HEAVENLY DAYS

New York City, NY: Viking Penguin, 2003. First Edition. First Printing.. Hardcover. Fine/Fine Dust Jacket.. New York City, NY: Viking Penguin, 2003. Hardcover. Fine/Fine. First Edition/First Printing. 200 pages. The author's eighth novel. One of James Wilcox's finest achievements. The First Hardcover Edition. Precedes and should not be confused with all other subsequent editions. Published in a small and limited first print run as a hardcover original only. The First Edition is now scarce. Presents James Wilcox's "Heavenly Days". His heavenly return to Tula Springs and to one of his most memorable characters, Lou Jones "who minds everyone's business except her own, has a doctorate in music, but makes more money working as the receptionist for a fundamentalist health club than she could ever earn at the state college. Wilcox adds in some dizzying subplots involving Lou's oldest friend, a scandal at the college, a group of militant lesbians, and marital infidelity. Wilcox's comic sensibility and compassionate heart animate this bittersweet, humorous novel. But the ending? It's the ultimate in literary ambiguity" (Booklist) . It is a crying shame that James Wilcox's entire body of work has not received the kind of universal recognition that it so richly deserves, otherwise accorded too many inferior, undeserving writers, products of American media hype. The reason is that he writes social comedy - there is no other kind in literature - which is looked down upon as the lesser art, not to be taken seriously, except, of course, by readers and critics who do take literature seriously. An absolute "must-have" title for James Wilcox collectors. This copy is very prominently and beautifully signed, dated (shortly after publication) , and inscribed in black ink-pen on the title page by the author: "Oct. '03 To Robin, With all best wishes! James Wilcox". It is signed directly on the page itself, not on a tipped-in page. The recipient, who is named, went out of his way to obtain the signature in person in Louisiana, where the author now permanently resides. This title is a contemporary classic. As far as we know, this is the only such signed, publication-year dated, and inscribed copy of the First Hardcover Edition/First Printing available online and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. Please note: Copies available online have serious flaws, are in subsequent editions, or are remainder-marked. This is surely an accessible and lovely alternative. A rare signed copy thus. "Modern Baptists" is regarded by Harold Bloom as one of the canonical works of the 20th century. One of the finest writers of the 20th century and our time. A fine copy. (SEE ALSO OTHER JAMES WILCOX TITLES IN OUR CATALOG). ISBN 0670032476.