On Being Ill [in:] The New Criterion.
A Quarterly Review. Vol. IV., No. I. January, 1926.
London: Faber & Gwyer, Limited, 1926 Stock Code: 145068
First appearance in print
First edition, first impression, including the first appearance in print of Woolf's On Being Ill, which was written after experiencing a period of severe manic-depression and later first published separately by her at the Hogarth Press in 1930. This is a rare find, and especially so in such good condition.On Being Ill (pp. 32-45) is here published in T. S. Eliot's magazine alongside contributions by Aldous Huxley, Gertrude Stein, D. H. Lawrence, and Jean Cocteau. In her essay, Woolf turns a fresh (and today quite topical) attention to the creative possibilities of sickness: "Directly the bed is called for, or, sunk deep among pillows in one chair, we raise our feet even an inch above the ground on another, we cease to be soldiers in the army of the upright; we become deserters. They march to battle. We float with the sticks on the stream; helter skelter with the dead leaves on the lawn, irresponsible and disinterested and able, perhaps for the first time in years, to look round, to look up - to look, for example, at the sky."
This copy has a highly distinguished collector's provenance, bearing the bookplate of William Beekman to the front pastedown of the chemise. Much of Beekman's excellent Bloomsbury Group and Hogarth Press collection now forms part of the Berg Collection at the New York Public Library.
Description
Octavo. Original printed wrappers with yapp edges, titles in red to spine and in red and black to front cover, lower edge untrimmed. Housed in a custom grey cloth chemise and matching slipcase with titls in gilt to black morocco spine label.
Illustrations
4 pp. of publisher's advertisements at end.
Condition
A hint of wear to edges but without loss, light toning to spine, the covers otherwise sound, front hinge broken but holding, internally fresh and clean; still, a remarkably well preserved copy of a fragile production.
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