MASTERS, Edgar Lee (1868-1950). Spoon River Anthology. New York: the Macmillan Company, 1915.

The Hogan copy. A fine copy of the first edition, first issue; a presentation copy; inscribed: “For Frank J. Hogan / with the compliments of Edgar Lee Masters / December 13 1934.” Together with an autograph letter signed from Masters to Llewellyn Jones (1884-1961), the literary editor of the Chicago Evening Post, regarding a review of his book. Spoon River Anthology contains Masters's free-verse poems presenting a series of realistic, candid epitaphs, in which some 250 people buried in the cemetery of a small Middle Western town reveal the essence of their secret lives. He was a lawyer who started his career as a partner to Clarence Darrow in Chicago. The unexpected publication of Spoon River Anthology, which was preceded only by legal articles on constitutional law and some anonymous poems, brought great attention to Masters; he quit his practice and moved to New York, but never achieved the success of Spoon River Anthology with any of his later works.

Octavo. Half title, 6 pp. of ads at rear. Original gilt-stamped pictorial cloth. Custom chemise and morocco backed slipcase. [Together with:] Autograph letter signed (“E.L. Masters”) to Mr Llewellyn Jones, 12 May 1915. Quarto, one page; with envelope. Provenance: Llewellyn Jones, literary editor, 1884-1961 – Frank Hogan, noted bibliophile, 1902-1974 (leather bookplate).