First edition of this memoir by "the Wild Woman of Butte" that became a national scandal and phenomenon, originally titled I AWAIT THE DEVIL'S COMING (but changed by her publisher).
Very good plus.
Price: $450.00
"I have in me a quite unusual intensity of life."
To convey all that is great and objectionable about this memoir, one need only quote its first lines: "I of womankind and of nineteen years, will now begin to set down as full and frank a Portrayal as I am able of myself, Mary Mac Lane, for whom the world contains not a parallel. / I am convinced of this, for I am odd." Canadian-born, Montana-raised MacLane was indeed bold and singular, but what made her book a success rather than a curiosity was the strange power of her style. It is contained, rhythmic, and forceful, like the pulse. The 2013 reprint from Melville House notes that MacLane "is widely hailed as being one of the earliest American feminist authors, and critics at the time praised her work for its daringly open and confessional style." Divisive, compelling, brilliant.
First printing. Chicago: Herbert S. Stone and Company, 1902. 7.5'' x 4.75''. Original dark red cloth stamped in white. Top edge gilt, other edges uncut. Illustrated with frontispiece portrait of the author. [4], 322 pages. Ink owner name to front pastedown. Somewhat worn spine a little sunned, bumping to corners. Interior bright, with strong hinges.
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