If Not, Winter. Fragments of Sappho.

First edition. Pp. xiii, 397, [2]. Red paper-covered boards, stamped in gilt to spine and front; red endpapers. Deckled fore-edges. Notes, Who's Who, Appendix. Jacket design by Carol Devine Carson.

A bilingual edition of the work of the Greek poet Sappho, who lived on the island of Lesbos from about 630 B.C., with Carson's translations on facing pages. Carson presents all the extant fragments of Sappho's verse, employing brackets and spaces to denote missing text. "The crème de la crème... a gorgeous object... If Not, Winter is a perfect match of text and translator, for Carson is not only one of the most original poets of our time, but a brilliant scholar of ancient Greek... The most ardent gift of the season." –Sheila Farr, The Seattle Times