MID-AMERICAN CHANTS

New York & London: John Lane, 1918. First Edition. Hardcover. Near Fine, lacking the dustwrapper. Anderson's third book and first book of poetry, this copy a superb Association copy INSCRIBED simply "Miss Marietta Finley" and SIGNED "Sherwood Anderson" in green ink on the front endpaper. Anderson met unmarried, 24-year old "Babs" Finley at the Art. Institute of Chicago in the autumn of 1914. They were devoted friends and likely lovers. His correspondence of over 300 letters to her was published in the book LETTERS TO BAB: SHERWOOD ANDERSON TO MARIETTA D. FINLEY, 1916-33. Only two letters from her apparently have survived, but it seems that Finley had hoped, early on, for marriage but settled for a friendship that sometimes bordered on abusive. "The world has pretty muddy feet Bab," Anderson wrote to her in 1930. "It doesn't leave a man's house very nice."