Adams, Marilynn Fournet (Edited by Leslie Donahue Schilling). Porch People. Lafayette, LA: AuCajunal Publishing, 1999. First Printing (stated). 11 1/4" x 8 3/4", 42 pp. Hardcover in dustjacket. Corners a bit bumped, a little shelfwear; pages show some rippling (probably from humidity). An attractive copy overall. A collection of poetry accompanying black & white family photographs which aims to express "the spirit of one Cajun family's heritage." Although this is a stated first printing, a limited edition was also apparently issued. $20.00
Anderson, Sherwood (Edited by Welford Dunaway Taylor). The Buck Fever Papers. University Press of Virginia, 1971. First Edition. 250 pp. Hardcover in dustjacket. Residue from sticker inside front cover; spine a bit slanted; minor shelfwear. Jacket is price-clipped and moderately worn. Collection of short, whimsical news stories from Southwestern Virginia newspapers, written by Anderson under the guise of "Buck Fever" from 1927 to 1931. $17.50
Atkins, W. H. (Edited by Marjorie Atkins Elliott). Leave The Light Burning: South Amherst, MA. McFarland, WI: Community Publications, 1973. 8 1/4" x 10 3/4", 148 pp. Softcover book. Minor shelfwear; few small spots of staining and a little rippling to back cover. Good reading copy. Posthumously issued historical accounts of South Amherst by long-time resident W. H. Atkins (1871-1952), drawing from early records, diaries, and "the memories of octogenarians." A very interesting look at this Pioneer Valley community, with many black & white illustrations included. $35.00
[Benton, Thomas Hart] Gruber, J. Richard. Thomas Hart Benton and the American South. Augusta, GA: Morris Museum of Art, 1998. 8 1/2" x 11", 59 pp. Softcover book. A bit of wear to lower extremities, very good+ condition overall. Nice copy of this exhibition catalogue showcasing Benton's special fascination with Southern life and folkways.Gruber's lengthy essay is illustrated throughout in both color and monochrome. $20.00
Biscoe, Mark Wyman. "No Pluckier Set of Men Anywhere" The Story of Ships and Men in Damariscotta and Newcastle, Maine. Newcastle, Maine: Lincoln County Publishing, 1994. First Edition. 8 1/2" x 11", 148 pp. Softcover. Minor wear & light creasing to covers; closed tear to spine. This copy has been INSCRIBED on first leaf by the author: "For B____ B____ / Very best wishes / Mark Biscoe / November 1994" Account of shipbuilding in Damariscotta and Newcastle, Maine, from Colonial times on. Well illustrated in black & white. An uncommon title. $35.00
Blount, Roy. Crackers: This Whole Many-Angled Thing of Jimmy, More Carters, Ominous Little Animals, Sad-Singing Women, My Daddy and Me. Knopf, 1980. 21.8 cm, 292 pp. Back hinge weak; few stains along back hinge; otherwise about very good in somewhat worn price-clipped dustjacket with crease to front flap. $8.00
Brown, James S. Beech Creek: A Study of a Kentucky Mountain Neighborhood. Berea, Kentucky: Berea College Press, (1988). 297 pp. Hardcover in dustjacket. Book is in very good+ condition. Jacket is rubbed, with some creased tearing along edges. A revised edition of this classic in the field of Appalachian studies. Originating as Brown's Harvard Ph.D thesis, entitled 'Social Organization of an Isolated Mountain Neighborhood,' the work was widely influential for three decades while remaining unpublished. It remains a valuable account of the 'varied and shifting patterns of rural life in the southern Appalachians in the 1940s . . .' , remarkable for its 'unusually rich detail' and 'quality of concrete authenticity . . .'. $65.00
Brown, William E. The Santa Fe Trail ( National Park Service 1963 Historic Sites Survey ). St. Louis, MO: The Patrice Press, 1990 (1988). 2nd printing of reissue edition. 221 pp. Softcover book. Some shelfwear & scraping to covers (especially along edges), tiny mark to top edge. Securely bound; straight, square spine; clean interior. According to a blurb by the president of the Santa Fe Trail Association, "A better general history of the Trail would be hard to find. It is rich in detail and authoritative in its use of sources. . . ." Originally published in a very limited edition by the National Park Service in 1963, and here reprinted in an " improved format." $15.00
Callahan, Katie. Squawks, Squeaks Trills, Tweets Chirps & Cheeps: all about the birds, bees, and loblolly trees on Hilton Head Island. Self-published, 1990. 125 pp. Softcover. Minor exterior wear; sticker on back cover (probably covering up original price). This copy has been SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR on the first leaf. Essays (originally published in "The Island Packet") on divers subjects from "The Bird and Beast Lady" of Hilton Head, South Carolina. $15.00
Childs, Gladys G. A Little Bit of Florida: A Collection of Charcoal Drawings. Exposition Press, 1970. First. 23.5 cm, 64 pp. Discolored along hinges; few stains; otherwise very good in torn, stained dustjacket. $5.00
Collins, Ted, ed. New York Murders. Duell, Sloan & Pearce, 1944. First Edition. 242 pp. Hardcover in dustjacket. Small stain to bottom of front board; top edge a bit dusty. Securely bound, clean interior. Jacket is worn, with some chipping and and a triangular 2" x 2" piece missing at top of front panel. Collection of seven New York murder cases (from the Walton-Matthews Murders in 1860 to the Palm-Perry Case in 1937) by such esteemed true crime writers as Edward D. Radin, Lawrence Treat, and others. This is a volume in Duell, Sloan & Pearce's excellent series of city-themed murder stories. $15.00
Dewhurst, William W. The History of Saint Augustine, Florida, with an Introductory Account of the Early Spanish and French Attempts at Exploration. Heritage Books, Inc., 1990. 191 pp. Softcover book. A little wear & creasing to exterior. Very good+ condition overall. This is a modern facsimile reprint of the 1885 edition of a work which was originally published in 1881. Interesting history of "the oldest town in the United States" which includes "a short description of the climate and advantages of Saint Augustine as a health resort." $25.00
Doig, Ivan. Heart Earth: A Memoir. Atheneum, 1993. First Printing. 160 pp. Hardcover in dustjacket. A little faint spotting to edges; a little creasing along edges of jacket; very good condition overall. A companion to Doig's classic This House of Sky, Heart Earth tells the story of the Doigs and their journey from a defense housing project in boomtime Arizona to the high country of their Montana origins. $8.00
[Evarts, Hal] Evarts, Hal, Jr. Skunk Ranch to Hollywood: The West of Author Hal Evarts. Capra Press, 1989. 260 pp. Very good+/in price-clipped dustjacket with wear & creased tearing along edges. Gift inscription to public library (though no other signs indicate it is library copy). $8.00
Holbrook, Stewart H. Murder Out Yonder: An Informal Study of Certain Classic Crimes in Back-Country America. Macmillan, 1941. First printing. 255 pp. Edges a bit dusty; tiny nick/tear to front edge; overall very good in chipped dj w/faded spine & clipped front flap. $25.00
Howell, Kenneth T. and Carlson, Einar W. Empire Over the Dam: The story of waterpowered industry, long since passed from the scene. Chester, CT: The Pequot Press, (1974). First Edition. 269 pp. Hardcover in dustjacket. Spine a bit slanted; mild foxing & a little spotting / smudging to edges of text block. Firmly bound; sound interior. Solid reading copy. Readable, informative account of "a water-powered industrial empire which thrived for more than 175 years in the rolling hills of northwestern Connecticut." Well illustrated with black & white photos & drawings. $45.00
Jackson, Joseph Henry. The Western Gate: A San Francisco Reader. Farrar Straus & Young, 1952. 524 pp. Hardcover in dustjacket. Book in very good condition. Jacket shows some wear & a little tearing along edges. Wide-ranging anthology divided into four sections: Before the Gold, The Gold Rush, City in the Making, and City of Our Times. $8.50
Jenkins, Emyl. Emyl Jenkins' Southern Christmas. Gramercy, 2000. Reprint Edition. 192 pp. Hardcover in dustjacket. Both book and jacket are in close to fine condition overall. A collection of stories, history, lore & Christmas celebrations -- including recipes and decorating tips. Color illustrations throughout. $8.50
Jewett, Sarah Orne. Country By-Ways. South Berwick, Maine: The Old Berwick Historical Society, 1981. 127 pp. Softcover book (stapled wraps). Tiny chip to the bottom of front cover, with resulting tiny tears to the first 30 pages, similar tiny nick at top of back cover, with similar associated tiny tears to last 30 pages. A little wear/scuffing to exterior; about very good condition overall. Although the printing is not of the highest quality, the text is quite readable throughout. Please note that this "new edition" of Jewett's essay collection (originally published in 1881) contains, of the original eight selections, "only the five essays that deal with Sarah Orne Jewett's rambles about South Berwick." These essays are: River Driftwood; An October Ride; From a Mournful Villager; An Autumn Holiday; and A Winter Drive. With a short introductory essay by Marie Donahue. $20.00
Junkins, Donald. The Agamenticus Poems: Voices from York, Maine. Chester, MA: Hollow Spring Press, (1984). 42 pp. Hardcover; the original softcover book has been rebound library-style (but is not ex-library). Original front and back covers have been affixed to the new binding. Somewhat shelfworn, but a nice, sturdy copy. The venerable New England poet takes on the voices of real people from "two centuries of very personal New England history. . . " in this interesting collection of poems. This copy has been INSCRIBED by Junkins on the front endpaper: "To Arthur and Ruth/L_____,'neighbors across the/fields,/from/Don Junkins/August/1997" One of only 1000 copies printed of this edition. $20.00
Kilpatrick, James J. The Foxes' Union. McLean, VA: EPM Publications, 1977. 23.5 cm, 174 pp. Very good in faded, edgeworn, price-clipped dustjacket. Stretchers, tall tales, and discursive reminiscences of life in Scrabble, Virginia, by the acclaimed columnist. $7.00
Larson, Stan and Lorille Horne Miller. Unitarianism in Utah: A Gentile Religion in Salt Lake City, 1891-1991. Salt Lake City: Freethinker Press, 1991. 23.5 cm, 381 pp. Gift presentation bookplate on front endpaper; otherwise near fine. $12.00
Lazell, J. Arthur. Alaskan Apostle: The Life Story of Sheldon Johnson. Harper & Brothers, 1960. 218 pp. Minor discoloration to endpapers and along joints; overall very good in moderately worn, price-clipped dustjacket with chipping, creasing, and small tears along edges. Story of Sheldon Jackson, who went to Alaska as a missionary in 1877, and who stayed to work for law & order, schools & justice on the frontier. $8.50
Melhem, D.H. Children of the House Afire: More Notes on 94th Street. Dovetail Press, 1976. 81 pp. Softcover book. Minor wear. INSCRIBED to Ruth Temple by author (signed with initials). Poetry reflecting the author's strong sense of the West Side neighborhood of New York City. $9.50
O'Connor, Thomas H. Eminent Bostonians. Harvard University Press, 2002. First Edition. 294 pp. Hardcover in dustjacket. Fine condition. Great collection of concise biographies of "some 130 figures of local and national significance from the arts, literature, religion, politics, science and medicine, business, education, and sports" . . . "those who made Boston what it was and what it is today." $17.50
Ogilvie, Elisabeth. My World Is an Island. Whittlesey House / McGraw-Hill, (1950). First Edition. 270 pp. Hardcover in dustjacket. Book is in very good condition, showing some wear / rubbing to edges and extremities and mild discoloration to top edge of text block. Jacket is price-clipped, showing moderate overall wear / rubbing, with small chips & some creased tearing along edges and minor soil. The author relates the story of her life on Gay's Island, a "funny little island" just off the Maine coast. $17.50
Pottle, Emergy Bemsley (Gilbert Emery). The Late Mr. Rollins: A College Farce. Amherst, Mass.: Lewis C. Merrell, 1899. 114 pp. Hardcover book, with original plain dustjacket. A little foxing/discoloration around edges & chipping to bottom of spine. Still, the jacket has done its job and the pictorial cover is remarkably bright and attractive. The jacket itself shows wear & soil. Written by an 1899 Amherst College graduate who went on to an interesting career as playwright (using the pen name Gilbert Emery), journalist, academic, and member of the Paris Peace Conference of 1918-19. $45.00
Sears, William H. Fort Center: An Archaeological Site in the Lake Okeechobee Basin. University of Florida, 1982. 212 pp. Hardcover in jacket. Mild foxing to top edge; very good+ overall condition. The author documents his years of fieldwork at the Lake Okeechobee Basin site, exploring such issues as the relationship of Florida's prehistoric population to the Caribbean Basin and the origins of maize agriculture in eastern America. Ripley P. Bullen Monographs in Anthropology and History from the Florida State Museum Number 4. $19.00
Smart, Charles Allen. R.F.D. Norton, 1938. First Edition. 314 pp. Hardcover in dustjacket. Book is in very good condition; jacket is price-clipped & shows moderate wear, with chipping & tearing along edges. Goodnatured account of the adventures of the author and his wife as they moved from the big city life of the east coast to running a farm in southern Ohio. $8.00
Stevenson, Elizabeth. Figures in a Western Landscape: Men and Women of the Northern Rockies. Johns Hopkins, 1994. 222 pp. Few light smudges to front edge; otherwise very good+ in very good+ dustjacket. Biographical sketches of 16 figures who have left their mark on the area. $8.50
Troyer, Terry L. Amish Lifestyles Illustrated. Goshen, IN: TLT Publications, (1982). Oblong 14 1/4" x 10 1/4". Hardcover in dustjacket. Book is in very good condition, securely bound with sound interior. Jacket is price-clipped, is yellowing a bit, and shows some wear & tear, with a few closed tears & a few chips along edges. Quite a nice copy of this collection of true-to-life pen & ink drawings of Amish life. The artist grew up close to the large Amish communities of northern Indiana, and his respect for Amish ways is obvious in these meticulously rendered scenes. A brief introduction to Amish life is followed by 40 full-page drawings, with captions on facing pages. $45.00
Utley, Robert M. Billy the Kid: A Short and Violent Life. c1989. Book Club ed. 302 pp. Top edge a bit smudged; otherwise very good+ in edgeworn dustjacket. $10.00
Verrengia, Joe. Vanishing Colorado: Rediscovering a Western Landscape. Boulder: Court Wayne Press, 2000. 10" x 8 1/2", 112 pp. Softcover book in close to fine condition. Science writer Verrengia retraces John C. Fremont's five western expeditions, surveying what remains of once abundant plant and animal life, and getting often opposing points of view from ranchers, developers, policy makers, and scientists. With photographs by Glenn Asakawa and illustrations by Eric Baker. $11.00
Watkins, Mel. Dancing With Strangers: A Memoir. Simon & Schuster, 1998. First Printing. 320 pp. Hardcover in dustjacket. Both book and jacket are in very good+ condition overall; a little minor smudging to front endpaper & top edge. A memoir of growing up black in an Ohio steel town in the 1950s and 1960s by former New York Times Book Review editor. $9.50
Wilkinson, Marguerite, ed. Golden Songs of the Golden State. Books for Libraries, 1972. Reprint editio. 153 pp. Very good/library binding as issued. Collection of poetry having to do with California originally published in 1917. Although published by 'Books for Libraries' this copy has no library markings or any indication that it is 'ex-library.'. $7.00
Wolf, Bernard. Amazing Grace: Smith Island and the Chesapeake Watermen. Macmillan, 1986. First Printing. 76 pp. Hardcover in dustjacket. A little chip/laminate peel to the bottom edge of jacket's back panel; otherwise very good+ condition. Text and black & white photographs portray life on Smith Island, focusing on the traditional work of crabbing as it is practiced there. For younger readers. $9.50
Woodell, Harold, ed. The Shattered Dream: A Southern Bride at the Turn of the Century: The Day Book of Margaret Sloan. University of South Carolina, 1991. 23.6 cm, 233 pp. About fine in near fine dustjacket. $10.00
Yocum, Thomas, et al. Cape Hatteras: America's Lighthouse, Guradian of the Graveyard of the Atlantic. Cumberland House, 1999. 8" x 10", 124 pp. Softcover book in close to fine condition. An account of the celebrated lighthouse which has stood for centuries in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, as well as a commemoration of recent efforts to move it to a new foundation. Black & white illustrations throughout, & a section of color photos. $9.00