Steinbeck, John. A Medal for Benny. Paramount, 1945, first edition. An original-release color film poster for the film that starred Dorothy Lamour, Arturo de Cordova, and J. Carrol Naish, the poster measures 14X36 inches and is dominated by Lamour's beautiful visage, the poster also credits John Steinbeck and his boyhood friend Jack Wagner upon whose story this film was based, this item wasn't in the Goldstone collection, but see Goldstone & Payne E13, not recorded by Morrow. Folded, as usual. JD5095

Stegner, Wallace. The Big Rock Candy Mountain. NY, Duell, Sloan and Pearce, 1943, first edition, dust jacket. Hardcover. His "big" book which was also the source for some of his best short stories, red brick cloth binding, one of several binding types, with a Review Slip from the publisher, Colberg A7.1.a, this copy Signed by Stegner. Produced with wartime materials, but still a very good copy with some tape reinforcements to the verso of the jacket. JD1296

Stegner, Wallace. On A Darkling Plain. NY, Harcourt, Brace, 1940, first edition, dust jacket. Hardcover. This was his first full-length novel, a very elusive book of which Stegner was not particularly proud and which very quickly went out of print, it was published serially as Clash By Night, Colberg A4.1.a, this copy Inscribed by Stegner with his warm regards to a noted bibliophile. Damp stain to top of rear board and inside of rear jacket panel, else very good. JD3437

Bellow, Saul. Oct. 25, 1961, first edition. An autographed letter signed by the Nobel Prize winner, written to fellow writer and long-time friend, Herbert Gold, dated Oct. 25, 1961, the letter is on one c.8X12.5-inch ruled sheet of yellow paper in which Bellow discusses a story written by Gold's brother, Sid, that Herb had sent him for a critique, Bellow's views are mostly positive with some constructive criticism ("A slightly tougher point of view brought to bear on the musical crook might make the story heave up and grow hair and claws"), written on both side of the sheet, the letter consists of 49 lines and is signed "Saul," he ends by telling Herb to ask his brother to rewrite the story ("He's got something, but you must encourage him to be somewhat harder -- the Nietschean hardness"), for further insight, see Herb Gold's poignant memoir of his brother, Sid, King of the Cleveland Beatniks, 28-34 in the Saul Bellow-edited "The Republic of Letters," No. 8, 2000. Folded for mailing and with general wear. JD6016

[Wallace Stegner] Stegner, Wallace. Fire and Ice. NY, Duell, Sloan and Pearce, 1941, first edition, dust jacket. Hardcover. This is perhaps his most difficult trade title to find, especially with jacket, Stegner estimated that 2,500 copies were printed and that 1,900 of them sold, the remainder were probably pulped, Colberg A5, this copy carries a vintage inscription by Stegner ("For Elizabeth Patterson--/just an old Indian/love McCall/Wallace Stegner"). Very good.JD3438

[Wallace Stegner] Stegner, Wallace. The Geography of Hope: A Wilderness Letter. n.p., The Wilderness Society, 1993, first edition, wrappers. Softcover. With a printed dust jacket wrapped around, string-tied binding, includes a frontispiece photo of Stegner by Leo Holub and an appreciation by T. H. Watkins, Stegner's essay is the second chapbook in the Wilderness Society's Founders Circle collection of great writing on wilderness, Stegner offers his own introduction written especially for this book as well as his famous Dec. 3, 1960 letter to David E. Pesonen that came to be known as The Wilderness Letter, this is one of only 115 copies, letterpress printed only for members of the Wilderness Society Founders Circle (donors of $10,000+), together with the first chapbook in the series, Wilderness by Aldo Leopold, also done letterpress, string-tied binding, in wrappers with printed dust jacket, it also includes an appreciation by T. H. Watkins, photo portrait of Leopold from the University of Wisconsin archives, text is from his A Sand County Almanac and Sketches Here and There, this is one of only 100 copies, although not called for, both books are signed by Luke Ives Pontifell, printer/designer of the Thornwillow Press which printed both books. Both books are as new.

Stegner, Wallace. Wilderness Letter. Salt Lake City, Red Butte Press, 1995, first edition. Issued without dust jacket, but with publisher's cloth clamshell case, the book measures 7.5X15 inches, handbound with matched cottonwood boards with a Coptic-stryle sewing structure exposed on the spine, housed in a box covered with rust red fabric from Japan, printed on buff-gray cotton rag handmade paper, titles throughout printed in various colors, this was Wallace Stegner's rallying cry for the preservation of wilderness made in the form of a letter written Dec. 3, 1960 to David E. Pesonen, the book is illustrated with fine line etchings by V. Douglas Snow, foreword by Stegner's son, collaborator, fellow writer, and conservationist, Page Stegner, there were only 75 numbered copies and 25 copies with Roman numerals hors commerce, the book was out of print before distribution, this is one of the contributor copies, being No. VI, given to Page Stegner, this is confirmed in a letter from Page Stegner and by a slip of paper tipped into the clamshell case that carries his name and the book number, this was one of two contributor copies given to Page, the book is Signed by both the younger Stegner and V. Douglas Snow, laid in loosely is an announcement for the book, also laid in loosely is a cancelled check Signed by Wallace Stegner, very scarce, a wonderful copy of a wonderful book. As new. JD5341