Cloud Hill Books of New York City is selling a collection of inscribed and signed Updike first editions from the library of Theodore Vrettos and his wife, Vassile. Darren of Cloud Hill Books writes, “The Vrettos were residents of Peabody, Mass. In addition to being social acquaintances of John and Martha Updike, Vrettos was Updike’s regular golfing partner [until his death in 2004] and also a consultant for Greek characters and text in Updike’s stories and novels. After attending Tufts College and Harvard University, Vrettos taught creative writing at Salem State College and was director of the Writers’ Conference at Simmons College for 13 years. He was also the author of a number of fiction and non-fiction works, including Hammer on the Sea (1965), A Shadow of Magnitude: The Acquisition of the Elgin Marbles (1974), Origen: A Historical Novel (1978), Birds of Winter (1980), Lord Elgin’s Lady (1982), The Elgin Affair: The Abduction of Antiquity’s Greatest Treasures and the Passions It Aroused (1997), and Alexandria: City of the Western Mind (2001).

Here is the list of first editions for sale:  john-updike-first-editions-from-the-library-of-theodore-vrettos

The John Updike Society won’t be bidding because our funds are tied up with the house restoration, but if an Updike fan or Secret Santa would like to purchase one or two to donate for rotating display in The John Updike Childhood Home, items #15 and #49, with interesting content inscriptions, certainly would be nice additions to our museum-in-progress!