THE LOST SON AND OTHER POEMS

Garden City: Doubleday, 1948. 1st edition (second printing), full black cloth, with illustrated dust jacket. Specially signed and inscribed by Roethke in his signature green fountain pen ink. The inscription is to William O'Connor, a distinguished literary critic and English professor who knew and admired Roethke. The inscription reads: "For the William Van O'Connor's / with best wishes, / Ted Roethke" on the FEP. Additionally, Roethke has corrected a typo on page 15 using the same green ink. In our experience, we have never seen another copy of this title with the corrected typo. In 1962 O'Connor attempted to lure Roethke from University of Washington to the University of California Davis, where O'Connor was chairman of the English Department. O'Connor's custom bookplate appears on the pastedown. The author's second book has become increasingly scarce in fine condition with an attractive dust jacket, and particularly so signed. In addition to the long title poem, the text includes "My Papa's Waltz" and "Child on Top of a Greenhouse" among several other notable poems. A fine copy, in complete (not price-clipped) jacket showing short tears to upper edge, else only gentle wear.