A Note on Experts: Dexter Vespasian Joyner

New York: House of Books, Ltd, 1939. First Edition. First printing. No. 40 of 300 copies printed. Octavo (19.5cm). Original brown cloth, titled in gilt; plain endpapers; [28]pp, n.p. Printed at the Southworth-Anthoensen Press in Portland, ME; number 5 in a series of Crown Octavos. Tight and square with minor discoloration to endpapers; Very Good or better, lacking the publisher's unprinted glassine wrapper. Inscribed on front endpaper: "To Mary with love and the hope of a heated argument," signed "Red," dated 1941 (we have not succeeded in identifying the presenter any further, other than to confirm that the handwriting does not match that of Sinclair Lewis).

"Among the manuscripts left by Thomas Wolfe there appeared this fragment which had never been published. . . It seemed, however, so representative of one aspect of the author's talent that it was deemed of sufficient importance to publish at this time" (Executor's note). JOHNSTON A6.