Washington: Guild Press (1966). One of the milestones of modern gay literature–a "Dante journey into a dark and underground world that may shock or repel, but will surely fascinate." (from dust jacket blurb). A very good copy in good dust jacket by Etienne, with closed tears, small chip at edges, light rubbing to covers and spine. More

London: Murray & Co. (1907). Hardcover. An unknown author’s first book, executed by a publisher known for his Uranian texts. Attractively produced volume- oblong in blue paper over boards and label, light browning to endpapers, spine label lightly worn. More

Pittsburgh (1944). large 4to. An large quarto portfolio of nineteen wash drawings by Avinoff, with an accompanying poem by George Golokhvastoff. The images are highly homoerotic and depict a young man rising from the sea in a variety of mystical settings, and angelic hierarchies with luminous layers of light. Avinoff (1884-1949) was a Russian nobleman who left the country during the revolution and settled in Pittsburgh, where he became a well known entomologist. Later in his life, he became friends with Alfred Kinsey and much of his work is on deposit at the Kinsey Institute. One of 200 copies issued, very good in original chemise and slipcase (the slipcase is a bit battered with some tape repair). More

Hermitage (1992). Soft cover. One of fifty numbered copies. Very good in illustrated wrappers. More

Bourgoint and his sister were immortalized in Cocteau's classic Les Enfants Terribles as the troubled siblings whose relationship ended in disaster. Bourgoint was a member of Cocteau's close circle of friends, which included Berard, Maurice Sachs, Rene; Crevel and assorted others, many of whom were frequent users of opium. He later befriended Jacques Maritain and eventually settled in Cameroun, where he worked in a leper colony. The image is approximately 8.5" x 7" and is in very good condition and bears the Bourgoint ownership stamp. Although unsigned by Berard, the images is one of a series by the artist assembled by Bourgoint and sold in Paris in 1966. Henri Sauguet wrote at that time: "Bourgoint, a vingt ans...etait l'ami de Christian Berard et de Cocteau, qui s'inspire de sa vie pour "Les Enfants Terribles." Il se lie d'amitie avec Sauguet, Maritain, Crevel, Benoist-Mechin, d'Astier de La Vigerie, Maurice Sachs, Jean Hugo, tout l'entourage de Cocteau l'accueille, le fete. Il dessine beaucoup, puis soudain, il abandonne Paris, passe un temps a la campagne chez Jean Hugo, puis en 1947, entre la Trappe de Citeaux, d'ou il part en Afrique soigner les lepreux. C'est au milieu d'eux qu'il vient mourir. Cette collection est emouvante on y trouve...un ensemble tres important de Berard. More

Paris (2000). Catalog of a highly praised exhibition at the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris. Heavily illustrated. Very good in wrappers. More

Paris (1925). later ed. The author, an opium addict himself and a disciple of the Symbolists, was one of the first French writers to study the action of opium on intelligence. Very good in illustrated wrappers, a touch of foxing. More

Lisbao: Olisipo (1922). The second edition of these controversial poems, many of which are explicitly homosexual in content and which created a furor when published in this ediiton. The previous year, Botto had published the first edition of the poems, which were largely ignored until his friend Fernando Pessoa issued the present edition under his Olisipo imprint and publicly praised the poems. Conservatives reacted strongly against the poems, calling them "sodom's literature" and the book was banned by the authorities in 1923. Catholic college students clamored for a burning of the book, but Botto refused to apologize for his work. Botto was openly homosexual throughout his life and later struggled to survive by writing children's books and short essays. Pessoa, Portugal's pre-eminent modernist literary figure, considered Botto the only Portuguese poet worthy of the label "aesthete" and, as a critic and publisher, championed his work. Pessoa translated the poems into English, which were eventually published in 1948 (see below). To publicize the book, Pessoa wrote a provocative article, published in the journal Comtemporânea, (see below) praising the author’s courage and sincerity for shamelessly singing homosexual love as a true aesthete. Pessoa's article prompted the critic Alvaro Maia to excoriate Botto’s work, which was then followed by another article by Raul Leal (an openly homosexual writer, friend of Pessoa). Conservatives reacted and complained to the authorities about the work’s immorality ("Sodom's literature") and the book was confiscated by the authorities in 1923. The Liga de Acção dos Estudantes de Lisboa [Lisbon Students Action League], a Catholic college students group (lead by Pedro Teotónio Pereira) clamored for an auto-da-fé of Botto's book and someone even suggested the author should be hanged. Nevertheless, most artists and intellectuals promptly took up his defence in several polemic articles. Eventually, the scandal subsided, the next year the ban was lifted and until the end of his life Botto would publish several revised versions of the book. His work was applauded by Antonio Machado, Miguel de Unamuno, Camilo Pessanha, Virginia Woolf, Teixeira de Pascoaes, José Régio, Luigi Pirandello, Stefan Zweig, Rudyard Kipling, James Joyce and Federico García Lorca. A good copy in the original printed wrappers, with the original frontispiece photograph of the author, wear to spine and light edgewear. A laudatory review of Botto's work by Jayme de Balsemão appears at the end of the book. His work has been widely praised by fellow writers, including James Joyce among others. See also, Leal, Sodoma Divinisada, (see below) which praises Botto's courage for writing about gay subjects. More

Frank Hallman (1975). Three short works by Bowles. Miller A28. very good in wrappers. More

Paris: Roving Eye Press, 1931. Bob Brown, ed, Readies for Bob Brown's Machine (1931). Roving Eye Press, 1931. A very scarce anthology or collection, printed in France, with contributions (often brief) from the likes of Ezra Pound, William Carlos Williams, Kay Boyle, James T Farrell, Gertrude Stein, et al. Condition: Good, with chipping and splitting to paper at spine ends, droplet spotting and discoloration on front wrap. More

London: Fortune Press [1947]. Poetry anthology. Very good in very good illustrated (perhaps by John Banting) jacket. d'Arch Smith 32. More

Paris: 1939. 34pp. The first French translation (by Henri Parisot) of this work, issued in an edition of 150 copies. Very good in original wrappers, occasional light spotting. Uncommon. More

Capri: Cerio e Pignalosa (ND). 4to., 18pp. A large format illustrated history of Capri, published by Cerio's Le Pagine dell'isola series. The illustrations were done in the 1940s by Partricia Mertig and present mostly touristic perspectives of life on Capri, several of which are fully illustrated. Magazine format, folded with light edgewear and small tears. Uncommon. More