Some years ago, I began my search for collecting 1st editions of books. Of course, in the realm of book collecting, a first edition is akin to a rookie season baseball card. The earliest, or first, of anything is supposedly more collectible, and therefore more valuable, than later versions.
But although I am a bibliophile, I'm not really knowledgeable of how much books are worth on the open market of buying and selling. But I do have a feeling that one of my most valuable books is a first-edition of The Essays of E.B. White. This edition was published, I believe, in 1977, around the time of the author's death. White wrote such beloved classics as Charlotte's Web and Stewart Little, but he was principally an essayist who wrote for The New Yorker magazine.
Of the essays in this collection, one is particularly noteworthy . . . his essay entitled, "Death of a Pig." It is often considered one of the finest personal essays ever written, and it is an essay I return to every few years for re-reading. It is a startling piece of work.
So, I do cherish my first edition of White's essays. My copy is, actually, now filthy on the edges, due to my constant handling of it. But I am hopeful that this might make it more collectible. After all, my DNA is now all over it. And who wouldn't desire some of the residue of my life?
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