To America With Love: Letters From the Underground

Stonehill Publishing, New York, 1976 First edition/first printing hardcover with dustjacket, inscribed and SIGNED by Hoffman ("Abbie"), with an interesting autograph letter signed by Hoffman ("chicot") laid in. The book is comprised of letters between Hoffman and his wife while he was underground. This is the hardcover issue, near fine in dust jacket, inscribed/signed by the author and with an ALS laid in to a Mark Jaffe (apparently a publishing representative). The inscription on the front free endpaper reads: "To Mark Jaffe: / one of the / 'Very Special People'/ the only jew in the / publishing business / with two khups!/ luv / Abbie." The letter goes into detail about publication rights for this book and exhorts Jaffe to remember: "NO publisher ever lost money on a book I wrote. That's a fact you can ask Ed Doctorow or Jason Epstein or Barney Rosset. The publicity will be thrown in free. A press conference on the moon. Fingerprinting parties in Brentano's." (For Hoffman's next book, the publisher did give "fingerprinting parties" at various bookstores where Hoffman gave readings and signed and fingerprinted his books.) The letter is on Amsterdam Marriott Hotel letterhead and begins, "High Mark: Guess who! Right. It was great seeing you in Amsterdam last night." The letter is signed "luv chicot". (It would make sense that Hoffman would see himself as Chicot: "Chicot (c. 1540 1591), real name Jean-Antoine d'Anglerais, was the jester of King Henry III of France and later Henry IV. He was sharp-tongued and very cunning, and spoke with the king without formalities".) The book is near fine in a very good dust jacket; the letter folded for mailing otherwise fine. Blue boards, gilt spine lettering, 8 1/2 x 5 3/4 inches, 206 pp. (K059). Signed by Author(s). 1st Edition. Hardcover. Near Fine/Very Good.