[Rarebooks] FS: 20% off today only in honor of Woody Guthrie's 100th birthday

[Charles Agvent]

GUTHRIE, Woody . BOUND FOR GLORY. New York: E. P. Dutton & Co., Inc., 
1943. First Edition. Autobiography and first book by one of our greatest 
songwriters, author of this country's unofficial national anthem, "This 
Land Is Your Land." This title, quite scarce in the first edition, 
especially in dustwrapper, served as the basis for the Hal Ashby film 
starring David Carradine. This copy is SIGNED by Woody's son, Arlo 
Guthrie, as well as Arlo's son, Abe, both of whom have INSCRIBED the 
book to Kathy, Abe adding a 1991 date. Arlo has carried on the legacy of 
his legendary father as a singer, songwriter, and lifelong political 
activist. He is perhaps best known for the song ALICE'S RESTAURANT as 
well as his appearance in the Arthur Penn film of the same name. Number 
in white at the base of the spine but no other indication that this copy 
was in a library; gilt dull but still readable. Good or better, lacking 
the dustwrapper. (#015343)        $1,000.00

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GUTHRIE, Woody . BOUND FOR GLORY. New York: E. P. Dutton & Co., Inc., 
1943. First Edition. Autobiography and first book by one of our greatest 
songwriters, author of this country's unofficial national anthem, "This 
Land Is Your Land." This title, quite scarce in the first edition, 
especially in dustwrapper, served as the basis for the Hal Ashby film 
starring David Carradine. Small owner's address label on the front 
endpaper, gilt on the front cover and spine strong. The dustwrapper is 
bright and attractive free from any major defect but for a large chip at 
the head of the spine, extending to 1-3/4" at its deepest and 
obliterating nearly all of the title. Near Fine in a Very Good 
dustwrapper. (#015342) $3,500.00

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GUTHRIE, Woody . BOUND FOR GLORY. New York: E. P. Dutton & Co., Inc., 
1943. First Edition. Autobiography and first book by one of our greatest 
songwriters, author of this country's unofficial national anthem, "This 
Land Is Your Land." Quite scarce in the first edition, especially in a 
dustwrapper, this title served as the basis for the Hal Ashby film 
starring David Carradine. This copy is INSCRIBED and SIGNED by the 
legendary author on the front endpaper: "To/Ray and Betty/Lusk/from 
me/to you/Woody Guthrie/5-19-'47/take it easy/but take it." Small white 
paint stain on the front cover, the gilt on the cover and spine a little 
faded but clear. The dustwrapper is bright and attractive, free from any 
major defect and with only a few small chips. Very Good in a Very Good 
dustwrapper. (#016457)        $12,500.00

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GUTHRIE, Woody . AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED (ALS) on the Current Folk Music 
Scene and Championing Pete Seeger. [Brooklyn], 1955. Interesting 
AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED, three pages on adjoining panels of an off-white 
folding paper towel (7-1/2" x 9-1/2"), dated "On top of old April," 1955 
and sent to SING OUT, the influential folk music magazine still 
publishing today. Using several colors of ink, Guthrie writes what seems 
to be an overview of the current folk music scene concentrating on and 
comparing the young and upcoming Pete Seeger and Ewan MacColl, folk 
singer and partner of Peggy Seeger. In part [Guthrie's spellings and 
grammar retained]: "Artists ... do sing up and out with the pure old 
truth in bigger bunches and at better lower & cheaper price than I hear 
it sung around any other ... old printin shop or office.... I sure do 
believe that Petey Seeger is a real champion at more jobs then floggin 
his wire stringy banjo ... singing his ever better & better & better and 
better ... songs. He sounds honester to my poor old exploited ear than 
Ewan Macall's [Ewan MacColl]. I don't rekon that Macall has ever walked 
his land from end to end like Pete has.... Macall ever try to make his 
grat country's own poverty and misery and deep ... hunger and wories and 
fears ... and hopes all rhyme ... beat to time of a ballad song on any 
musicyial instrument like Pete has and habitually does.... I guess Ewan 
is a fine ... honest hard workin' man like England and Scotland ... so 
full of by the uncounted millions and to me Ewan does the best job of 
singing exactly what his pappa and his mama and all his ancestors and 
all of his back generations of dead miners have told Ewan and had sung 
to him all his life about. He sounds too muchly slick & polished and 
rehearsed and thin to me-because he sings not about what his own life 
sees around him but what his ancestors lived thru and heard and sang out 
about. They made up their ballads to tell how hard ... every minute and 
every hour ... and every nite.... When I sit and just read those printed 
words in my ... lp album here I get this terrible feeling again that I'm 
living in the place and scenery where it all takened place and where it 
all happened at but Ewan's records fail to live quite up in their 
feelings when I play them." Guthrie closes, "Every word you folks print 
up there is printed on a high high hard hittin' hard fightin' level and 
all your printed words needs is just a ... jillion people to sing em up 
and out in your high militante spirit."  Folds and light show-through to 
text resulting from the nature of the material, otherwise clean, bright, 
and Fine.

At the time of writing, Guthrie was a patient at the Brooklyn State 
Hospital (whose name he adds below his signature), where he spent years 
in treatment for various maladies. After a number of diagnoses, 
including alcoholism and schizophrenia, it was finally determined that 
Guthrie suffered from Huntington's disease, a genetic condition that had 
earlier claimed his mother's life. (#016459)        $15,000.00

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The image below is of a very scarce Woody Guthrie item not for sale but 
in our private collection.  It is a small, thin pamphlet that contains 
the very first printing of "This Land Is Your Land."  The front cover 
was hand-colored by Woody, and he has INSCRIBED it at the very top.

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CHARLES AGVENT

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Mertztown, PA 19539-8750

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