Where the Sidewalk Ends - First Edition - Signed - Shel Silverstein - Bauman Rare Books

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Where the Sidewalk Ends

Shel SILVERSTEIN

Item#: 120296 We're sorry, this item has been sold

Where the Sidewalk Ends

Where the Sidewalk Ends

"FOR GLORIA FOR GLORIA… YOU HELPED TO WRITE THE STORIA": FIRST EDITION OF WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS, WARMLY INSCRIBED WITH TEN LINES OF HUMOROUS VERSE BY SHEL SILVERSTEIN

SILVERSTEIN, Shel. Where the Sidewalk Ends: The Poems & Drawings of Shel Silverstein. New York: Harper and Row, (1974). Small quarto, original brown cloth, original dust jacket.

Rare first edition, presentation copy, of Silverstein’s first collection of witty and whimsical poetry (in a later issue dust jacket), warmly inscribed by him on the front free endpapers with ten lines of humorous verse "For Gloria," quite possibly the New York artist and Harper & Row designer Gloria Bressler, mentioned on the acknowledgements page.

"The poems, ranging from serious to silly, from philosophical to ridiculous, allow the reader or listener—the rhyme and rhythm… make them perfect for reading aloud—to discover Silverstein's greatest gift: his ability to understand the fears and wishes and silliness of children" (Silvey, 602). This collection's colorful cast of characters includes, among others, Dirty Dan, "the dirtiest man in the world"; Jimmy Jet and his TV set—"He watched till his eyes were frozen wide, and his bottom grew into his chair…"; and "The Glurpy Slurpy Skakagrall—who's standing right behind you."

The lengthy, warm inscription reads (in Silverstein's characteristic all-caps lettering): "For Gloria for Gloria/ These poems both sweet and goria/ For sunshine and euphoria/ You helped to write the storia/ I can't write any moria/ It's going to be a boria/ But I can't get out the dooria/ I'm rotten to the coria/ Somebody stop me beforia/ I write any moria…… thank godia, Lovia, Shelia." Given the length and fond tone of the inscription, the recipient seems likely to be New York artist and Harper & Row designer Gloria Greenberg Bressler, one of the short list of people Silverstein thanks in the rear of the book. Book first edition, with "First edition" stated and nine-digit SBNs on copyright page (vs ten digit ISBNs). Dust jacket later issue, with price of $8.95 (rather than $7.95) and The Missing Piece, not published until 1976, listed on rear flap. Cotsen 10243.

A fine copy, desirable inscribed by Silverstein at length with verse.

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