The Passenger & Stella Maris, uncorrected bound proof pages.
Knopf, New York, 2022.
Uncorrected proofs of the first editions. Softcover, 23,5 x 15,8 cm., 381 and 189 numbered pages with numbers appearing only on the odd-numbered pages. Proof pages are bound in acetate front cover, black-taped spine and black plastic back cover. The front pages are white, lettered in black and read just “THE / PASSENGER” and “STELLA MARIS”. The copyright pages reads: ”Manufactured in the United States of America”.
Laid in the copy of The Passenger is a note on the publisher’s letterhead by Jordan Pavlin, It reads: “Dear Peter, / As promised and / with much love / x Jordan”.
CONDITION: both The Passenger and Stella Maris are in near fine, collector’s condition.
PROVENANCE: purchased from the American dealer Chris Subarton in 2023.
Jordan Pavlin has been editor-in-chief at Knopf since July 2021, succeeding the legendary Sonny Mehta who died in 2019. In an email dated April 2, 2024, Pavlin kindly explained me that this pair of proofs “were personal copies I made for a colleague, a bound manuscript after we had run out of galleys, and it was never meant to be shared publicly”.
Despite the explanation provided by Jordan Pavlin, there are relevant clue to support that this pair of advance copies consitutes the earliest known format for The Passenger and Stella Maris. Indeed, the copyright pages of both lack ISBNs, and Library of Congress Control Numbers, which are present in all the subsequent formats of the two titles. Additionally, the copyright pages state “Manufactured in the United States”, which was replaced by “Manufactured in Canada” in all later versions.
COLLECTING TOPICS: I have not encountered any other proof of The Passenger, preceding the advance reading copies.
I am aware of only another proof of Stella Maris, housed in the collection of Paul Ford. It differs greatly from the copies created by Pavlin for her friend. It has a cover featuring the first trade editions’ dustjacket motif, white cardboard back panel, and many pages marked “PROOF”. The copyright page lists ISBNs, Library of Congress Control Numbers, and states “Manufactured in Canada”, suggesting it was issued later than Pavlin’s copies. Priority between the Ford proof and the advance reading copies can’t be exactly determined. Although, the fact that the Ford proof copyright page features the correct credit for back-and spine dustjacket image suggests that, if it were genuine, it should have been issued later than the advance reading copies in all their states.
However, advance formats earlier than the advance reading copies are unquestionably rare.
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