McCarthy, Cormac. [Ex-libris: Nicholas Potter, bookseller]

The Stonemason: A Play in Five Acts [Signed]

Hopewell, NJ: The Ecco Press, 1994. First edition, first printing. Hardcover. Signed by Cormac McCarthy in blue ink on the half-title page.

133 pp. Octavo [22 cm]. Publisher's black cloth and grey paper-covered boards with blind-stamped design on the front and silver titles on the spine. First edition clearly stated on the copyright page. In the original dust jacket designed by Chip Kidd, with the "$19.95" price and "9404" code intact on the front flap.

A Near Fine, unread, and clean copy. The rear board is bound slightly askew (a minor binder's aberration). The dust jacket is likewise Near Fine, showing only very light surface rubbing. A nice copy. Near Fine / Near Fine. Item #71342

Signed by the notoriously reclusive author. From the library of the late Santa Fe bookseller Nicholas Potter. Throughout a friendship spanning forty years, Potter’s bookstore served as a frequent destination for McCarthy, where the two shared a rapport rooted in their mutual appreciation of literature, art, music, and history. This volume represents a vital fragment of that connection.

Written in the mid-1970s, The Stonemason remained unpublished for nearly twenty years until its release by Ecco Press in 1994. The professional relationship began when Ecco founder Daniel Halpern reached out to McCarthy via a letter to his Tennessee home. This collaboration eventually established Ecco as a primary publisher for McCarthy’s dramatic and poetic work.

Set in Louisville, Kentucky, the work meditates on craft and heritage. McCarthy’s rhythmic dialogue reflects the precision of masonry, elevating manual labor to a spiritual discipline. Prioritizing thematic architecture over narrative, the play measures the permanence of stone against the fragility of family structures.

Price: $1,500.00