Description

RARE FIRST EDITION OF PAT CONROY’S FIRST BOOK INSCRIBED BY HIM AND BY “THE BOO

CONROY, Pat. The Boo. Verona, Virginia: McClure, (1970). Octavo, original blue cloth, original dust jacket.

Scarce first edition of Conroy’s first book, signed and dated by him on the date of publication (Dec 17, 1970), and inscribed by “The Boo,” “With best regards, THE BOO, T.N. Courvoisie, Lt Col USA Retd.” With additional material laid in including autograph notes signed by Courvoisie and a note from Pat Conroy.

A self-published memoir of the author’s experiences at the Citadel military college and of the college’s assitant commandant, Lt. Colonel Nugent Courvoisie (the Boo). Courvoisie was later immortalized in Conroy’s celebrated novel, The Lords of Discipline, as “the Bear.” Laid into this copy is an envelope with Courvoisie’s printed address, addressed by him; a photocopy of a picture of Courvoisie, with an accompanying index card inscribed “Please send me 3 copies of the BOO. TNC/ Not a new style. I was in Raleigh, Ties in Mt. Pleasant [his home].”; a sheet with some notes about bookstores telling people that The Boo was out of print and the inscription “The lady that told me this has 2 cadillacs and gave me $100 for the scholarship. Boo”; and a fax cover sheet inscribed by Pat Conroy, “Come on in. Make yourself at home, you heah. I’m in the back trying to eke out a living. Pat.” Also laid in is a small insert (usually missing) listing Citadel Alumni (including Conroy) who conceived of and established a scholarship fund in The Boo’s name.

Book fine, dust jacket very nearly so, with two small closed tears along top edge.