Burroughs, William S.

Six Editions of Naked Lunch with: "Naked Lunch at the Bourgeois Pig: William S. Burroughs Re-member-ed" DVD, all From the Collection of Jim McCrary

ISBN: 0586085602;0007115
Chicago, IL; London, England; New York, NY; Stockholm, Sweden; Tokyo, Japan: The Olympia Press; Paladin-HarperCollins; Flamingo-HarperCollins; Grove Press; Kawadeshoboshinisha; Bokforlaget Pan/Norstedts; Mammoth Publications, 1965-2009. First Edition; First Editions Thus; Third Printing. Four Softcovers; Two Hardcovers. Jim McCrary, poet & educator, is a resident of Lawrence, Kansas. During William S. Burroughs' later years there, McCrary was his friend & associate; a member of Burroughs Communications led by James Grauerholz. Offered here are six different editions of WSB's most famous breakthrough work, Naked Lunch; along with a NL-related DVD. All of these were owned by & obtained directly from McCrary. The collection consists of: (1) Third Printing of the first softcover original edition, Olympia Press, Paris, June 1965. All points in Maynard & Miles, A2a (pg.10) for this printing are present, including colophon. As noted in M&M & as collectors know, the second & third printings as issued do not include the dust jacket & a few minor points that are only present in the first printing. (2) First edition thus trade-format softcover original, first printing, Palladin-HarperCollins, London, 1992. This edition is a tie-in with the film version of NL directed by David Cronenberg released the previous year (1991), with images of Peter Weller portraying WSB on front & back covers. Includes "Afterthoughts on a Deposition" written by WSB in October 1991. Shoaf, Section I, 2aaa, pg. 22. (3) First "Flamingo Sixties Classic edition" thus softcover original, first printing, Flamingo-HarperCollins, London, 2001. Includes an introduction by J.G. Ballard. Shoaf, Section I, 2ppp, pg. 24. (4) First hardcover edition thus, "Naked Lunch: the restored text," first printing, Grove Press, New York, 2001. This is the edition edited by Grauerholz & Barry Miles, who "...have given us an edition of the book that corrects numerous textual errors accumulated over the years...incorporates Burroughs's own notes on the text, all the accompanying essays that he added to later editions, and...an appendix of abundant, newly discovered material and alternate drafts from the original manuscript..." (from front flap). Shoaf, Section I, 97, pg. 66. (5) First hardcover edition thus, first printing, Kawadeshoboshinisha, Tokyo, 1992. This is the "first uncensored Japanese edition" (Shoaf, Section I, 2eee, pg. 23). Text in Japanese, right-to-left format. (6) First edition thus softcover original, first printing, Stockholm, Sweden (possibly printed in Denmark), 1997. Text in Swedish. Shoaf, Section I, 2hhh, pg. 23. (7) "Naked Lunch at the Bourgeois Pig: William S. Burroughs Re-member-ed" DVD in case, Mammoth Publications, Lawrence, KS, 2009. Subtitled "Naked Lunch Publication 50th Anniversary 2009," this rare production consists of "Interviews, remembrances, photos, film, & readings August 2, 2009, 50th anniversary celebration of the publication of Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs" & "Features commentary on Burroughs' creative process, shotgun art, and friendships." (back case cover) This local event took place exactly on the the twelfth anniversary of WSB's death, & very close to the 50th anniversary of the first printing of (1) above in July of 1959 (M&M, A2a, pg. 8). Among those included in the filmed interviews & remembrances is McCrary, along with Grauerholz & others. ***In addition to (1) through (7), we include a surprise bonus item from McCrary's library, collectible & very relevant to Naked Lunch.*** A one-of-a-kind package of or relating to WSB's tortuous masterpiece, some items in which were undoubtedly handled & enjoyed by WSB himself with his friend, Jim McCrary. (1) in relatively fine condition, better than most we have seen, with only miniscule-to-moderate wear, Chipping & creasing to edges & corners of front, back covers & spine; one closed, approx. 1/2" tear at upper left edge & corner of spine; very light scratching & spotting of back cover; moderate spotting to all edges of text block. Interior very fine with only horizontal crease decreasing through upper area of first five or so page leaves (apparently a flaw as issued); light bumps & creases at corners of some page leaves. (2) in very fine condition with only very light, faint rubbing & scratching of front, back covers & spine; tiny-to-small bumps & creases at all corners of same; mild browning & spotting at all edges of text block. Interior very fine with only moderate browning mostly at blank margins of page leaves; very faint wave-bumps at upper corners of first few of same. (3) in very fine condition with only tiniest bumps at corners of front, back covers; mild-to-moderate browning & spotting at all edges of text block esp. upper edge. Interior very fine with only very light browning at blank margins of page leaves; small, faint bump-waves at upper edges of some of same. (4) Book in very fine condition with only a few tiny spots at yellow portions of front & back boards (possibly as issued); tiny amount of spotting & scratching at all edges of text block; otherwise substantially mint inside & out. Unclipped dust jacket in very fine condition with only lightest rubbing & a few short, faint scratches at front, back covers & spine; tiniest bumps at all corners of same & spine-edges. (5) Book in very fine condition with only moderate spotting & scratching at upper edge of text block; much milder of same at other edges of text block; very small bump-curves at corners of covers likely as issued; otherwise virtually mint inside & out. DJ in very fine condition with only mild rubbing & a few short, faint scratches at front & back covers; light soiling at & near spine-edges of same esp. back cover; very slight wear & creasing at spine-edges; tiny amount of rubbing, soiling & creasing at thin upper edges of front & rear flaps, which are slightly clipped at thin, broad edges as issued. Most of the remains of original band loosely included behind back cover, one smaller (lower?) portion has been torn off leaving that edge jagged & lightly creased, otherwise in fine condition. Format of book & dj is the reverse of other, western editions (see above). An elegant, exemplary Japanese production complete with an attached cloth ribbon bookmark. (6) in near-fine condition with only mild rubbing of front, back covers & spine; mostly mild creasing & wear at edges, corners & surfaces of same with a mild but long vertical crease at upper-mid area of front cover from upper edge; creasing & folding at thin edge of upper right corner & edge of same; moderate browning of all edges of text block; moderate-to-significant spotting at upper edge of same. Interior very fine except for browning to mostly blank margins of page leaves; small bumps & waves at upper corners of some of same. (6) DVD in very fine, playable condition; case in fine condition with only mild wear of clear plastic laminate & attached sticker-seal; tiny fold below upper right corner of front paper cover under laminate; very light wear & creasing at thin lower edge of front, back cover & spine of same. Near Fine-Very Fine / Fine-Very Fine. [Item #2885]

Price: $600.00