GIRL WITH CURIOUS HAIR [TOGETHER WITH] INFINITE JEST: A NOVEL - INSCRIBED TO BRIAN SIMPSON, WITH A TLS LAID IN

New York: W.W. Norton & Company / Little, Brown and Company, 1996. First Editions. A compelling trio of items, comprised of Wallace's first collection of short fiction and his second novel, inscribed to Brian Simpson, long-time owner of Babbitts Books in Normal, Illinois. Wallace was a regular patron there while teaching at Illinois State University. He would often do readings and signings there, which brought in no shortage of new customers, and in an article for Condé Nast Traveler, he named it his favorite bookshop. His letter to Simpson is insightful, in which he outlines his required reading order for the Fall, 1994 semester. He asked Simpson to order the following titles for his two sections of "English 102 -- Literary Analysis 1: Prose Fiction": Black Sunday (Thomas Harris), The Big Nowhere (James Ellroy), Rock Star (Jackie Collins), Where Are the Children? (Mary Higgins Clark), Carrie (Stephen King), Lonesome Dove (Larry McMurtry), The Silence of the Lambs (Thomas Harris), and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (C.S. Lewis). He concludes with a request for Simpson to include a small Xerox packet to sell to students coming in for their books ("The English Dept. uses only mimeo, and it looks like shit. If you don't care for the hassle I can arrange something else").

A copy of Wallace's syllabus for this course, held by the Ransom Center, reveals the following aims of the course: "...In less narcotizing words, English 102 aims to show you some ways to read fiction more deeply, to come up with more interesting insights on how pieces of fiction work, to have informed, intelligent reasons for liking or disliking a piece of fiction, and to write -- clearly, persuasively, and above all interestingly -- about stuff you've read...If the course works, we'll end up being able to locate some rather sophisticated techniques and/or themes lurking below the surface of novels that, on a quick read on airplane or beach, look like nothing but entertainment, all surface." He follows this up with a warning, more than likely after anticipating the students' reactions to the reading list: "Don't let any potential lightweightish-looking qualities of the texts delude you into thinking that this will be a blow-off-type class. These "popular" texts will end up being harder than more conventionally "literary" works to unpack and read critically. You'll end up doing more work in here than in other sections of 102, probably." 1. Girl With Curious Hair: First Printing. Octavo (21.5cm); bluish-gray paper and black cloth-covered boards, with titles stamped in metallic blue on spine; dustjacket; [x],373pp. Inscribed by Wallace on the title page: "For Brian with enormous collegial affection / David Foster Wallace." Base of spine gently nudged, else very Near Fine in a Near Fine dustjacket, unclipped (priced $17.95), showing some light surface wear.

2. Infinite Jest: A Novel: First Printing. Thick octavo (24cm); blue two-tone paper-covered boards, with titles stamped in silver on spine; dustjacket; [iv],[2],3-1079pp. Inscribed by Wallace on the title page: "For Brian with all best wishes / David F. Wallace." Base of spine gently nudged, some offsetting to gutter along the front hinge, with a small, faint scuff to front cover; Near Fine in a Fine, unclipped (priced $29.95) first state dustjacket.

Together with a computer-generated typed letter from Wallace to the recipient, dated 6-30 [1994], on white bond (measuring 8.5" x 11"); 23 lines (230 words), signed Many Thanks / David Foster Wallace" in blue ink. Two horizontal folds, with a small holograph correction and a brief note by Wallace at upper margin; Near Fine with the original mailing envelope, franked, postmarked "30 Jun 1994."