VOICES AT PLAY

Philadelphia and New York: J. B. Lippincott Company, 1962. First American Edition. Cloth. Fine/Fine. Publisher's File Copy with stamps on front endpaper, 8vo, red quarter cloth with black lettering over tan boards with title on front cover, Mylar-protected pictorial dust jacket (unclipped) designed by Reinganum, [viii] + [248] pages. UNCOMMON. The author's second collection of brilliant short fiction: six stories and four radio plays (aka "ear pieces"). Dame Muriel Spark (1918-2006) was a Scottish poet, essayist; short story writer turned superb novelist. In 1954, Muriel converted to Roman Catholicism after editing the letters of Cardinal John Henry Newman. She felt that her new faith contributed to her gaining the confidence to become a novelist. She was supported in her decision by Graham Greene and Evelyn Waugh. The Times in 2008 counted her as one of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945." She became well known for polished, comic prose with dark tonalities that that touched upon serious subjects and explored human foibles. Probably the auttor's best known novel is The Prime of Miss Jane Brodie (1961). The novel became a hit, long-running Broadway play starring Vanessa Redgrave and the 1969 film for which Maggie Smith won the Oscar for Best Actress. Her novels The Public Image (1968) and Loitering with Intent (1981) were both short-listed for The Booker Prize. Spark wrote more than 20 novels, seveeral cellections of poetry, criticism, short stories, biographies, and even a few children's books. "Stories and ear-pieces" per the publisher which has stamped "File Copy Not to Be Removed From the Office" in red twice on the free front endpaper; also an ink entry "Bin 244." RARITY in Superior Condtion with a few minor nicks to the edges of the dj. From the collection of noted collector Donald Kaufmann.