AUDEN, W. H.. Homage to Clio.. New York: Random House, 1960, 1960.

Price: US$645.72 + shipping

Description: First edition, first printing, familiarly inscribed by the author using his first name reserved for friends on the title page: "For Bill Gray with best wishes from Wystan Auden", his printed name struck through. This collection of poems is marked by "dark themes of public and private violence" (ODNB). The recipient Dr William ("Woods") Shelton Gray, Jr (1926-1993) fostered friendships with major literary figures such as Auden and T. S. Eliot, and on one occasion met Ezra Pound. Auden dedicated the poem "The Aliens" to Gray, toured Europe with him, and in 1971 found him a position as a visiting lecturer in American Literature at the University of Graz in Austria. Loosely inserted in this copy is a contemporary newspaper cutting reviewing Auden. Bloomfield and Mendelson A42a. Octavo. Original black quarter cloth, white paper-covered sides, titles to spine and front cover in gilt, top edge red. With dust jacket. Small, faint mark to fore edge, light browning to gutter of front endpaper, internally crisp and clean. A very good copy indeed, in like dust jacket, head of spine panel frayed, else bright and sharp, unclipped.

Seller: Peter Harrington. ABA/ ILAB., London, United Kingdom