THE EIGHTH DAY INSCRIBED TO AARON COPLAND

New York: Harper & Row, (1967). First Edition. Hardcover. Mild sunning to the spine. Still Fine in glassine and slipcase, as issued. Copy #5 of 500 numbered and SIGNED copies of this National Book Award winner. In addition to being signed on the limitation page, the author has INSCRIBED this copy on both the title page and the blank page facing it to composer Aaron Copland: "Presented to Aaron Copland on/the occasion of the tribute paid/to him on his 70th birthday by/the friends of the MacDowell/Colony/T.N.W." On the title page: "For Aaron/from/Thornton/with a long admiration and/indebtedness and affection./October 1970." Wilder has drawn a red box around "Aaron" and a blue box around "Thornton" with colored pencils. Copland, one of America's greatest composers and celebrators of the American spirit, had much in common with Wilder regarding themes and subjects. Copland composed the music for the 1940 film adaptation of OUR TOWN, for which he was nominated for two Academy Awards. The film itself was nominated for six Oscars, including Best Picture, but did not win any. After first meeting with Copland to discuss the project, Wilder said of him, "He's a very likeable fella." Wilder wrote most of OUR TOWN at the MacDowell Colony where Copland also wrote much of his masterwork, APPALACHIAN SPRING. An Association Copy of the first magnitude.