THE WOUND AND THE WEATHER; [Inscribed association copy] by Moss, Howard - (1946)

New York: Reynal & Hitchcock, (1946). First edition. ASSOCIATION COPY INSCRIBED "WITH LOVE" TO COMPOSER DAVID DIAMOND. The National Book Award-winning poet's first book, written when he was just 24 years old, two short years before he was to become the longtime poetry editor at The New Yorker. INSCRIBED on front endpaper, "For David,/ who doesn't write/ cliches for either piano/ or orchestra/ with love/ from Howard/ Valentine's Day, 1948" -- apparently in reference to his poem on p.43, "Cliches for Piano and Orchestra." The inscription is from around the period when Diamond was at work on an opera based on Herman Melville's unfinished novella, BILLY BUDD, for which Moss was "to do the libretto." [According to a 1998 interview by Neil W. Levin, Diamond abandoned the project after writing at least one song -- "Billy in the Darbies" (7 SONGS BY DAVID DIAMOND, Elkan-Vogel Co, 1946) -- because "that momzer, Benjamin Britten" stole his idea.] 8vo linen boards lettered in blue on front and spine; 54 pages. Fine with "David Diamond" blindstamped in tiny letters at head of title page; in about very good dust jacket with small hole to spine affecting bottom tips of few letters in publisher's name, a few tiny chips and tears, and internal archival tape repair to a somewhat jagged tear along lower front flap fold. Still attractive and quite scarce signed.