Available Copies from Independent Booksellers
Stein, Gertrude. How to Write. Plain Edition by the Darantiere Press, Paris, 1931.
Price: US$249.00 + shipping
Condition: Good
Description: The first edition of Stein's work on the craft of writing was published with a print run of 1,000 copies in Paris, the third of her Plain Edition books. A previous owner attempted to secure the paper label with tape, leaving it crooked, discolored, and with the upper right corner torn. Slight darkening of the spine, wear to the corners and upper edge of front board. Inspired by Stein, an early reader has written the line "SINCERITIES STIFLED DOWN NARROW OPENINGS" in small block capitals along the upper edge of the rear endpaper. 395pp, 6.5 x 4.5"
Seller: B Street Books, ABAA and ILAB, San Mateo, CA, U.S.A.
Stein, Gertrude. How to Write. Paris: Plain Edition, 1931, 1931.
Price: US$275.00 + shipping
Description: Hardcover. 16 mo (6.75" x 4.5"), half dark gray over light gray paper, original paper label at spine. CONDITION: Near-fine, light foxing at endpapers and pastedowns, light dust spots to text-block, top edge of rear cover lightly bumped. Stated first edition. One thousand copies were printed by the Darantiere Press at Dijon, France.
Seller: James Arsenault & Company, ABAA, Arrowsic, ME, U.S.A.
Stein, Gertrude.. How to Write.. Plain Editions, Paris, 1931.
Price: US$300.00 + shipping
Condition: Fine
Description: Limited Edition. 1000 copies. A Fine copy in two-toned dull pale grey paper covered boards, spine label, without dustwrapper as issued. Offset spotting to endpapers and first few leaves. 395pp. Q15035
Seller: Compass Rose Books, ABAA-ILAB, Kensington, CA, U.S.A.
Stein, Gertrude. How to Write. Plain Edition, 1931.
Price: US$450.00 + shipping
Condition: Good
Description: First edition. 1,000 copies printed. Title on discolored paper label on spine. Foxing on two endpapers and on page edges, but very little or none on page faces. Covers and spine are original light gray, with a few spots and a faint stain. Book covered with mylar. Interior unmarked. Binding tight, square.
Seller: Frank Hofmann, Yorba Linda, CA, U.S.A.
Stein, Gertrude. HOW TO WRITE. Plain Edition: Paris (1931), 1931.
Price: US$460.00 + shipping
Description: 6.5 x 4.25", two-tone boards, 395pp, covers a little rubbed, spine ends bumped, eps discolored a bit from old cello cover else a nice copy of the FIRST EDITION. Limited to 1,000 copies. SCARCE.
Seller: John K King Used & Rare Books, Detroit, MI, U.S.A.
Stein, Gertrude. HOW TO WRITE. Plain Editions, Paris, 1931.
Price: US$500.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: First edition of one of Stein's best and most important works. Third title from Alice Toklas' imprint, which she founded to publish Stein's writings. Printed by the Darantiere Press. 6.5'' x 4''. Publisher's light-gray paper covered boards over gray paper spine with printed paper spine label. 395 pages. One of 1000 copies. Boards slightly bowed. Some moderate toning. Else clean and sound.
Seller: Type Punch Matrix, Silver Spring, MD, U.S.A.
STEIN, Gertrude. How to write. Plain Editions, Paris, 1931.
Price: US$500.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: 1931 Plain Edition Paris, two tone grey paper covered boards with paper spine label very well preserved under acrylic jacket. Tight and unmarked with the faintest of fox speckle to fore edge. 4.5" x 6.5" 395 pages. Limited to 1000 copies. A27 Please email for photos. Larger books or sets may require additional shipping charges. Books sent via US Postal
Seller: Griffin Books, Stamford, CT, U.S.A.
Stein, Gertrude. How to Write. Plain Editions, Paris, 1931.
Price: US$600.00 + shipping
Condition: Fine
Description: Limited to 1000 copies. Fine. Grey paper on the boards with a pastedown label on the spine. Square and firmly bound, clean internally. A remarkably tight and clean copy of Stein's third Plain Edition book, her idiosyncratic writing style guide.
Seller: Carpetbagger Books, Woodstock, IL, U.S.A.
STEIN, Gertrude. How to Write. Plain Editions, Paris, 1931.
Price: US$600.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: First edition. Papercovered boards with printed spine-label. One of 1000 copies. Modest chip on the spine label, corners bumped, a sound very good copy. Bookplate of the actress Ruth Gordon and her husband the writer and director Garson Kanin.
Seller: Between the Covers-Rare Books, Inc. ABAA, Gloucester City, NJ, U.S.A.
Stein, Gertrude. How to Write.. Plain Edition, Paris, 1931.
Price: US$1250.00 + shipping
Description: First edition of Stein's experimental work on the craft of writing. Small octavo, original half cloth and boards, paper spine label. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the half-title page, "To Arthur from Gertrude Stein." In very good condition. Written in Stein's typical experimental style, How to Write embodies the novelist's unique approach to writing including her dislike of punctuation (particularly the comma), search for rhythm and balance, use of repetition, and dismissal of the conventional significance of words. Stein's approach to writing is truly impossible to summarize, yet undertones of humor persist, borne out immediately by some of the chapter titles: âSaving the Sentence,â âArthur a Grammar,â âRegular Regularly in Narrative,â and âFinally George a Vocabulary.â
Seller: Raptis Rare Books, Palm Beach, FL, U.S.A.