A travel through a McCarthy first editions collection

A RARE PIECE OF EPHEMERA: THE INVITATION CARD TO THE PARTY CELEBRATING MCCARTHY RECEIVING THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD

The invitation card owned by Gary Fisketjon, All the Pretty Horses’ editor.

Party celebrating All the Pretty Horses receiving the National Book Award, invitation card

n.p., November 1992

White card, lettered in black, 14 x 11 cm. Enclosed in two plain white card for preservation and in an Alfred A. Knopf envelop (which may not be the original one). The card reads: “Cormac McCarthy invites you – on the occasion of hs receiving the National Book Award for 1992 – to a party to be held on Saturday December 19th at the Law Offices of Malcolm McGregor and Bobby Perel. 1011 North Mesa 7:30 PM Cocktail Attire A Buffet Dinner Will be served”.

A note by Gary Fisketjon to me laid in. 

CONDITION: fine.

PROVENANCE: purchased from Gary Fisketjon, then editor of All the Pretty Horses at Knopf, in 2024.

Issued in November 1992 in an unknown number of copies.


This is the original Fisketjon invitation card to the party celebrating All the Pretty Horses receiving the National Book Award.

The party was held in El Paso the offices of the lawyers McGregor and Perel, both close friends of McCarthy. In an email to me sent in March 2024, Fisketjon suggested that most probably only Sonny Mehta and he at Knopf were invited to the party. However, Fisketjon couldn’t attend it as he was at a company meeting elsewhere that day. 

COLLECTING TOPICS: these invitation cards are rare and hard to find in my experience. The only other I am aware of belonged to Howard Woolmer, who attended the party. It is now included in the Woolmer collection of Cormac McCarthy held at The University of Texas, San Marcos. Rare Book Hub doesn’t list any copies at auction. 

The invitation card with the envelop.
The note by Gary Fiskjeton accompanying thye invitation card.

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