Books

First US edition, first printing, rare presentation copy, inscribed by the author to his friend and fellow poet on the front free endpaper, "from Dylan Thomas to Jose Garcia Villa". This is a superb association: the two poets moved in the same circle, and Thomas remained an abiding influence on Villa's poetry. José García Villa was born in Manila in 1908. In 1929, he published a series of erotic poems called "Man-Songs" in the Philippines Herald Magazine and was fined for obscenity and suspended for a year from law school. That same year, his short story "Mir-i-nisa" won a prize of 1,000 pesetas, which he used to travel to the United States. He published a collection of stories, Footnote to Youth: Tales of the Philippines and Others, with Scribner in 1933. He then moved to the Greenwich Village, where he was the only Asian poet in the modernist community that included e.e. cummings, Marianne Moore, W. H. Auden, and devoted himself to poetry written under the pseudonym Doveglion (Dove, Eagle, Lion). His poetry won him many awards and fellowships, as well as positions at New Directions, CUNY, and the New School. Villa and Thomas were both regulars at the White Horse Tavern in Greenwich Village and were both promoted early in their careers by Edith Sitwell. One of the most widely circulated photos of Villa is of him at Thomas's funeral in 1953, and his 1954 poem "Death and Dylan Thomas" appears in many anthologies. Rolph B7. Octavo. Original red cloth, spine lettered in yellow. With dust jacket. Endpapers browned, contents mildly toned, a near-fine copy in very good jacket, lightly toned and rubbed, with a few small chips, else bright.

"A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" by James Joyce is a bildungsroman that chronicles the intellectual, emotional, and spiritual development of Stephen Dedalus. The novel is divided into five chapters, each representing a different phase in Stephen's life. In the early chapters, Joyce portrays Stephen's formative years in a strict Catholic environment. He grapples with the conflict between religious devotion and burgeoning individualism. Stephen's experiences at Clongowes Wood College and Belvedere College expose him to the harsh realities of authority, conformity, and social expectations. As Stephen matures, he becomes increasingly disillusioned with the rigid dogmas of the Catholic Church. His intellectual awakening leads to a rejection of religious constraints and a pursuit of artistic expression and self-discovery. Throughout the narrative, Stephen grapples with guilt over his perceived sins, especially his sensual desires and lapses in religious devotion. His internal struggles are depicted with introspective depth, as he grapples with conflicting emotions and the tension between societal norms and personal freedom. The novel culminates in Stephen's departure from Ireland, symbolizing his rejection of the confines of his homeland, both religiously and artistically. He seeks to forge his own identity as an artist, embracing the idea of self-exile to achieve intellectual and creative independence. Joyce's prose employs stream-of-consciousness technique, offering readers insight into Stephen's inner thoughts and emotional turmoil. Through vivid and evocative language, he captures the intricacies of Stephen's mind as he grapples with his evolving beliefs and desires. "Portrait" is a groundbreaking work that explores themes of identity, alienation, religion, and the pursuit of artistic integrity. It stands as a seminal example of modernist literature, challenging traditional narrative structures and delving into the complexities of human consciousness. Joyce's masterpiece remains a significant contribution to literature, celebrated for its innovative style and profound exploration of the artist's journey toward self-realization and autonomy.