The Harp of Life: A Play

New York: George H. Doran, 1921. Hardcover. Near Fine. First edition. Octavo. Frontispiece of Laurette Taylor. Green cloth lettered in black. Slight rubbing, near fine lacking the dust jacket. A play featuring Laurette Taylor, who was also both the dedicatee, and the author's wife. Small initials of Barrett H. Clark, dated in 1936. Additionally Inscribed by Manners: "To Augustus Thomas with high admiration and esteem. J. Hartley Manners. Xmas-Day 1921." Thomas was a St. Louis-born successful Broadway playwright. Barrett H. Clark was an exceptionally important figure in modern American drama: aside from authoring and translating many plays, he served as the longtime literary editor for the drama publisher Samuel French, as well as director of the Drama League of America. He helped guide playwrights, such as Eugene O’Neill and Maxwell Anderson, and encouraged American dramatists to tell real stories of working-class people, using language derived from everyday life. A nice double-association.