Tell Me A Riddle

New York: Delacorte, 1978. First Thus. Hardcover. Near fine/Near fine. A very attractive re-issue of Olsen's first book, originally published by Lippincott in 1961, a collection of four stories. All four stories were included in Best American Short Stories the year they were first published in literary journals.

Olsen is considered an important American writer, despite publishing just two books-these stories and a collection of non-fiction pieces titled Silences that considered writer's block and the difficulty of working class women and mothers (Olsen was both) finding time and energy to write. Olsen also published Yonnondio in 1974, an unfinished novel she wrote in the 1930s. First printing of this reissue (states First Delacorte Edition on the copyright page). A near fine copy in a near fine, tanned dust jacket.

This copy is inscribed by Olsen to her inscribed to her literary agent (or perhaps her editor), with an accompanying letter signed transmitting contracts for books Olsen never wrote. The inscription, written as usual in Olsen's minute handwriting, reads, "Julia Wallace-Dear Julia-Thank you for caring for this-giving it the life of your reading-[deleted] Thank you for your [deleted] work-in haste-for me. Tillie. April 1980." The letter, also to Wallace, refers to two books-"the work of fiction" and "the death book"-and changes she made to the contracts. The letter is typed and signed in full in ink.