday.) 8th (one time) 214565 Lieut: in 6th Bn South Wales Borderers. ‘He was in Arakan (Burma) & going forward in detachment. At the time he was carrying his loaded revolver. He tripped & fell & the hammer struck a stone. He never regained consciousness’ (quoted from Queno’s letter dated 3.4.44)”. Octavo. Original buff paper boards with flaps, spine and covers lettered in black, woodcut of Lewis to covers in dark red. Woodcut frontispiece of the author. A little wear to spine ends, boards a touch soiled, extremities rubbed, 2 cm closed tear to fold of front flap, internally fresh and clean. A very good copy. ¶ Siriol McAvoy, ed., Locating Lynette Roberts , 2019. John Pikoulis, ed., Lynette Roberts Collected Poems , 1998. £2,000 [155618]
All items are fully described and photographed at peterharrington.co.uk
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