Literature Alexander Rare Books – Literary Firsts & Poetry
ALEXANDER RARE BOOKS
C A T A L O G U E
24 LITERATURE ALEXANDER RARE BOOKS – LITERARY FIRSTS & POETRY
Mark Alexander 234 Camp Street Barre, VT 05641 (802) 476-0838 [email protected]
Catalogue Twenty-Four:
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CATALOGUE TWENTY-FOUR Recent acquisitions: Poetry & Prose
1) Anderson, Chester. FOX & HARE. Glen Ellen, CA: Entwhistle Books, 1980. Illustrated wrappers. Tall 4to; 178 pp. Illustrations by Charles Stevenson from some 800 color slides taken in NYC, from a shooting script derived from the novel. Signed and dated in the year of publication by the author, known for his science fiction. Some wear to the edges, but a tight clean very good copy. (10395) $25.00
2) Baxter, Charles. CHAMELEON. NY: New Rivers Press, 1970. 8vo. Illustrated card wrappers. Signed by Baxter on the title page. Illus. by Mary Minor. First book by the noted novelist and short story writer. A bit of soiling and rubbing to the extremities, slight darkening of the spine, easily very good. One of 500 copies. Because his first novel was a decade away his first two books both poetry are uncommon, especially signed. 87 pp. (10375) $300.00
3) Benet, William Rose (ed.) FIFTY POETS An American Auto-Anthology. NY: Duffield and Green, 1933. Pale green cloth, 8vo. Especially signed by eight of the contributors: Leonora Speyer, Alfred Kreymborg, Louis Untermeyer, John Hall Wheelock, Marianne Moore, Mark Van Doren, Babette Deutsch and Louise Bogan. Benet chose those poets he felt to be the best fifty alive and asked them to choose one "briefer" poem which they would want to be remembered for by "posterity". The editor's brief note about the poet, then poet's comments precede the poem in each case. Of the eight who have signed this copy, Deutsch at a later date (1965) takes exception to her choice; Wheelock makes a brief comment and makes a one word correction; Moore's poem actually chosen by e e cummings who declined to participate, but suggested Ms Moore's poem "A Grave" was his favorite. A good selection of poets: Frost, Stevens, Lola Ridge, Eliot, Jeffers etc., and the comments are quite interesting. An unique copy of an interesting anthology. Some wear to tips and extremities, minor soiling, else very good; lacking the dust jacket. (10373) $250.00
4) Berrigan, Ted. "MOTHER" n. p. : not published, 1976. Sixteen line poem in Berrigan's hand on Desoto Hotel, Galena IL, 6 x 9 in. stationary, dated 10/31/76, entitled "Mother"; beginning "Ah, I can lay down and/ cry myself to sleep..../" and ending "I just want to be your sun" (with a word before "sun" crossed out). Some creasing, a few ink stains, minor stains on verso, else very good. First line and title not in COLLECTED POEMS. (10352) $2,000.00 [See back cover]
5) Berrigan, Ted (ed.); Lorenz Gude (pub.). "C" A JOURNAL OF POETRY; Vol 1, No. 4. NY: self-published, 1963. Issue devoted to Edwin Denby with many poems by him; O'Hara's essay reprinted from POETRY, and a poem by him entitled "Edwin's Hand"; work by Berrigan and John Wieners. Long legal-sized paper mimeo-copied on rectos only. Unpaginated [23 pp.] An incomplete copy, with the original (and very desirable) Warhol cover replaced by the cover from vol. 9 which reads "Cover Design by Joe Brainard" (a hard to explain oddity). Back cover held by one of three staples, edgewear, moderate toning, else about very good. Scarce (one is tempted to say unique with the Brainard cover). Priced accordingly. (10353) $75.00
6) Brautigan, Richard; John Ciardi (Letters). TLs Richard Brautigan to John Ciardi. San Francisco: n.p., August 4, 1965. Typed letter, signed (TLs) by Richard Brautigan to John Ciardi asking him "to vouch" for him for a Guggenheim fellowship. Ciardi was then at THE SATURDAY REVIEW; Brautigan in the letter of twelve lines notes that "I have written a novel called Trout Fishing in America that Grove Press will publish someday". Accompanied by two short letters (copies, unsigned on onion skin) from the generous Ciardi one answering Brautigan""Yes, I shall be happy to say what I can ...especially if I can locate a copy of "Trout..."; and another to Grove publisher Barney Rosset requesting a copy of the book: "the fact that he's written some poems is no evidence in itself that he can write a novel". All three folded for mailing with two sets of staple holes, else fine. Ciardi had kind words for Brautigan's only previous regularly published book THE CONFEDERATE GENERAL FROM BIG SUR, so it is not surprising that Brautigan wrote to him. TROUT FISHING was actually Brautigan's first book, but Grove considered the second book he wrote to be more "traditional". It was, didn't sell well, and Grove declined to publish TROUT, as well as two other books. TROUT FISHING IN AMERICA was not published until the Fall of 1967, more than two years after this letter, in an edition of only 2000. Published first by a small press, it was reprinted many times, and would make him famous. One of the pivotal books of the late 60's countercultural movement. I find no record of the younger poet receiving the fellowship. For the three letters, one signed by Brautigan. (10374) $1,500.00
7) Bukowski, Charles, et al.; Malone, Marvin (ed.) THE WORMWOOD REVIEW Nos. 18-24. Storrs, CT: Wormwood, 1965 - 1966. Stapled wrappers. Seven consecutive issues. Besides Buk's work (including one issue with a center section on colored paper) in all but one present issue, poems by Douglas Blazek, John Sinclair, Gerard Malanga, William Heyen, Walter Lowenfels, and many others. 600 numbered copies originally issued, but now scarce. Yapped edge creased, spines lightly faded, else very good. For the set of seven issues. One of the first and most important little mags to publish Bukowski. (10360) $300.00
8) Cannon, Carl L. AMERICAN BOOK COLLECTORS And COLLECTING: From Colonial Times to the Present. NY: H. W. Wilson, 1941. 8vo. 391 pp. Original red cloth, red topstain. All the great names: Prince, Thomas, Carter Brown, Jefferson, Ticknor, Widener, Morgan...; as well as the specialties: Modern, Americana, Far West, Shakespeare, etc. Attractive bookplate of Eugene Clauss; spine faded, else about fine. (10401) $25.00 9) Carolyn Kizer. DANGEROUS GAMES. n. p. : [Rook Press], 1975. Poetry broadside (8 1/2 x 11 in.) Distributed free at the International Poetry Forum, 1975, in Pittsburgh. Holograph poem including signature reproduced on attractive paper. Fine. (10407) $20.00
10) Carver, Raymond. AT NIGHT THE SALMON MOVE. Santa Barbara: Capra Press, 1976. Blue illustrated wrappers. 44 pp. The author's third collection of poetry. Designed by Noel Young, printed by Graham Macintosh and Young. One of 1000 copies (an additional were 100 handbound). Spine sunned else fine. (10335) $195.00
11) Carver, Raymond. WINTER INSOMNIA. Santa Cruz: Kayak Press, 1970. Illustrated wrappers. 56 pp. The author's second collection of poems; one of a thousand copies printed. Illustrated by Robert McChesney. Very near fine copy, with truly light wear (interior unmarked, tight; no fading). (10337) $150.00
12) Crawford, John (ed.). WEST END: A Volume of Poetry & Politics. Bronx, NY: 1971 - 1975. Stapled illustrated wrappers. Five issues in all: Vol. 1, no. 1 & 2; vol. 2, no. 3; Vol, 3, no. 2 & 4. Interview with Allen Ginsberg, poems by Mary Oppen, Denise Levertov, Larry Eigner, Lyn Lifshin, and others. Some prose, mostly poetry. Crawford was a professor at Lehman College. One with a library received stamp, else very good. For the set of five. (10361) $35.00
13) Crone, Richard. HIPPY HI. San Francisco: Crone, 1967. Slightly oblong in stapled illustrated wrappers. 35 images of late 60's counter culture. Staples tarnished, else near fine and surprisingly uncommon. (10396) $40.00
14) Dylan, Bob. POEM TO JOANIE. N.P. [UK]: Booklegger, after 1971. Reissue. A 20-page pamphlet in stapled, brown paper wrappers. Originally printed as liner notes to Joan Baez in Concert Part 2. Printed in several colors with illustrations of Dylan differing from the earlier edition. The intro. by A. J. Weberman. Minor crease, prev. owner's name on back inside cover; easily very good.
One of the most literal and open pieces Dylan has written. He describes how he never looked to the beauty, but saw the ugliness in the railroad tracks at home, and grime in the streets of NYC until he heard her voice: "Which shattered all the rules I owned/An left me puzzled without no choice/ Cept t listen t her voice". (10338) $75.00
15) Elmslie, Kenward. ZZ. Calais, VT: Z Press, 1974. Cover by Ron Padgett, poetry and or prose by Bruce Andrews, John Ashbery, Russell Banks, Glen Baxter (cartoons), Clark Coolidge, Elmslie, Larry Fagin, Barbara Guest, Valery Larbaud, Harry Mathews, P. Oldenberg, Maureen Owen, Padgett, Jarold Ramsey, James Schuyler, Lew Warsh and Bill Zavatsky. Small crease along the spine which is toned, else tight clean and very good in illus. wraps. (10372) $25.00 16) Felver, Christopher (Portraits by). THE POET EXPOSED. NY: Alfred van der Marck, 1986. Black cloth in dust jacket. Prologue by Gary Snyder. Foreword by Robert Creeley. Photographs, Poems or statements usually in their hand and signatures of 100 poets. Very useful for dealer and collector. Minor shelfwear, jacket with light wear at corners, else about fine. (10394) $50.00
17) Finlay, Ian Hamilton. GLASGOW BEASTS. Ln: Fulcrum, 1965. First edition thus. Listed as the Fifth edition, it is in fact the first printing from Fulcrum, offset from the first edition which went through four printings (all exceedingly scarce). 12 mo. [28 pp.] Printed paper wraps over stapled card covers. Papercuts by John Pickering and Pete McGinn. Corners worn, else very good. (10369) $55.00
18) Finlay, Ian Hamilton. HONEY BY THE WATER Poems. LA: Black Sparrow Press, 1973. 4to; Cloth-backed paper boards. Copy #158 of 200 numbered and signed by Finlay. Concrete poetry by the Scottish writer, artist who became something of a national treasure before his death in 2006. Slight bump to bottom corner, else fine in original acetate dust jacket. Prospectus laid in. (10380) $125.00
Robert Frost’s First Published Book – First Issue; Binding A 19) Frost, Robert. A BOY'S WILL. Ln: David Nutt, 1913. First issue, Binding A: Bronze brown pebbled cloth; gilt stamped. 50 pp. One of 350 or fewer copies in this binding; and all that were sold by the publisher before bankruptcy in 1921. The remainder of the 1000 sheets had a complicated history and very different bindings, and were bound in the US. The first regularly published book by one of the great figures in 20th Century American Literature. Previously owned by Elliot Holt, son of Frost’s US publisher, with “F T (?) Holt 1915”, in neat pencil on ffep. ]Florence Taber Holt was Elliot’s mother, and one of Frost’s earliest champions; if it is her copy, and it seems likely, it is a significant association copy – see Thompson v. 2, pp. 5-9.] A very good copy with relatively light wear to the extremities, uneven sunning, especially the back cover; Signatures separated pp. 32-33, else tight and very clean. Crane A2. (10435) $4000.00
Inscribed by the dedicatee: the lead actor in the play; later the publisher 20) Frost, Robert. A WAY OUT: A One Act Play. NY: The Harbor Press, 1929. First Separate Edition. Linen-backed paper-covered boards. 8vo. Briefly inscribed by Elizabeth and Roland Wood on the pastedown. Wood was a student of Frost’s at Amherst, and the book is dedicated to him: "who created the part of Asie" when performed in Northampton, MA, in 1919. A decade later he persuaded Frost to let him publish the book, and to write a preface. One of 485 copies numbered and signed (by Frost at the end of his preface). Tips worn, else very good, mostly uncut; lacking scarce tissue jacket (not mentioned in Crane). Crane A11. (10376) $375.00 21) Ginsberg, Allen; [Ted Berrigan]. EMPTY MIRROR: Early Poems. NY: Totem Press w/ Corinth Books, 1961. Intro. by William Carlos Williams. Illustrated stapled wraps. 47 pp. This copy inscribed: 'For Ted Berrigan/ From Columbia College/ and Psychiatric Institute/ 1946-1951/ Allen Ginsberg". The inscription referring to both Ginsberg's alma mater and the Columbia psychiatric hospital where he spent time on two occasions. The poet's third book after the two great City Lights publications: HOWL & KADDISH. Spine edge toned, else about fine. Wonderful association copy between two of the most important poets of the second half of the Twentieth Century.
It should be noted that we know of at least one other copy of this title inscribed to Ted Berrigan. The poets knew each other well for two decades. Berrigan was known for selling (not to mention shoplifting) books – his own and others - to live. It is not hard to imagine Berrigan having sold more than one inscribed copy of this book to Sanders' Peace Eye Bookstore or to Wilson's Phoenix Bookshop and buying Chesterfields, Pepsi or something stronger. (10357) $1,000.00
22) Ginzburg, Ralph (ed.). AVANT GARDE. NY: Avant-Garde, 1968 - 1971. Fourteen issues (all published) of this magazine, which ceased when Ginzburg began serving his sentence for obscenity (related to his magazine EROS), a case that went to the Supreme Court. Large square (11 1/4 x 10 3/4 in.) illustrated wraps. A mixture of artistic erotica, including photography and contemporary art; anti-war, racial and counter cultural articles; prose and poetry. Includes some iconic work from that extraordinary period (even the eponymous font created for the magazine is well-known): Bert Stern serigraphs of Marilyn Monroe; Picasso's erotic gravures (the entirety of no.8); John Lennon's erotic lithographs; work by Mailer, Lenore Kandel, Rexroth, Arthur Miller, Genet, Peter Schjeldahl, Roald Dahl, Auden ("A Day For A Lay") among others. Rubbed with some edgewear, vols. 6, 11, 14 with small loss to edges, some paper browning, else easily very good. A difficult set to put together. (10359) $350.00
23) Gordon, Jaimy. THE LORD OF MISRULE. Kingston, NY: McPherson, 2010. First printing of the surprise National Book Award Winner for 2010. Signed by the author. The NY Times (it never even appeared in their year end roundup) among others never got around to reviewing this book before it won the award, because the book was published by a small literary press, and not by one of the big six, some of whom had turned down an earlier version. A minuscule printing compared to most award-winning novels. One can expect it to be a hit when it is released in paperback by Vintage books. As new in like dust jacket. (10381) $250.00
24) Hall, Donald. APPLES AND PEACHES. Edgewood,KY : Robert L Barth, 1995. Original Wraps. Signed by the author on the title page. Cover illustration by Bayard Massey. Eight poems, in this small stapled collection in fawn printed wraps. Limited to 300 copies. Ends with the poem "Apples and Peaches." Scarce when signed. Fine in wraps. (7969) $45.00
25) Hall, Donald. CAROL. [Concord, NH]: Ewert, 1988. Illustrated broadside poem signed by Donald Hall. Approx. 10 x 8 in. Original J.J. Lankes woodcut of the first Christmas. The woodcut in blue, poem in black. One of only 25 copies. (There were 436 chapbooks/ Christmas cards, also.) Fine and rare copy. (10405) $125.00
26) Hall, Donald. EXILE: The Newdigate Prize Poem 1952. Swinford, Eynsham, Oxon: Fantasy Press, 1952. Light blue stapled wrappers. [7 pp.] Poet's first book. Inscribed by the poet to Mike Shanks. Shanks was the founder along with Oscar Mellor of the Fantasy Press. He was President of the Poetry Society, and Hall succeeded him in that role. Shanks was the author of Fantasy Press #13, published in the same year as Hall's book. Covers creased and toned at edges, stapled partially tarnished, about very good. Nice association copy, scarce signed. (see Kelleher A4) (10389) $250.00
27) Hall, Donald. KICKING THE LEAVES. NY: Harper & Row, 1978. Brown cloth- backed boards in dust jacket. 58 pp. Inscribed by Hall to fellow New Hampshire poet Charles Simic: "For Charlie - Kicking New Hampshire leaves on 14 November 1983 & UNH students & so on... " Signed "Don". An important volume for Hall, his first after leaving academia for his great-grandparent's farm Eagle Pond to write full time. Includes besides the title poem, "Ox-Cart Man", "Names of Horse" and "Eating the Pig". Rust marks and faint impression on preliminary pages and front flap from paperclip. Spine stamping slightly off center, top edge with foxing and a couple of bumps else very good; the dust jacket spine toned, else very good. A significant association copy of an important volume of poems, as Simic suceeded Hall as the Poet Laureate in 2007. (628) $150.00
Anne Stevenson’s copy w/original typed review 28) ANOTHER COPY. Laid in is an original four page typed review (also of a Donald Junkins book) by Anne Stevenson, with corrections in various forms, for the New York Times Book Review - I can find no suggestion that it ran). Stevenson is a British-American poet (in 2007 she won two of the most lucrative awards: the Lannan for lifetime achievement, and the Neglected Masters) who studied under Hall at Michigan. Top edge with foxing, else very good; the dust jacket spine toned, else very good. The review folded, else fine. Nice association copy. The hardcover is uncommon, as it was published simultaneously in paper, and proved to be somewhat of a break though book, reprinted several times. Most hardcovers went to libraries. (10385) $100.00
29) Hall, Donald. KICKING THE LEAVES: A Poem in Seven Parts with a Colophonic Boxwood Engraving by Reynolds Stone. Mt. Horeb, WI: Perishable Press, 1976. 12mo, oblong gray sewn wrappers, with matching paper covers. [20 pp.] No. 43 of 125 copies printed by Walter Hamady at his press. First publication of the seven part poem which has become one of the recent poet laureate's signature poems. It marks the transition from academia in Ann Arbor to his great-grandfather's farm in New Hampshire, where he spent his childhood and would make his permanent home in 1975. A fine copy. (10387) $450.00
30) Hall, Donald. WINTER POEMS FROM EAGLE POND. San Antonio, TX: Wings Press, Christmas 1999. Handsewn in paper wrappers. 8vo. No. 131 of 300 copies signed and dated by Hall. The paper for the cover made with maple leaves gathered by the poet's grandchildren from his home at Eagle Pond. Forward by Hall. Two woodblock prints by Barry Moser. Lovely letterpress edition reprinting poems published previously by Bill Ewert as Hall’s and Kenyon's Christmas cards. Fine. (10391) $45.00
31) Heaney, Seamus. KEEPING GOING. Concord, NH: William B. Ewert, 1993. Large gray paper wraps with gold titling. Folio. One of 150 numbered copies (of 250 - 50 were case bound, 50 laid into a portfolio) signed by Heaney, Dimitri Hadzi (illustrator) & Gino Lee (the printer). Printed by The Bow & Arrow Press of Cambridge, MA, and bound in handsewn wrappers. A total of eight poems, and heavily illustrated. An attractive production. Fine. (10366) $250.00
32) Hecht, Anthony. From, A LITTLE CEMETERY. n. p. : [Rook Press], 1975. Poetry broadside (8 1/2 x 11 in.) Distributed free at the International Poetry Forum, 1975, in Pittsburgh. 4-line Holograph poem (unlike some in the series not including the poet's reproduced signature) on attractive paper. Fine. (10408) $15.00
33) Kasischke, Laura. GARDENING IN THE DARK. Keene, NY: Ausable Press, 2004. Signed by the author on the title page. Fresh new copy of a great collection, full of quirky humor as well as insight. Paperback. Fine. (10355) $14.00
34) Kenyon, Jane; Joyce Peseroff (eds.). GREEN HOUSE (Complete). Danbury, NH: Green House, 1976 - 1980. Six issues (all published) nos. 1/1 through 3/1, of this poetry magazine edited by Kenyon and Peseroff. 8vo. ranging from 63 - 122 pp. Bly , Clark, Cooper, Goldbarth, Hall, Kicknosway, Levine, McHugh, Pinsky, Snodgrass & Stone among many others. Vol. 2/2 with a couple of poorly opened pages, minor rubbing and fading, easily very good in printed wraps. For the set of six. (10367) $75.00
35) Kinnell, Galway. BLACKBERRY EATING. n.p. [Madison, WI]: Rara Avis Press, 1980. Illustrated broadside. Tall 12 3/4 x 6 in. This is copy number 1 (of 126) inscribed for the publisher "for Bill and Mary Ewert/ Northampton, Massachussetts March 13 1980", and signed by the poet. Fine and lovely copy on heavy brown handmade paper. (10403) $250.00
36) Kinnell, Galway. FARM PICTURE. Concord, NH: William B. Ewert, 1985. Tall illustrated broadside poem, approx. 14" x 10". One of 100 numbered copies, signed by Kinnell. Attractively designed, large three-color illustration. Fine. (10412) $85.00
37) Kinnell, Galway. FIRST SONG. Concord, NH: William B. Ewert, 1982. Broadside poem, approx. 13" x 19". Letterpress printed in blue and black on Guarro Heavyweight at The Stinehour Press. No. 6 of "150 numbered copies ...for private distribution..." (from colophon on recto). Signed by Kinnell. Originally published in 1953. Lovely and scarce. (10409) $150.00
38) Kinnell, Galway. THE GRAY HERON. Concord, NH: William B. Ewert, 1990. Broadside measuring 9 x12. Illustration and calligraphy by R.P. Hale. One of 50 copies (of 150 copies total) printed on special paper and signed by Kinnell & Hale. Printed for the New Hampshire Science Teachers Association; the late W.B. Ewert was head of the NHSTA. Fine copy of this attractive broadside. (10411) $135.00
39) Kinnell, Galway. LOOKING AT THE SEA WITH MAUD AND FERGUS. Concord, NH: William B. Ewert, 1987. Oblong broadside poem, approx. 10" x 14". One of 60 copies (of 70 total) letterpress printed on off-white paper. Printed at the Firefly Press by John Kristensen. Fine. (10414) $50.00
40) Kinnell, Galway. PRAYER. [Saratoga Springs]: Privately Printed [Yaddo], 1988. One of 26 lettered copies (of 200) distributed at a Yaddo's Summer benefit in July, 1988. 8" x 10 in., in an unprinted folder. A three line poem, signed by the poet; additionally inscribed "GK for Bill Ewert". On the verso Kinnell has changed the 200 to read letter "Z" of 26 "author's copies". William Ewert published Kinnell and many other poets at his NH press. Fine and unique copy. (10404) $75.00 41) Kinnell, Galway. THE ROOM. NY: Knopf, n.d. [1988]. A broadside (large 15 x 20) printed in two colors with black lettering. Specially inscribed for small press publisher Bill Ewert. A Lorraine Louie designed series of posters used for promotional purposes (one of a number done for poets when Harry Ford returned as an editor to Knopf), distributed primarily to bookstores, and not for sale. Quite attractive and now rare, especially so signed. One tip creased else fine. (10413) $95.00
42) Kinnell, Galway. THOUGHTS OCCASIONED BY THE MOST INSIGNIFICANT OF ALL HUMAN EVENTS in "Pleasures of Learning", Vol VII, No. 1, NY: NYU, January 1959. 11 pp. Stapled wrappers. Pp. 4 through 10 constitute the poet's essay (essentially an A item). Prior to his first book, which here is listed as forthcoming and as "Seven Streams". Signed by the poet. About very good: worn at the spine and staples are tarnished. (10370) $45.00
43) Kooser, Ted. New Year's Day. Binghamton, NY: The Bellevue Press, 1978. Small broadside 3 1/2 by 5 ½, letterpress printed, on goldenrod card stock. Printed by Stuart McCarty. Signed by the Poet Ted Kooser. First appearance of this poem by the former Poet Laureate. (9362) $45.00
44) Kupferberg, Tuli. THE BOOK OF THE BODY. NY: Birth Press, 1966. With Birth Press stamp over Oliver Layton address, which presumably constitutes a later issue point. Small stapled chapbook of artwork by Tuli and others, and found art with his sly, crude and sometimes poetic lines ("when beauty barks I heel"). Printed on thin colored papers in card covers. Back cover with wear, small indentations, else very good. (10371) $25.00
45) Levine, Philip. WHAT WORK IS. n.p.: Clamp Down Press, 2001. Illustrated broadside (10 x 15 in., approx.) Hand-numbered and signed in ink by the poet and in pencil by the illustrator. The title poem from the poet's National Book Award-winning volume. Wonderful (5 x 7 in.) Michael McCurdy original wood engraving. (10410) $200.00
46) Lewis, Wyndham; Seamus Cooney (ed.). BLAST 3. Santa Barbara: Black Sparrow Press, 1984. Folio. Cloth-backed decorated boards. Yellow unprinted dust jacket. 33 1/3 record; pamphlet w/ color plates laid in. No. 83 of 426 hand bound in boards by Earle Gray. Massive compendium honoring Lewis. Includes illus. by Lewis, some in color; letters to W. L. from Pound not previously published. Mostly work by contemporaries or those he influenced: Olson, Oates, Sanford, Roy Campbell, Dorn, Tom Clark, Malanga, Loy, etc.. 356 pp. Shelfwear, jacket spine a bit faded, else fine. (10393) $100.00
47) Lowell, Amy; Robert Frost. e. e. cummings, et al. (subjects). A HISTORY OF THE NEW ENGLAND POETRY CLUB 1915 - 1931. Boston: New England Poetry Club, 1932. Green printed stapled wraps. 51 pp. Notes and officers for each year with a complete listing of members for 1931. Of particular interest is the founding of the Harvard Poetry Club "as a hoax by E. E. Cummings...", John Dos Passos, Robert Hillyer among others. Many major names, including visiting poets. Toning and creasing, clean, better than good. (10400) $20.00
48) Mahon, Derek. LIVES. Ln: Oxford University Press, 1972. 8vo. Original illustrated wrappers. Northern Irish poet's fifth book, second by a major press; not issued in hardcover. Light rubbing to spine, wear to bottom edge; still near fine. Uncommon. (10377) $100.00
Original Beat typed manuscript with drawings- McClure’s first play 49) McClure, Michael. THE BLOSSOM: Or, Billy the Kid. n.p.: n.p., n.d.. Original typewritten manuscript with a few ink changes, in a three-hole paper binder. 30 pp, including four of stage layouts (two on yellow paper with colored pencil drawings), and a cover page with pencil and ink notes. "A spontaneous play written without corrections or changes." There are a few ink changes (mostly stage directions), and a number of xxxxx's. No to be confused with the in itself rare version published for the American Theatre for Poets in 1964 [Clements A15], in mimeograph form and not for sale, and again in 1972, as part of a collection of plays THE MAMMALS. A very good and unique copy of a significant early work by a major Beat writer, whose play THE BEARD written in the same period as this work won two Obies and continues to be staged.
Gregory Stephenson in his THE DAYBREAK BOYS: Essays on the Literature of the Beat Generation quotes McClure: "McClure's first drama, written in 1959 'between the finish of The New Book / A Book of Torture and my sexual poem Dark Brown' and first performed in 1963. The play is more in the manner of an inquiry into the causes and nature of McClure's psychic conflicts than a resolution of them. That is, The Blossom is essentially diagnostic, a dramatic exposition of self-dividedness as a personal and general human condition. The characters in the play are based on actual historical figures, participants in the Lincoln County War of New Mexico. The drama is set in eternity, though, and the characters do not remember either their deaths or their former relationships. As entities within the play, they embody various attitudes and perspectives, different aspects of the psyche." Title page with a small section lost not affecting type, minor soiling and wear, else very good. An original and important Beat manuscript. (10383) $2,500.00
Robert LaVigne’s performance copy
50) McClure, Michael. THE FEAST. [San Franciso]: [Batman Gallery], 1960. 14 Mimeograph pages including the cover, printed on rectos only. A working script for the performance. A play for 13 actors at a long table. This copy with the names of the actors playing each of the 13 parts handwritten: LaVigne, Ron Loewensohn, Ron Padgett, Bob Branaman, Phil Whalen, JoAnne McClure, among others. This is Beat artist Robert LaVigne's copy. Performed at The Batman Gallery on Thursday, Dec. 22, 1960 (see pp. 214 The Beat Generation Galleries and Beyond; Clements A6). Published in Floating Bear in 1961; in 1972 in THE MAMMALS. Needless to say, rare. It is hard to imagine many copies, especially from the principal players, surviving. A bit rough: back cover torn, nearly detached, coffee stains throughout the middle of the script. Good only, but complete. (10382) $1,000.00
51) Mencken, H. L. and Carroll Frey. A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THE WRITINGS OF H. L. MENCKEN. Philadelphia: The Centaur Book Shop, 1924. No. 79 of 85 "large paper" copies signed by both H. L. Mencken and Frey. Forward by Mencken. Tall 8vo., cloth- backed boards with gold foil spine and cover labels. Bottom edge and tips worn, front label well-rubbed but bright, spine label tarnished and hard to read. Good to very good with a clean and attractive interior. 70 pp. (10358) $175.00
52) Mueller, Lisel. THE PRIVATE LIFE. Baton Rouge: LSU Press, 1976. Uncommon hardcover issue of the poet's second book: the Lamont Poetry Selection for 1975. Lamont card laid in. Three leaves with short tears at the top edge, minor wear to jacket edges, else fine in like dust jacket. (10378) $45.00
53) Nabokov, Vladimir. LOLITA. Paris: Olympia, 1955. Original wraps; true first printing, first issue w/ 900 francs on the rear covers. 2 vols. Exceptional copies with minor flaws: vol. one has a small bump at the spine; vol. two with a short tear expertly repaired, otherwise minor rubbing and wear, bright with no foxing and little creasing to the spine. Near fine copies, each book held separately in folding cloth cases; all housed in a deluxe clamshell box with gilt-stamped label. One of the cornerstone works of the 20th Century. Juliar A28.1.1a (10368) $10,000.00
[N. B. For those who do not follow the latest in Lepidoptery, Vladimir Nabokov was in the news recently. His theory about how The Blues (his specialty) migrated in five waves from Asia to the Americas was generally ignored by professional scientists, but recent DNA testing has proven him to have been correct.] Three books from Frank O’Hara’s Library 54) LOCUS SOLUS. Vol. 1. France, 1961. Second state. Frank O'Hara's copy, signed by him on the ffep; at each of his ten poems in the volume he has written in pencil a date, four with specific days, presumably the dates of composition. One inch missing from the spine, chipping to front edges, offset to the front cover, a good copy, but quite tight and clean. An exceptional Association copy and quite desirable and unique nevertheless. (10432) $750.00
55) THE POETICAL WORKS OF LORD BYRON. 1945. First postwar edition, reset, issued by Oxford, O'Hara's copy – he graduated from Harvard in 1950, signed "Francis O'Hara Grafton 1948." Grafton, MA being his hometown; “Francis” his seldom used given name. With a number of pencil tics in the table of contents. A good copy with soiling, but likely his Harvard College text - he graduated in 1950. (10434) $450
56) Dickens: DOMBEY AND SON. Oxford, 1950, New illustrated edition. Cloth. Frank O'Hara's copy, signed "Frank O'Hara, New York, 1951." A relic from his early days in New York City. An about very good copy. (10433) $250.00 ------57) Quasha, George and Susan; LOST PAPER ONE. Barrytown, NY: Station Hill, n.d. Incidental pieces by Quasha, Robert Kelly, Franz Kamin, Patricia Nedds and Charles Stein and others "created & designed by the author" and printed on "unused portions of press sheets at the Open Studio Print Shop" On Beckett laid paper. One of 1000 copies. Postcard-sized: all in a printed folding card envelope. Very good. (10363) $15.00
58) Wakoski, Diane, et al. EARTH/LIGHT. [Cambridge, MA]: Pomegranate, 1981. Large 4to., Thread-bound white paper wrappers with pasted on black paper covers and labels. Handprinted, designed and illustrated by Karyl Klopp. One of 400 copies (an additional 50 signed and numbered). Nine women poets: Wakoski, Tess Gallagher, Maxine Kumin, Fanny Howe, Kathleen Spivack, Elizabeth McKim, Marge Piercy, Gail Mazur, and Ruth Whitman. Unusual and lovely fine press work by a master printer. Label creased, else near fine. Despite the limitation seemingly scarce. (10379) $45.00
59) Wilbur, Richard. TO HIS SKELETON. n. p. : [Rook Press], 1975. Poetry broadside (8 1/2 x 11 in.) Distributed free at the International Poetry Forum, 1975, in Pittsburgh. Holograph poem including signature reproduced on attractive paper. Fine. (10406) $20.00 54) Wakoski, Diane, et. al.; EARTH/LIGHT. [Cambridge, MA]: Pomegranate,