Wilson, Carter

I Have Fought the Good Fight

Philadelphia, PA: J.B. Lippincott Company, 1967. First Edition. Hardcover. "Bernice Rawlins Sessions, entrepeneur, toiled on up the stairs, passed the landing, then began again." (opening sentence, pg. 11). American novelist, gay activist & Harvard professor Carter Wilson’s (b. 1941) second novel I Have Fought the Good Fight is a sharp, unsentimental portrait of Bernice Sessions, a woman whose life trajectory is shaped by privilege, loss, and the erosion of moral compass. The narrative follows her as she navigates a world that no longer offers her status or security, ultimately portraying her as lean and spare in both style and emotional depth, carrying her own pathos. It is a critical character study that blends social commentary with psychological insight. The title, a biblical reference (2 Timothy 4:6, 13, 16–17) to the “good fight” of life, is ironic: Bernice’s fight is less about moral or spiritual struggle and more about survival in a world that has stripped her of her former privileges. I Have Fought the Good Fight stands as a nuanced critique of American materialism and the fragility of status, using a single protagonist’s life to explore the consequences of losing one’s place in the social order. As a gay activist, Wilson wrote the narration for two Oscar-winning documentaries, The Times of Harvey Milk & Common Threads. His book Hidden in the Blood: A Personal Investigation of AIDS in the Yucatan, drawing on his early experiences with Mayan culture, won the 1996 Ruth Benedict Prize. From the collection of the late, great George Bornstein (1941-2021), scholar, author & academician at the University of Michigan- a quintessential Man of Letters. At top left corner of front pastedown, Bornstein has handwritten in midnight black ink his former ownership signature, date & placement "George Bornstein | December 31, 1967 | Zermatt, Switzerland." Hardcover in clipped first-issue Dust Jacket (with "967" printed at front flap): First Edition per copyright page, first printing though not explicated as such thereon. A most collectible example of politically resonant mid-century American fiction in its rarest contemporary form with relevant association & very distinguished provenance. Book in relatively fine condition with mild-to-moderate age-toning & rubbing mostly to fine edges of front, back covers & spine; moderate age-toning, rubbing & mild spot-staining to text block. Interior fine with mild age-toning mostly to fine edges & blank margins of page leaves; mild spot-staining & smudging mostly at/along fine edges of some page leaves; Dust Jacket fine with mild-to-moderate age-toning, rubbing & scratching to front, back covers, spine & flaps; mild chipping/wear to fine edges of same. Fine / Fine. [Item #9475]

Price: $40.00 save 10% $36.00