Essentials by Toomer Jean, Signed (7 results)

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. 1st Edition, Limited Edition. Essentials - Jean Toomer Signed First Edition From the estate of Jean Toomer and Margery Latimer's Daughter 1931 Essentials by Jean Toomer Definitions and Aphorisms, Private Edition, Designed and Printed at the Lakeside Press, Chicago 1931, signed and numbered (#44/1000) on the limitation page by Toomer. After the publication of Cane, Toomer pushed aside literary pursuits to devote himself to spiritual mysticism, particularly the teachings of the Russian Armenian mystic George Gurdjieff who promoted individual development through discipline of the mind, body, and emotions. Toomer would visit and learn from Gurdjieff at his Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man at Fontainebleau, France in 1924. Upon his return he would conduct a series of lectures and demonstrations among the Black literati in Harlem, eventually build a community of followers in Chicago, and dream about building his own institute modeled after Gurdjieff's in America. Later he would become involved with Quakerism, Jungian psychoanalysis, the psychic Edgar Cayce, and even L. Ron Hubbard's Dianetics (now morphed into the Church of Scientology) "Essentials was an attempt to sum up all wisdom and experience - the universe according to Jean Toomer - in a collection of aphorisms. Gurdjieff used this technique at Fontainebleau, where his favorite homilies decorated the Study House." The resulting work was deemed unpublishable, leading Toomer to start his own publishing firm. 1000 copies of Essentials were printed but sales were poor. Black cloth, decorative paper labels to spine and front board, pp. [x], 64, [2]; Very good condition, lacking jacket, some fading to spine and spine label, just a touch of foxing to rear endpaper. [Kerman, C. E., Eldridge, R. The Lives of Jean Toomer A Hunger for Wholeness. Louisiana State University Press, 1987]. Signed by Author(s).

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. 1st Edition. Hardbound, no Dust Jacket. 1st Edition. Privately printed in a Limited Edition of 1,000 copies, of which this is #186. SIGNED by Jean Toomer on the limitation page. Minor wear to black cloth boards and minor foxing and offsetting to end pages. Otherwise in very good condition. RARE! Signed by Author(s).

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good-. No Jacket. Limited/Numbered. This is copy 78 of 1,000 , and is signed by Toomer under the limitation statement. Paper label on front board and spine. Dampstaining to bottom half-inch of page edges, running up about two inches on page edges. Faint pencil marks to front end paper. Signed by Author(s).

Hardcover. Limited Edition, #481/1000. 12mo., unpaginated. In Very Good condition. Bound in publisher's black cloth, with teal and blue paper labels to spine and front cover, and teal and blue titling. Signed flat on the limitation page by Toomer, #481/1000; also inscribed by Toomer on the front free endpaper to Mildred G Green, Christmas '32. CX Consignment. Shelved in Case 0. Inscribed to Mildred G. Green, the aunt of Margery Latimer Toomer (Jean Toomer's wife). 1346491. Shelved Dupont Bookstore.

First edition. Edition limited to a thousand copies, this one numbered 254 and signed by Toomer; Additionally inscribed 'from Jean & Marjory . Christmas 1951", assumed in Toomer's hand; 64 pages plus a foreword. Cloth bound in near very good condition; A couple small stains to cover label and light stain to top 1/8" inch of pages.

Condition: Fine. Signed Limited First Edition. First edition. Copy number 34 of a limited 1,000 numbered copies signed by Jean Toomer; of these 1,000 copies, those distributed upon publication were numbered and signed, and after his death the remaining copies turned up unnumbered and unsigned. Bound in publisher's black paper-covered boards with two-tone blue paper title label to upper board and spine. Pages lightly toned and top edge of textblock lightly dust-soiled, still fine, in a Near Fine spine-toned, lightly foxed and soiled dust jacket with rubbing at the extremities and light chaffing at the rear flap fold. By the Harlem Renaissance author best known for his novel Cane.

Condition: Near Fine. Signed Limited First Edition. First edition; published at the Lakeside Press. Copy number 179 of a limited 1,000 numbered copies signed by Jean Toomer; of these 1,000 copies, those distributed upon publication were numbered and signed, and after his death the remaining copies turned up unnumbered and unsigned. Bound in publisher's black paper-covered boards with two-tone blue paper title label to upper board and spine. Spine lightly faded and title label there toned, light rubbing at spine ends, pages toned.