One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest [inscribed by Malcolm Cowley] by KESEY, Ken [Malcolm Cowley] - 1962

New York: Viking Press, 1962. First Edition. Hardcover. Fine/very good. Octavo, 311pp. A crisp, clean copy, about fine, in the publisher's green cloth. In a very good first-issue dust jacket with mild fading (as often) to the spine, and some shallow wear to the spine ends. A singular copy, with a significant inscription by Malcolm Cowley on the front free endpaper: "This is the very rare first printing, withdrawn from the bookstores because of a passage the [sic] Gwen Davis claimed to be libelous. Malcolm Cowley." Kesey was one of Cowley's writing students at Stanford, and Cowley helped Kesey get this hit novel published at Viking. Davis, a therapist steeped in the 60s counterculture (she was famous for "nude encounter therapy") believed the minor character of Gwendolyn (spelled "Gwen-doe-lin") was based on her, and she threatened Viking with a lawsuit, which resulted in a number of first printings being removed from bookstores, and the book quickly reprinted with the character changed to "Public Relation," a heavyset man who cynically promotes the institution to unwitting outsiders. The first issue is uncommon, particularly with such a meaningful inscription from one of Kesey's most important colleagues. An excellent copy. (Note that the book is NOT signed by Kesey.).