Search Results: Books by kesey

1493 3/4 Allison [Ave.], Los Angeles 26, 1955. 30pp. with minor pencil corrections, with pages 1-22, another set of pages 15-20 of a slightly different iteration (of these page 19 appears twice), and an unrelated page 23, seemingly from a different story. 4to. Fine. 30pp. with minor pencil corrections, with pages 1-22, another set of pages 15-20 of a slightly different iteration (of these page 19 appears twice), and an unrelated page 23, seemingly from a different story. 4to. One of Kesey's earliest short stories. Beginning after his sophomore year at the University of Oregon, Kesey spent his summers in Los Angeles, trying to break into Hollywood as an actor, and later as a screenwriter. Starting in July 1955 he stayed in the Angelino Heights neighborhood and unsuccessfully tried to get himself cast in a role. He "read, wrote a lot, tanned himself in the hot July sun, and tried various lotions and potions to stop his hair falling out." (Dodgson, p. 47) In three straight summers he failed to secure… Read More

1962. First Edition . Signed. KESEY, Ken. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. New York: Viking, (1962). Octavo, original green cloth, original dust jacket. Housed in a custom clamshell box. $12,500.First edition of Kesey's most ""popular and enduring"" work, a distinctive presentation copy inscribed by him in red and black ink, ""for N— Ken Kesey,"" in original dust jacket, housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box.""Ken Kesey's first novel remains his most popular and enduring…Cuckoo's Nest resonates with the classic theme of the individual rebelling against the controlling forces of society"" (Books of the Century, 98). On publication in 1962, ""Time magazine called Cuckoo's Nest 'a roar of protest against middlebrow society's Rules and the invisible Rulers who enforce them"" (New York Times). Adapted to the stage in 1963, with Kirk Douglas in the lead, the novel was the basis for… Read More

New York: The Viking Press, 1962. First Edition. Near Fine/Near Fine. First edition, first printing, first state with "fool Red Cross woman" on page 9. Signed by Ken Kesey on the dedication page. Bound in publisher's green cloth with spine lettered in yellow. Near Fine with light tanning to pages. In a Near Fine unclipped ($4.95) dust jacket with five-word Jack Kerouac blurb on the front flap, with light wear to the extremities, fading to the spine, a small spot of browning to the front flap and blindside of the spine panel. Served as the basis for the 1975 film starring Jack Nicholson.

New York: The Viking Press, 1962. First edition of the author's classic first book. Octavo, original cloth. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, "For Burwood Stoekueskyi _____ ____ Ken Kesey." Near fine in a near fine first-issue dust jacket. Jacket design by Paul Bacon. An exceptional example. Published in February 1962, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest was a great critical and commercial success. Over the subsequent decades the book's reputation and readership swelled as millions recognized Kesey's psychiatric ward as a not-so-fantastic metaphor for a modern world in which bureaucracy and technology combine to diminish humanity, individuality and diversity. Adapted to the stage in 1963, with Kirk Douglas in the lead, and was the basis for the highly successful 1975 film directed by Milos Forman and starring Jack Nicholson. Considered to be one of the greatest films ever made, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest ranks number 33 on the American Film… Read More

Viking Press, 1962. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Very Good/Near Fine. First Edition, first issue. Very good first edition in near fine first issue dust jacket, with one line blurb from Jack Kerouac on the front flap. Signed by Ken Kesey on a slip attached to front free endpaper. Also, First published in 1962 by Viking Press stated on copyright page and with the following points: "that fool Red Cross woman" on pp. 9, lines 12-13, and "It's the plump Red Cross woman named Gwen-doe-lin, with the blond hair the patients are always arguing about." pp. 85-86. Prior owner's stamp on page edges, top, bottom, and foreedge. Jacket has original price on it. Comes in a custom-made collector's clamshell case.

1985. Ephemera. In 1985, Ken Kesey asked the underground cartoonist best-known for his Checkered Demon character to design the dust jacket for his forthcoming collection of short stories, Demon Box. Wilson did, beginning with a large sketch and finishing with a finely drawn and painted design, but to no avail. The publisher didn't like it and instead went with a red jacket with abstract shapes (really, the worst looking of all of Kesey's books). This archive includes the large sketch made with marker with copious notes by Wilson in the margins (18 by 24 inches on brown kraft paper), the finished artwork (12 by 18 inches), an autograph letter, signed (ALS) from Wilson to an editor at Viking and an ALS from the editor to Wilson, two ink treatments of the author and title text, and two ALS from Wilson to the bookseller Peter Howard (Serendipity Books), sending him the artwork to sell. Accompanying this original material are photocopies of the letters sent from Kesey to Wilson about the project and a… Read More

New York: Viking Press, 1962. First Edition. Hardcover. Fine/very good. Octavo, 311pp. A crisp, clean copy, about fine, in the publisher's green cloth. In a very good first-issue dust jacket with mild fading (as often) to the spine, and some shallow wear to the spine ends. A singular copy, with a significant inscription by Malcolm Cowley on the front free endpaper: "This is the very rare first printing, withdrawn from the bookstores because of a passage the [sic] Gwen Davis claimed to be libelous. Malcolm Cowley." Kesey was one of Cowley's writing students at Stanford, and Cowley helped Kesey get this hit novel published at Viking. Davis, a therapist steeped in the 60s counterculture (she was famous for "nude encounter therapy") believed the minor character of Gwendolyn (spelled "Gwen-doe-lin") was based on her, and she threatened Viking with a lawsuit, which resulted in a number of first printings being removed from bookstores, and the book quickly reprinted with the character changed to "Public… Read More

New York: The Viking Press, 1962. First edition of the author's classic first book. Octavo, original cloth. Boldly signed by Kirk Douglas on the half-title page. Douglas starred in the stage version of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest as McMurphy. Additionally laid in is a note from Kesey which reads, "For Henry: The wind blows the plumtree branches, this way...that. Ken Kesey." Near fine in a very good first-issue dust jacket. Jacket design by Paul Bacon. Published in February 1962, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest was a great critical and commercial success. Over the subsequent decades the book's reputation and readership swelled as millions recognized Kesey's psychiatric ward as a not-so-fantastic metaphor for a modern world in which bureaucracy and technology combine to diminish humanity, individuality and diversity. Adapted to the stage in 1963, with Kirk Douglas in the lead, and was the basis for the highly successful 1975 film directed by Milos Forman and starring Jack Nicholson.… Read More

New York: Viking, 1962. 1st Printing . Hardcover. Very Good+/Very Good +. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. 311pp.; HB green w/yellow; some rub w/lt.ring mks.&scuff; lt wear on edges&corners; pg.305-311 w/uncut tp.corners; clean,tight pgs. DJ green,red&yellow w/white-design cover w/b/w photo; some rub w/wear on edges&cornes; sun on spine. "...the struggle between a man and a woman for the spirits and hearts of a group of people who have been defeated by the world." First Edition. Signed card by Kesey (2/22/93) laid in.

New York: Viking Press, 1962. First Edition. A near fine copy in a very good dust jacket with some spine fading and minor wear and tear. Laid in is a publisher’s card presenting the book to an editor.

New York: The Viking Press, 1962. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Very Good/Very Good. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" by Ken Kesey. Signed by the author Ken Kesey on a professionally affixed cut page from another book. First edition, first printing "Published in 1962 by The Viking Press, Inc." on the copyright page. First issue with "that fool Red Cross woman" on page 9, and "It's the plump Red Cross woman named Gwen-doe-lin, with the blond hair the patients are always arguing about" on pages 85-86. With its original first issue dust jacket with the single line blurb from Jack Kerouac on the bottom of the front flap. Original $4.95 price present. The original dust jacket is in very good minus condition. Chipping and creasing to the extremities, most noticeable at the flap folds, spine ends and the top of the rear panel. Spine is sun-faded. The book is also in very good minus condition. Some noticeable staining to the green cloth boards. Cloth is worn away at the corners and spine ends. Previous owner's… Read More

New York: Viking Press, 1962. First Edition of the Author’s First Book in the first issue dust jacket. A few faint moisture spots to cloth, some slight rumpling and creasing to rear free endpaper, else a near fine clean copy in a very good dust jacket with some tiny chipping and sunning at spine. The basis of the Academy Award winning film starring Jack Nicholson.

VIKING. NY 1962. Near Fine. 1962. First Edition. 0670526045 . A near fine copy in a Vg. 'first' issue dj. (A few small chips at spine on dj. Typical discoloration to spine area on dj. A few faint moisture spots on cloth. Trace of light creasing to rear end paper) Author's FIRST book. Basis for the Academy Award winning film starring Jack Nicholson. .

New York: The Viking Press, 1990. First Edition. Near Fine. First edition. A uniquely decorated copy, fully marbled in purple, blue, yellow, and green by Kesey on covers as well as edges. Painted signature of Kesey on front free endpaper. According his son Zane, Ken began experimenting with marbling techniques in 1964 while traveling on the bus FURTHUR and dropping acid for the first time. Oil paint floating in a puddle entranced the Merry Pranksters and they began dipping objects into the mixture, creating instant objet d'art. Later in his life Kesey returned to this technique, psychedelically marbling, finishing, and signing around 15-20 books total. This is one of those scarce copies. Near Fine with paint slightly rubbed off extremities. No jacket. A psychedelic lollipop swirl of original art from the acclaimed writer and countercultural icon.

New York: Viking Press, 1962. First Edition of the author's first book. About fine in a dust jacket with only slight spine fading and minor restoration at the extremities; in a custom quarter-leather clamshell box.

New York: The Viking Press, 1992. First Edition. Near Fine. First edition. A uniquely decorated copy, fully marbled in purple, blue, yellow, and red by Kesey on covers as well as edges. Painted signature of Kesey on front free endpaper. According his son Zane, Ken began experimenting with marbling techniques in 1964 while traveling on the bus FURTHUR and dropping acid for the first time. Oil paint floating in a puddle entranced the Merry Pranksters and they began dipping objects into the mixture, creating instant objet d'art. Later in his life Kesey returned to this technique, psychedelically marbling, finishing, and signing around 15-20 books total. This is one of those scarce copies. Near Fine with paint slightly rubbed off corners. No jacket. A psychedelic lollipop swirl of original art from the acclaimed writer and countercultural icon.

New York: The Viking Press, 1973. First Edition. Near Fine. First edition. A uniquely decorated copy, fully marbled in white, red, yellow, and green by Kesey on covers as well as edges. Painted inscription "For Keith / Ken Kesey" on front free endpaper. According his son Zane, Ken began experimenting with marbling techniques in 1964 while traveling on the bus FURTHUR and dropping acid for the first time. Oil paint floating in a puddle entranced the Merry Pranksters and they began dipping objects into the mixture, creating instant objet d'art. Later in his life Kesey returned to this technique, psychedelically marbling, finishing, and signing around 15-20 books total. This is one of those scarce copies. xviii, 238 pp. Near Fine with paint rubbed off extremities and a small spot on bottom of front board. No jacket. A psychedelic lollipop swirl of original art from the acclaimed writer and countercultural icon.

New York: The Viking Press. 1962. First Edition; First Printing. Hardcover. Near Fine in a Very Good+ price clipped dust jacket. Jacket and book are both first state -- first state dust jacket with the Kerouac blurb and the unrevised text and in the book on page 9 the uncorrected reference to the "fool Red Cross woman and and with "It's the plump Red Cross woman named Gwen-doe-lin, with the blond hair the patients are always arguing about." on pp. 85-86.; 8vo 8" - 9" tall .

Viking, 1962. 1st Edition. . Hardcover. Near Fine/Fine. The Viking Press: New York, 1962. 8vo. 311 pp. Green cloth boards with gilt titles to the spine. First edition, first state in a first issue jacket. Book: small tape ghost on the bottom of the front pastedown, and a small watermark to the top of the front panel by the spine, else fine. The price-intact jacket ($4.95) has benefited from professional restoration and presents as fine. A superior copy.

Viking Press, 1962. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Very Good/Very Good. First Edition, first issue. Very good first edition in very good first issue dust jacket, with one line blurb from Jack Kerouac on the front flap. Also, First published in 1962 by Viking Press stated on copyright page and with the following points: "that fool Red Cross woman" on pp. 9, lines 12-13, and "It's the plump Red Cross woman named Gwen-doe-lin, with the blond hair the patients are always arguing about." pp. 85-86. Prior owner's stamp on page edges, top, bottom, and foreedge. Jacket has original price on it. Comes in a custom-made collector's slipcase.