Stella Maris, first edition
Knopf, New York, 2022
First edition, first printing with “First Edition” and no mention of further printings on the copyright page. Hardcover, 24 x 16,5 cm., 189 numbered pages with numbers appearing only on odd-numbered pages. Publisher’s rust cloth lettered in gold on spine. The first issue dustjacket designed by Chip Kidd featured artwork by James Thew/Alamy on the front cover and by Victory/Alamy on the left side of front cover, spine and back cover. It is lettered in white. The back panel features six praise for Cormac McCarthy by Houston Chronicle, Harold Bloom, San Francisco Chronicle, The New republic, The Boston Globe and The New York Times Book Review. The front flap shows a price of “U.S.A. $26.00 Canada $36.00”, the back flap the code “12/2022” and a photo of McCarthy by Beowulf Sheehan. The copyright page states “Manufactured in Canada”.
Signed “Cormac McCarthy” on the first free endpaper and additionally inscribed to Lanelle Holley in black ink: “For Lanelle / Much love always / Cormac”.
CONDITION: an unread, near fine book in a fine dustjacket.
PROVENANCE: from the collection of John and Lanelle Holley, auctioned at Case Antiques in 2024.
Published on December 6, 2022 at $26 in an announced first print run of 300,000 copies.
The book was originally scheduled for publication on November, 22, but was delayed.
RECIPIENT: Lanelle Whitley Holley.
NOTABLE COPIES:
– GONZALES COPY. A fine copy, signed and additionally inscribed to McCarthy’s friend and biographer Laurence Gonzales and housed in his private collection.
COLLECTING TOPICS: unsigned copies in collector condition are common given the huge first print run. Signed or inscribed copies are, however, quite scarce, possibly rare as McCarthy passed away just seven months after the book publication. I know of only one other such copy, aside from this and the Gonzales one. It is inscribed to “Mary and David”and I found it at a retail store in Santa Fe. Now it is housed in the McCarthy collection of Nate Cooley.
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