[Rarebooks] FS: Donald Windham, Tanaquil, or, the Hardest Thing of All, roman à clef

[info at johnhowellforbooks.com]

Offered today: 

WINDHAM, DONALD (1920-2010). 

_Tanaquil, or, the Hardest Thing of All_. 

(Verona): Stamperia Valdonega, 1972. 

8vo. 9 1/4 x 6 1/4 inches. [vi], (307) pp. Text clean, unmarked. Stiff
wrappers in a clear plastic dust jacket; binding square and tight. Comes
with a slip of paper with reviews. Housed in a yellow cloth-covered
slipcase. SIGNED by Donald Windham on colophon. Fine. 

$ 100 

FIRST EDITION, LIMITED to 250 copies, this is number 160. _Tanaquil_ is
the fourth novel of Donald Windham; it is set in the 1950s in New York
and tells the story of the relationship of Frankie and Tanaquil. As a
_Roman à clef_, the book depicts the life of Photographer George Platt
Lynes and life in the pre-Stonewall gay community in post-World War II
New York. "This first edition of _Tanaquil_ has been printed under the
supervision of Martino Mardersteig for Sandy Campbell by the Stamperia
Valdonega, Verona, in July 1972. The cover is an original lithograph by
Tony Smith, Atelier, New York City, and numbered and signed in pencil by
the artist. The edition consists of two hundred and fifty copies on
Favini paper; each one signed by the author." Colophon. Donald Windham
was an American novelist and memoirist. He is perhaps best known for his
close friendships with Truman Capote and Tennessee Williams. Windham
moved with his then-boyfriend Fred Melton, an artist, to New York City
in 1939. In 1942 Windham collaborated with Williams on the play, Your
Touched Me!, which is based on a D. H. Lawrence short story with the
same title. Windham received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1960. 

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Thank you for your consideration. 

John Howell 

jnhowellforbooks at icloud.com 

310 367-9720