Inscribed to the Editor of Catch-22
Picture This
Publication: New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1988. First Edition.
Notes: An association copy of the first printing of this novel about art and philosophy. The book is inscribed to Robert Gottlieb, the editor who discovered Catch-22.
Gottlieb is best-known for editing Joseph Heller's Catch-22 when he was at Simon and Schuster; he spent most of his career at Knopf, perhaps the most prestigious literary publisher in the US, with a five-year stint as the editor of The New Yorker (which shared ownership with Knopf). Heller was one of many writers who followed Gottlieb from S&S to Knopf but when he got a better offer from Putnam, he switched publishers.
Edition + Condition: First edition (first printing, with a numberline ending in 1). A very good copy in a very good dust jacket, with a short tear to the rear panel and some edgewear along the top. This copy is inscribed, "To All of the Gottliebs, with continued affection (were you still my publisher, I would have sent four copies). Joe Heller. 8/9/88." The novel was published in September. Given that this copy was inscribed to Robert Gottlieb (and his wife and two children) in August, it is almost certainly a presentation copy, one of the author's own copies sent to Gottlieb in advance of publication.
Item No: #345024
Price: $750