Uncommon Women: Gwendolyn Brooks, Sarah Caldwell, Julie Harris, Mary McCarthy, Alice Neel, Roberta Peters, Maria Tallchief, Mary Lou Williams, Eugenia Zukerman by KUFRIN, Joan - 1981

Piscataway, NJ: New Century Publishers, 1981. Hardcover. Photographs by George Kufrin. Small 4to. Blue cloth with white spine lettering, pictorial price-clipped dust jacket. x, 173pp. Numerous illustrations. Fine/near fine. Quite tight and lovely first edition of these essays about "nine women of genius" in the arts -- and sloppily inscribed and signed by the author in black ballpoint on half-title page: "To Ibby Malott / another uncommon woman / Joan Kufrin." This copy bears choice autograph additions: Tipped to the front flyleaf are three identical, special heavy stock 5" X 3" cards signed by three of the subjects. Top to bottom: JULIE HARRIS (1925-2013, five-time Tony Award-winning American actress) boldly signs in black ballpoint, adding "To Richard Laade / Best wishes always" above her signature and dating it "July 10, 1968" at upper right; ROBERTA PETERS (1930-2017, American coloratura soprano long affiliated with the Metropolitan Opera) signs hugely in blue ballpoint, dating it "Nov. 1, 1983" at upper right; and MARIA TALLCHIEF (1925-2013, first American major prima ballerina and the first Native American ballerina) signs boldly in black fineline, dating it "3/24/82" at upper right. A superb copy, inscribed by the author and extra-illustrated with signatures of an actress, singer and dancer profiled within. Laid in are all three signature transmittal envelopes.