Allan Milkerit, 1945-2007

Christopher Isherwood, Exhumations

Simon & Schuster, 1966.

This minor collection of "stories, articles and verse" is signed by Isherwood at the bottom of a three paragraph introductory remark, an odd place for a signature. The book is without a jacket, and slightly rubbed on the spine.  Nevertheless, Allan priced it at $50. I have added a jacket, and now it looks presentable although the fastidious will be able to discern it is a married copy. No signed copies of this book online, but signed Isherwood begins at $40 or so. Of course, one of the great books, and even one of the early books that is not great, will set you back much much more.

Johannes V. Jensen, Salernes

Gyldendalske. 1934.

First edition of the seventh volume in his Myter series, one of 3,500 copies. These were animal, travel and nature sketches that eventually numbered 11 books and stretched over most of his long and busy career. This copy is inscribed, probably on publication, by the author to Aage Marcus "from his devoted" Johannes V. Jensen. Rebound in leather, incorporating original blue wraps, which are immaculate. The only flaw in the volume is at the end, where the contents of the previous six volumes are listed, and someone -- was it you, Mr. Marcus? -- annotated each essay with a symbol indicating approval or disapproval. It's in pencil, but still.

This is a quintessential Allan book -- uncommon but unwanted, interesting but not that interesting and slightly screwed up. In an age of high spots, like the 1990s, a book like this would sit on the store's shelf forever, which it did, despite being fairly priced at $150. Even I, who collected Nobel writers, never bought it. Although I now realize that the two Johannes V. Jensen books I already own did come from Allan, including The Fall of the King, published by Holt in 1933 and very scarce in jacket. Allan got it in April of 2007, and immediately sold it to me.

The advent of the Web means that books like this, which might have only one potential buyer out there, are salable again. Allan spent most of his career as a bookseller finding treasures and then feeding other dealers. He might have had more success feeding the public directly.

Manuel Puig, Sangre de Amor Correspondido

Seix Barral, 1982.

First of what would eventually be translated as Blood of Requited Love. Handsome Tamara de Lempicka cover, but ultimately a minor novel. This was the last of Allan's Puigs. The writer seems very out of fashion now, and if it weren't for Kiss of the Spider Woman would be downright invisible.

 

Vladimir Nabokov, Lolita: A Screenplay

McGraw-Hill, 1974.

Nabokovs from the 1970s are not particularly easy to find in fine condition. I suspect the sensationalism of Lolita had worn off and his printings were small. This book, however, is an exception. It's surprisingly common. I can't recall my own telephone number on some days, but I remembered this was a defective copy, and so it is: there is a small amount of foxing on the top edges of the boards, and the white jacket is a little crumpled on the front panel, with an associated two-inch tear. Allan acquired this in 1997, it seems. He was asking $25. Condition is still everything.

J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye

Modern Library, (1958).

Sadly, not the true first, which will set you back $10,000 or more. Can't remember if Allan ever had one of those, but I do recall a copy of a contract for a cruise that Salinger had signed, including his phone number. I wrote the number down in hommage to the passage in Catcher where Holden talks about wanting to call up authors but never called it. I had nothing to say. i'm sure he's changed the number many times by now.

The Modern Library edition, with the correct jacket noting there were 383 ML titles, is scarce in itself. There are four copies online, all between $100 and $200, all with problems (name, etc.). This one is price-clipped and has a tiny spot on the front panel of the jacket but is otherwise fine. I'm tempted to keep it, promising myself I will reread it, but am surrendering it instead. Allan was asking $250. I think it is worth a little more.

Update: Allan's former partner in Valhalla Books, Joe Marchione, wrote in the comments: "Allan used to say that certain books found certain booksellers and Salinger in general and Catcher in particular found him. More often than not, the copies were flawed in some way or another but still, true stated firsts, true first djs. He got 'em in and got 'em out fast ... nearly always wholesaling them to a higher end dealer for far less than he could have gotten with a bit of patience. Whenever the title would come up in conversation, he'd go out of his way to let whoever would listen know that he far preferred Nine Stories (and "For Esmé – with Love and Squalor" in particular) in terms of quality. I seem to recall that he felt it was a tougher find ... scarcer (though certainly not more sought after), but for this particular conversation (and I heard it many times over the years), the focus was on his opinion with regard to literary merit of the two."

Thanks, Joe. Come to think of it, I often remember Allan saying he was re-reading Nine Stories.

Manuel Puig, La Traicion de Rita Hayworth

Jorge Alvarez, 1968.

First edition of Puig's first novel, translated as "Betrayed by Rita Hayworth." Precedes Sudamericana and Seix Barral editions. Somewhat uncommon. This is a fine copy, just about. Allan was asking $100. For the Puig shelf.