A Year In the Dark. Journal of a Film Critic, 1968-69
New York: Random House, 1969. 1st Edition. Octavo, publisher's black cloth, upper board blind stamped, spine gilt, top edge stained yellow, original dust jacket.
First edition of film critic Renata Adler’s nearly-comprehensive collection of 130 reviews and 50 essays published during her single year as a film critic for the New York Times. Prior to her short stint at the Times, Adler had an established career as a staff-writer at the New Yorker, and even retained her office there and rejoined the magazine after leaving the daily newspaper (she left due to the “grinding calamity” of daily deadlines). “With all the truisms about the glamour and vitality of the medium, reviewing it daily turned into a kind of journal, with spells of anger, friendliness, ideas, just being tired–the movies themselves coming over the hills in swarms, so many of them nearly undistinguishable, some of them really fine.” Adler was infamous for her journalistic takedowns – of her colleague Pauline Kael, of the disappointing reality of working at the Times, of the magazine where she worked for nearly 30 years – but is better known today for her fiction. Author photo to rear panel of dust jacket by Duane Michals. Stated first printing to copyright page. Faint foxing to endpapers; unclipped dust jacket with light edgewear. Near fine. Item #11309
$200.00