1990 John Updike’s Signed Proof Copy of Lorrie Moore’s Like Life, the Collection from Which He Later Selected “You’re Ugly, Too” for The Best American Short Stories of the Century
502AOn offer is John Updike’s own uncorrected proof of Lorrie Moore’s Like Life, with his ownership signature in blue ink just above the title on the front cover. Among its eight stories is “You’re Ugly, Too.” In 1999, nine years after Knopf published Like Life, Updike and his coeditor Katrina Kenison included that story in The Best American Short Stories of the Century. For a collector of Moore’s work, the appeal is unusually personal. Here is her second collection in proof, bearing the signature of the writer who would later help choose one of its stories to represent a century of American short fiction.
The proof retains its original printed wrappers. The front cover gives a tentative publication date of May 21, 1990, and a tentative price of $18.95 above Knopf’s “75 Years of Publishing” Borzoi emblem. Inside the front cover, a publisher’s promotional page pairs a portrait of Moore with an introduction to the collection and identifies her earlier books, Self-Help and Anagrams.
Biographical Notes
Lorrie Moore is an American short-story writer and novelist whose collections include Self-Help, Like Life and Birds of America. John Updike was a novelist, short-story writer and longtime critic for The New Yorker. He wrote the introduction to The Best American Short Stories of the Century as well as serving as its editor.
Condition
The front wrapper shows light toning and minor wear at the edges and corners. Updike’s blue-ink ownership signature is bold and clear. The interior promotional page, including Moore’s portrait, is well preserved.
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