Search Results: Authors starting with Y from Downtown Brown Books, ABAA

New York: Viking, 1997. First Edition. Hardcover. Fine/Fine. A picture book about a little girl and a rescue octopus. The basis of the TV series Willa's Wild Life. First edition (first printing with a numberline ending in 1). A fine copy in a fine dust jacket. Signed by Yaccarino on the dedication page, with a small drawing of a bird's head. Uncommon signed.

Tokyo: Yamamuro Gunpei Senshu Kankokai, 1963. First Edition. Hardcover. Very good. A biography of Major Kobayashi Masasuke, an early Issei pioneer who arrived in America in 1902 and who established Japanese units of the Salvation Army beginning in 1919. Includes reprints of his sermons and lectures and reminiscences of his friends and associates."-A Buried Past, 837. Masasuka "landed in the United States as a student-laborer in 1902. He first attended Stanford University briefly, and then became an employee of the Japanese American Industrial Corporation." In 1919, he "established Japanese units of the Salvation Army within Japanese immigrant society. Kobayashi viewed the prevalence of gambling as a pernicious evil corrupting the moral fiber of Japanese immigrants. Under his leadership, the Japanese Salvation Army campaigned against Chinese gambling all through the post-World War I years, with an intense fervor often bordering on fanaticism... Kobayashi did not hesitate to seek the help of local… Read More

Tokyo: Tobei Zasshisha, 1906. First Edition. A collection of miscellaneous essays on America intended as a guide. All the essays first appeared in the Tobei Zasshi. A 12-page section on English conversation is appended."-A Buried Past, 131. Tobei Zasshi (America-Bound Magazine), was "the official organ of the Tobei Kyokai (Association for the America-Bound), an organization formed by Katayama Sen in 1902 in Tokyo to encourage the Japanese to go to America..." See A Buried Past, 139, for more information on the magazine. This very scarce anthology is a remarkable collection of nearly 20 first-hand accounts of Japanese immigrants in the United States at the beginning of the 20th century. The authors include laborers, students, and entrepreneurs. One writer describes the opportunities for women in the United States; another describes the Japanese shoemakers guild in San Francisco. The book concludes with a short section of basic English phrases useful for seeking employment and buying clothes. [4] 2,… Read More

Tokyo: Nihon Shoin, 1921. First Edition. A writer for the Rafu Shimpo Japanese newspaper in Los Angeles offers a satirical lexicon of Japanese American terms. The book is reminiscent of Ambrose Bierce's Devil's Dictionary. For example, an early entry is for "寫眞結婚" (shashin kekkon), or Picture Marriage: "The Japanese, who have always imitated foreign countries in every aspect of their lives, are now the only ones in the world with this unique and original invention." Picture Marriage is just one example of Yamazaki's commentary on the anti-Japanese climate in the United States at the time. The introduction to this book is by the novelist Ubukata Toshiro. OCLC: 673765878 (National Diet Library). First edition (first printing; the book was reissued in 1922 under a slightly different title). A very good copy in thin, flexible boards. Lacking the printed white dust jacket.

New York: First Second, 2013. First Edition. Trade paperback. Fine/Fine. Yang's acclaimed two-volume graphic novel set during the Boxer rebellion in China. Each book follows a different character. In Boxer, a boy grows up to be a leader in the rebellion. In Saint, a girl converts to Catholicism and dreams of Joan of Arc. The two stories intersect and the girl chooses execution rather than renounce her faith. The books are aimed at a young adult audience and treat a difficult subject with originality and compassion. This novel was a finalist for the National Book Award. Yang, the son of Chinese immigrants, was appointed the US Ambassador for Young People's Literature in 2016, and is one of a small handful of graphic novelists to be awarded a MacArthur "genius" grant. (Your cataloguer met him just before his acclaimed book, American Born Chinese, came out, and he's a super-nice guy. The sort of person you meet once and never forget.) 327 and 170 pages. Written and drawn by Yang; colored by Lark… Read More

Two pages (single sheet). 8 by 10 inches, on ruled paper. A nice California business letter. This letter details a number of speculative business ventures in Southern California, and the writer and the recipient appear to be partners in a number of investments. There is a lengthy discussion of the purchase of wine at half price from L. Wolfskill (probably Luis Wolfskil, the son of wine industry pioneer William Wolfskil), which the writer expects to ship to New York at a substantial profit. The second paragraph expresses surprise at the "sheep account," and values the partners' flocks at $18,000. The letter concludes with the observation, "I see with pleasure that Green Backs are $6 odd, that ought to help us." Somewhat fragile with old folds, about very good.

New York: Sterling, 2009. First Edition. Hardcover. Fine/Fine. A picture book with the lyrics of classic folk songs, selected by Yarrow, the Peter in Peter, Paul, and Mary. With musical notation for guitar accompaniyment at the back and a CD of Yarrow performing the songs at the front. 48 pages. First edition (with a numberline ending in 1). A fine copy in illustrated boards (no jacket, as issued). CD fine. Signed by Yarrow on the title page.

New Braunfels, TX: Cedar Rock Press, 1979. First Edition. Pamphlet. Very good. 36 pages. Poems. The author taught at Southwest Texas State University. Introduction by Naomi Shihab Nye. First edition (first printing). Very good or better in wrappers.

Los Angeles: Zaibei Miyagi Kenjinshi Hensan Jimusho, 1933. First Edition. Hardcover. Near fine. A history of the Japanese from Miyagi Prefecture. Contains a short background on emigration from this prefecture, some population statistics, and a list of Japanese from Miyagi living in Southern California. Also includes brief histories of the Southern California Miyagi Prefectural Association and the Northern California Tohoku Association. Concludes with over 200 biographies and a directory."-A Buried Past, 324. [1], [38 leaves of plates], 11, 7, 11, 351, [1] pages. The plates are mostly halftone photographs of prominent Issei couples posed with their Nisei children. With some additional in-text halftones. OCLC: 46709413, 673550256. First edition (first printing). A very nice copy, lacking the publisher's stiff paper box.

Dublin: Cuala Press, 1939. Second Edition. Trade paperback. Near fine. Yeats last prose work; he completed revising the proofs but never saw the finished book. The first edition was ready in July 1939, but Yeats' family, who ran the Cuala Press, were unhappy with the print quality; they pulped the edition and had it reprinted (this second edition). Colin Smythe, Yeats' bibliographer, has located seven surviving copies of the first edition, although the Internet insists on repeating that the number is four copies; either way, not very many, but check your facts or give a source, folks. See "The Textual History of Yeats's On the Boiler" by William O'Donnell, especially footnote 68. On the Border is a scattershot text, that jumps from the coming war, Irish politics and history, Irish immigration, and lands in poetry and a short dramatic scene in blank verse. 46 pages, [1 ad page, one blank]. Second edition. A near fine copy in yapped-edge wrappers.

Northridge, CA: Lord John Press, 2006. First Edition. Hardcover. Fine/Fine. A collection of essays about films and film-making. Yellin bound in blank sheets at the front of the book so that collectors could accumulate film autographs there. In his introduction, he explains the idea, which he first introduced in the book Signatures: "There was also an abundance of white space, and what went unsaid [in Signatures] (and perhaps I was remiss in not stating it) was that each book, as delivered to the purchaser, was intended as a jumping-off point, an opportunity for each owner to gather within it their own choice of contributors and signatories ultimately making each book unique." 224 pages. First edition (first printing). A fine copy (but for some remnants of erased pencil on the first blank) in a fine dust jacket. Herb Yellin recruited some contributors to sign some of the copies of this book, to get collectors started. This copy is signed by John Updike, Robert Bloch, Ramsey Campbell, Dennis… Read More

Northridge, CA: Lord John Press, 2006. First Edition. Hardcover. Fine/Near fine. A collection of essays about films and film-making. Yellin bound in blank sheets at the front of the book so that collectors could accumulate film autographs there. In his introduction, he explains the idea, which he first introduced in the book Signatures: "There was also an abundance of white space, and what went unsaid [in Signatures] (and perhaps I was remiss in not stating it) was that each book, as delivered to the purchaser, was intended as a jumping-off point, an opportunity for each owner to gather within it their own choice of contributors and signatories ultimately making each book unique." 224 pages. First edition (first printing). A fine copy in a near fine dust jacket (small crease on front cover, near the spine). Herb Yellin recruited some contributors to sign some of the copies of this book, to get collectors started. This copy is signed by John Updike, Robert Bloch, Ramsey Campbell, Dennis Etchison,… Read More

London: Quercus (Six Four) and Riverrun (other two) in Association with Goldsboro Books, 2019. First Edition. Hardcover. Fine. The first three crime novels by an acclaimed Japanese writer. There are signed and numbered copies in illustrated boards with a wrap-around label on the front board. The first book was 500 copies; the other two are 250 copies. The books are signed by Yokoyama and the translator Jonathan Lloyd-Davies. First editions (first printings). Fine copies with short tears to the wrap-around labels. Prefecture D has a bit of glue residue on the title page, just touching the "f" in "edition of." Each of these is copy no. 99, signed by the author and the translator.

London: Royal Society, 1977. First Edition. Trade paperback. Very good. Offprint from Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. pp. 453-527. 8-1/4 by 11-5/8 inches. First separate edition. Covers with light wear, thus very good in wrappers. Inscribed by the author on the front cover, "To Stephen Gould, with thanks for your analysis of Dollo's thoughts. Maurice Yonge." The inscription seems to refer to Yonge's citation of Gould's paper, "Dollo on Dollo's Law." Gould was a National Book award-winning author and probably the most well-known evolutionary theorist of his day.

Tokyo: Konan Shoin, 1955. Hardcover. Near fine. A reference guide to American cotton fabric, with 230 samples pasted in. The purpose of the book was to provide Japanese cloth manufacturers with a reference book of Western fabric styles, names, and specifications to help Japanese factories sell to the American market. The book is printed left-to-right in the Western fashion, with cloth names in English but most of the text in Japanese. The cloth swatches measure roughly 2 by 1-1/4 inches. [14], 250, 8 pages. Uncommon. OCLC (no. 672491077) locates a single copy, at the National Diet Library. First edition. A near fine copy in a very good publisher's cardstock slipcase.

Osaka: Okashima Shoten, 1903. First Edition. Trade paperback. Good. A rare guide to coming to America published during the brief window during the first years of the 20th century when it was legal for Japanese citizens to emigrate to the United States, before the 1907 Gentlemen's Agreement made the process much more difficult. Still, this book reflects the tenor of the times. In the section on clearing immigration on arrival in the US, one of the role-play examples (in English) is "Q: Are you an anarchist or not? A. Not at all." (p. 98). "A guide to America for students which compliments [Seinen no to-Bei (America-bound Youth)] by the same author. Discusses passport procedures, the passage, arrival formalities and provides information on being a 'school boy', matriculation problems, and the American educational system"-A Buried Past, 132. The author of this book was the first ordained Japanese episcopal priest and the founder of the church's Japanese mission in San Francisco. Yoshimura was an… Read More

Angourie, NSW, Australia: Nymboida Press, 1998. First Edition. Hardcover. Near fine/Very good. The memoirs of an Australian surfing legend. 459 pages; extensively illustrated with halftone photographs. First edition (states "First published in 1998..." on the last text page). Near fine (small gift inscription on the title page) in a dust jacket with wear at the front covers; generally very good. Inscribed by Young, "Kelly, do it, if you get you high!! Nat Young, Nov 98." Uncommon signed.

New York: Sol. Young, 1910. Ephemera. Very good. A three-quarters-length seated portrait of trade union advocate and economist George Gunton (1845-1919). Gunton was born in England and emigrated to the US in the 1870s. Gunton wrote a treatise on the eight-hour work day and the economics books Wealth and Progress and Principles of Social Economics. He also published The Social Economist (later Gunton's Magazine). 3-7/8 by 5-1/2 inches on a Sol. Young mount, 7 Union Square, New York. An excellent, high contrast image. Penciled notes below image on mount; additional markings on the back (verso of the mount).