Signed limited first edition of Baldwin's last and longest novel, an attempt to "face [his] own legends," built around the story of a Black musician's life told by his brother.
Fine in fine slipcase.
Price: $2,000.00
"Arthur does not know if he can live without love. Neither, on the other hand, can he invent it."
Baldwin's epic and ambitious late novel, written from the author's house in St-Paul-de-Vence, works toward a glimpse of a "utopian domestic space occupied by two black men in love" (Zaborowska) in its final pages: a much longed for, hard-won, and briefly held space for work and happiness. "It was beautiful to watch them; freedom is an extraordinary spectacle."
Read more: Traylor, "I Hear Music in the Air: James Baldwin's Just Above My Head"; Baldwin, James Baldwin: The Last Interview; Zaborowska, Me and My House: James Baldwin's Last Decade in France.
New York: The Dial Press, (1979). 9'' x 6''. Original burgundy cloth, gilt-lettered spine and front board. All edges gilt, cream endpapers. In original burgundy cloth slipcase, lettered in gilt to one side. 597, [1] pages. Signed by Baldwin on limitation page, number 258 of 500 specially printed signed and numbered copies.
We work hard to meet our ethical responsibility to describe our material accurately. All items are guaranteed as described and may be returned for any reason within 30 days. Please notify us before mailing a return.
We guarantee the authenticity of our items. All materials are original (meaning not facsimiles or reproductions) unless otherwise noted. First editions (meaning first edition, first printing) are explicitly stated. TPM is a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America and upholds their Code of Ethics.
All photographs are of the actual item for sale. We're happy to provide additional images on request.
All domestic orders ship gratis. For orders under $250, free USPS media mail shipping is included; orders $250 and over ship USPS Ground Advantage. International orders over $1000 also ship gratis. Expedited, overnight, as well as other carriers (UPS, Fed-Ex, etc.), may carry additional costs beyond quoted rates. All orders receive tracking information and a direct contact in case of any questions.
International buyers are responsible for any customs, taxes, and related import fees. Please note that we are unable to accomodate requests to misrepresent, misdeclare, or otherwise falsify customs documents when shipping internationally. We appreciate your understanding.
We accept all major credit cards, Paypal, Venmo, check, money order, and bank wire. We are happy to bill institutional buyers' needs. Sales tax will be added to applicable purchases. Items subject to prior sale.
If for any reason you are dissatisfied with your purchase, please contact us. We prioritize our long-term relationships far above any individual purchase, and we want you to love your item as much as we loved cataloguing it.
Type Punch Matrix is a Washington D.C.-area rare book firm founded by Rebecca Romney and Brian Cassidy.
Read more about TPM.
