[Rarebooks] FS: Italian Edition of Thornton Wilder's OUR TOWN with letter from Wilder as intelligence agent

[Charles Agvent]

 From our new catalog, just posted on our website, containing 119 items 
including archives, juvenilia, letters, signed books, and scarce 
material by or about three American writers: Thomas Merton, John 
Steinbeck, and Thornton Wilder.  http://www.erols.com/agvent

WILDER,  Thornton. PICCOLA CITTA [OUR TOWN] with AUTOGRAPH  LETTER
SIGNED   (ALS).  Rome:  Franco   Campitelli  (1944).  First   Edition.
Apparently  the  First Italian Edition of Wilder's  American  classic.
Laid  in  is a two-page AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED by the author  on  one
sheet  to Dr. Giancinto Buttiglioni, an editor of an Italian  literary
magazine.  The letter is dated 1954 but it is clear that Wilder made a
mistake  as the envelope addressed in Wilder's hand as Lt. Col. T.  N.
Wilder  is  postmarked  1945.  Wilder  apologizes  for  his  delay  in
answering  as he has been traveling in and out of Jugoslavia.  "When I
entered  intelligence  work  in  the  Army   three  years  ago  I  was
instructed  to  refrain from all literary activity and all public  use
of  my name- In our service we are directed to cultivate a passion for
anonymity.  Hence,  all broadcasting, lecturing, and  any  publication
initiated  by  me  is out of the question." He goes on  to  compliment
Buttiglioni  on  his new review and in general on the quality  of  the
work  "published in the weeklies at Rome." An interesting insight into
Wilder's  literary life during his intelligence work during World  War
II.  Also laid in is a lengthy autograph letter in Italian written  in
pencil  by  Buttiglioni to a recipient identified only as "D. B."  The
envelope  for Wilder's letter, with his printed signature, is  stamped
"Passed  Without Examination by Base Censor" (privilege of a spy), and
a  small  portion above this stamp is cut away. The spine of the  book
has been glazed. Very Good or better.                         $1000.00


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CHARLES AGVENT
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