THE COHERENCES
Inscribed first printing of this early collection by the Finnish-born poet and translator, from the library of Washington, D.C. poet and musician Terence Winch - a warm association. 9.5'' x 6''. Original blue wrappers. Brown endpapers. 54, [2] pages. Designed and printed by Asa Benveniste & Paul Vaughan. Drawings by Tom Phillips. Inscribed by Hollo facing publication page: "For Terry Winch, an 'oldie' w/some, one. hopes, 'goodies' in it - / onward and upward, 6:V:77 * Anselm." Light wear and sunning to edges.
More from Brian Cassidy, Bookseller
JAMES SCHUYLER: For Joe Brainard
First edition of Schuyler's chapbook, inscribed to poet Kenward Elmslie, life partner and collaborator of Joe Brainard, to whom the work is dedicated. 7'' x 5.25''. Original wrappers. Illustrated with a drawing by Darragh Park. 30, [2] pages. Reed Foundation Poetry Chapbook Series, Readings in Contemporary Poetry Number 9. Edition of 500 copies. Inscribed by Schuyler on half-title page: "A Christmas token - / Kenward / with love / James / 1988." Light edgewear. THEE ALMIGHTY & INSANE
Very scarce second edition of this remarkable selection of variously flashy, cryptic, witty, and threatening "compliment cards" from the Royal Capris, the Insane Popes, the Stoned Freaks, and other gangs of Chicago. 8'' x 5.5''. Original silver-stamped blue cloth. Decorative red endpapers. Designed by Benjamin Walton. Illustrated with full-page color plates throughout. [96] pages. Art-Exhibition
Illustrated exhibition catalogue for the Swedish artist and director's solo show at Galerie Bonnier in Geneva, with original price list laid in. 9.5'' x 7'' catalogue, 14'' x 18.5'' price sheet (unfolded). Original saddle-stapled pink photographic wrappers. Illustrated in black and white. Original one-sheet illustrated price list laid in, folded as issued. 29, [1] pages. Light edgewear to wrappers, pages lightly toned. NEW MUSIC DISTRIBUTION SERVICE 1986
Original New Music Distribution Service annual catalogue for 1986, its largest to date, dedicated to the memory of NMDS general manager Taylor Storer - featuring a brilliant neon orange cover by Keith Haring. Originally founded in 1972 by jazz composers Carla Bley and Michael Mantler, the NMDS grew beyond jazz and contemporary classical to encompass avant-garde and experimental music in nearly all genres - offering a catalogue that was, in Tate's introductory words, "a trans-dimensional road map to the alternative music of the spheres," with a little of "everything from Tibetan bells to Brian Eno." Organized alphabetically by record company with an index of composers and musicians, each release is described with brief but surgical precision: "If you listened to Soft Machine, Henry Cow and Going in the '60s and '70s, and you find yourself listening to Henry Mancini, Martin Denny, and Nino Rota in the '80s, then this [Belgian avant-rock group Aksak Maboul] is the group for you." Alternatively, the Plastic People offer music "so profoundly tangible in its anguish and hope, we thought of Captain Beefheart being crucified." Terrific. 10.75'' x 8''. Original saddle-stapled neon wrappers by Haring. [1], 90, [1] pages. Minor spotting to front cover, faint dampstain to lower corner. Original address label to rear cover as mailed. Vibrant. EXCERPTS FROM THE ANONYMOUS DIARY OF A NEW YORK YOUTH
Third printing of the Factory superstar's first book of poetry, fondly inscribed to "sweetie-pie" and fellow New York poet Kenward Elmslie. Mead's first book was originally published in 1961, just after his appearance in the underground Beat film The Flower Thief but before his association with Andy Warhol. "In fact," he would later remind interviewers casually but firmly, "I was famous before I met Andy." A rare association copy from a legend. 8.5'' x 5.5''. Original black and white saddle-stapled wrappers. 42, [2] pages. Inscribed by Mead on front free endpaper: "To Kenward (sweetie-pie) from Taylor Meadie." Light edgewear and chipping to wrappers. THE NAKED LUNCH
First UK edition, originally published by the Olympia Press in 1959, of Burroughs's drug-fueled Beat masterpiece. A landmark novel that led to several important court decisions on indecency and censorship. Certainly Burroughs's best-known work (it was successfully adapted by David Cronenberg into a fine film of the same name), it is also arguably Burroughs's best, most enduring, and prescient as well. Indeed, for better or worse, Burroughs's "Interzone" increasingly resembles our current world. This edition includes Burroughs's introduction ("deposition: testimony concerning a sickness") and an appendix reprinting his article for THE BRITISH JOURNAL OF ADDICTION, "Letter from a Master Addict to Dangerous Drugs." A high spot of 20th-century American literature. 8'' x 5''. Original beige paper boards. In original unclipped (42s) pictorial jacket featuring a photograph of Burroughs by Ian Somerville. 252 pages. Jacket wtih some toning, edgewear, rubbing. Book with small stain to lower edge, slight lean. Else sound, clean. Very good plus in a very good jacket. TIME OUTS
First edition of Holt's manipulated images from televised football games, paired with remarks by players and commentators. Although she later became best known for her installations and earthworks, Holt's early career was focused on video art and photography. TIME OUTS "partially evolved out of my book, RANSACKED, 1980 and my videotapes, REVOLVE, 1977 and UNDERSCAN, 1974." While Holt describes the impetus for the book as her uncomplicated "interest as a youngster in watching sports on television," the text selections and blurred, sliding figures speak to the crowd-pleasing brutality of the business that broke and continues to break so many players: "I'll deliver a blood-curdling, bone-breaking blow," one player boasts, while another recalls, "I played with a broken neck in 1973. [.] I told them something was wrong, but they always considered me an 'attitude problem.'" 8.5'' x 11''. Original black and white photographic wrappers. Black and white photographic plates throughout. 64 pages. Minor edgewear. COLLECTED POEMS: 1947-1980
Inscribed first edition of this comprehensive selection covering all of this major Beat writer's works: from "Howl" and "Kaddish" to "Mind Breaths" and "Plutonium Ode." This epic collection covering 33 years of Ginsberg's career, at the time represented his first work issued by a major publisher and the first of six books by Harper which helped sfinally secure the poet a measure of financial security. An attractive copy of this important overview and introduction to this influential poet with a near-contemporaneous inscription from the poet. 9.5'' x 6''. Publisher's original full black cloth with gilt titles. In original unclipped $27.50) red printed jacket designed by Julie Metz. xxii, 838 pages, including index. Inscribed and dated by Ginsberg on the title page: "for Fernando Vega-Sanchez / Allen Ginsberg / 4/8/1986 / AH," after which Ginsberg has added a drawing of one of his characteristic flowers." Touches of shelfwear to jacket extremities. Spine of book slightly concave, as common for this large volume. Else bright, clean, and sound. DESPAIR: Poems to Come Down By
Anthology edited by Sanders from Sander's notorious press. Includes work by Ted Berrigan, Paul Blackburn, John Keys, Al Fowler, Harry Fainlight, Sanders, and Szabo. One of the scarcest items from FU. 11'' x 8.5''. Original lavender side-stapled self-wrappers. Mimeographed throughout. [20] pages (including covers), generally rectos only. Wrappers soiled with some staining. Overall sound. ASK DR. MUELLER: The Writings of Cookie Mueller
First printing of this scarce, posthumously issued collection of Mueller's writings from the '60s, '70s,' and '80s - fondly introduced by John Waters as "the ultimate daughter Divine would have loved to have had." 8'' x 5''. Original pictorial wrappers designed by Rex Ray. 294 pages. Minor edgewear. Light toning to margins. A VALORIUM EDITION OF THE ENTIRE EXTANT WORKS OF THALES!
Exactly as advertised: the entire extant works - i.e., a magnificent blank page - of Thales, first of the pre-Socratics, "the famous Milesian poet, philosopher, physicist, astronomer, mathematician, cosmologist, Urstoff-freak, absent-minded professor, & madman." With an "introduction" by Aristotle (in ancient Greek, without translation), hand-copied from the Metaphysics by Sanders, counterculture hero to a generation of frustrated Classics majors and others. By "valorium" Sanders presumably means "variorum." Then again, maybe he doesn't. "Printed, published & zapped by E. Sanders at a secret location in the lower east side.TOTAL ASSAULT ON THE CULTURE!!!" 11'' x 8.5. Original side-stapled wrappers. [4] pages, including covers. Mimeographed throughout. Bright, clean, and sharp. SAFE IN HEAVEN DEAD: Interviews with Jack Kerouac
First printing of these collected excerpts and quotations from interviews with Kerouac,originally conducted between 1957 and 1969. 4'' x 2.75''. Original pink wrappers. In original gilt-lettered dust jacket with cover photo of Kerouac by Allen Ginsberg. 125, [7] pages. Light wear to wrappers and jacket. GOD WITH REVOLVER: Poems 1979-82
Rare hardcover first printing of Ricard's second book of poems, in the even rarer transparent secondary dust jacket. The poet, painter, and critic first rose to underground stardom while barely out of his teens as an actor in Warhol's KITCHEN, CHELSEA GIRLS, and THE ANDY WARHOL STORY. In later decades, Ricard's influential essays for ARTFORUM helped launch the early careers of Julian Schnabel, Keith Haring, and Jean-Michel Basquiat. In his introduction to a later edition of GOD WITH REVOLVER, Hanuman editor Raymond Foye recalled the '80s as a time of great good fortune for Ricard and a decade that nearly killed him: "That he survived this period is a miracle. It was during that time we assembled this book [.] I was afraid it would be his last." Ricard's agreement with Hanuman was contingent on the book's full-size format, "something that violated the whole premise of the project, based as it was on the miniature format. This sort of contrariness was typical of Rene" (Foye). A bright copy. 8.5'' x 5.5''. Original peacock blue cloth. In original silver-lettered blue pictorial dust jacket, with original transparent secondary dust jacket. 101, [3] pages. Light edgewear to pictorial jacket, some scuffing to transparent plastic jacket. AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Creeley, Robert Attractive copy of the Hanuman edition of Creeley's autobiography. Issued as Hanuman Books no. 40 in the series published and edited by Raymond Foye and Francesco Clemente, Creeley's text was written during his tenure as Bicentennial Chair in American Studies at the University of Helsinki, Finland, and was published simultaneously in Volume 10 of Gale Research Publications's Contemporary Authors Autobiography Series. 4'' x 2.75''. Original turquoise wrappers. In original pictorial dust jacket. 103, [1] pages. Illustrated with black and white photographs. Trace shelfwear. Bright, sharp, and tight overall.- $65
- $65
FEMININE HIJINX
Bellamy, Dodie Scarce Hanuman Books title by the experimental feminist writer. FEMININE HIJINX includes material previously published as chapbooks and by Zyzzyva, Semiotext(e), and Feminist Studies. On her methods of composition, Bellamy later recalled: "In the early days of 'The Debbies I Have Known,' when I was still using a typewriter, I'd type each paragraph on half a sheet of paper, then scatter the sheets on the floor, then pick them up one by one, fan them in my hands like playing cards, rearrange them until they made sense to me, then retype them in that order." Number 41 in the Hanuman Books series, published and edited by Raymond Foye and Francesco Clemente. 4'' x 2.75''. Original beige wrappers. In original pictorial dust jacket with cover photo by Loring McAlpin. 154 pages. Touches of rubbing here and there. Bright, sharp, clean, and tight overall.- $100
- $100
BRUSH FIRES IN THE SOCIAL LANDSCAPE
Wojnarowicz, David; Lippard, Lucy R.; Goldin, Nan; Lebowitz, Fran First edition of this overview and tribute to the artist's life and work, with contributions from Karen Finley, Elizabeth Hess, Vince Aletti, Kiki Smith, and a 1990 interview by Nan Goldin. 11.5'' x 9.5''. Original black and white photographic boards. In original unclipped ($35.00) dust jacket. Color and black-and-white plates. 83, [5] pages. Original publisher's promotional materials laid in along with two original postcards for 1999 exhibitions of work by Wojnarowicz and Peter Hujar. Only light edgewear and rubbing to jacket.- $100
- $100
THE WATERFRONT JOURNALS
Wojnarowicz, David; Kushner, Tony First edition of these posthumously published monologues, written in the voices of the fellow travelers, runaways, and working people Wojnarowicz encountered across the United States during the late '70s and '80s. 8'' x 5.5''. Original grey boards. Endpapers with photographs by Wojnarowicz. In original unclipped ($20) dust jacket. 127, [1] pages. Minor edgewear to boards. Some creasing and one small closed tear to jacket edges. Near fine in very good plus jacket.- $50
- $50
IN THE CANYON
Coleman, Elliott First edition of this poetry collection by the literary scholar and Johns Hopkins professor, in the original publisher's box. 7'' x 7''. Original saddle-stapled wrappers. In original publisher's box. 31, [1] pages. Light edgewear to wrappers. Rubbing and light soil to box. Very good plus in very good box.- $40
- $40
SELECTED WRITINGS 1962-1971
Brainard, Joe First edition of these collected poems, prose pieces, and diary entries spanning the better part of a decade, including some selections from Brainard's I REMEMBER and a variety of writings first published in "C" Magazine, Angel Hair, and elsewhere. `. 10'' x 7.25''. Original printed peach wrappers. Royal blue endpapers. 121, [1] pages. Light edgewear and soil to wrappers, spine sunned.- $125
- $125
FEVER: The Art of David Wojnarowicz
Wojnarowicz, David; Cameron, Dan Catalogue of the first retrospective exhibition held after Wojnarowicz's death in 1992, with essays by curator Cameron, Mysoon Rizk, C. Carr, and John Carlin, as well as a selection of the artist's own writings. 10'' x 9''. Original pictorial wrappers. Illustrated in color and black and white throughout. 150 pages. Three original postcards and one folded flyer laid in, advertising FEVER, an associated panel discussion, and two additional Wojnarowicz exhibitions from 1999. Light edgewear.- $100
- $100
C COMICS NO. 2
Brainard, Joe; Ashbery, John; O'Hara, Frank Second (of only two numbers) of this short-lived "C" Press item, with Brainard's drawings illustrating poems by O'Hara, Ashbery, and others. Additional contributors: Peter Schjeldahl, Barbara Guest, Bill Berkson, Ron Padgett, Dick Gallup, Kenward Elmslie, Frank Lima, Kenneth Koch, Tony Towle, and Ted Berrigan, who also collaborated with Brainard on the drawing for "Pat." 11'' x 8.5''. Original black and white saddle-stapled pictorial wrappers. Illustrated by Brainard in black and white throughout. Unpaginated.Moderate toning and light soil to wrappers. Light edgewear, slight chipping to spine ends.- $400
- $400
THE LAND SURVEYOR’S DAUGHTER
Gilchrist, Ellen Uncommon signed first edition of this poetry collection, Gilchrist's first published book. In the year of this volume's publication, Gilchrist was awarded an NEA grant to write her first volume of short stories, IN THE LAND OF DREAMY DREAMS; her second, VICTORY OVER JAPAN, won the National Book Award. Though no provenance markings, this copy was previously owned by bookseller and publisher George Bixby, whose Albondocani Press later published Gilchrist's TWO STORIES. 9'' x 6''. Original black and white photographic wrappers. Cover by Clarence John Laughlin. Lost Roads Number 14. 45, [1] pages. Signed by Gilchrist on title page. Minor edgewear and toning, faint traces of soil.- $500
- $500
PROSTITUTION IN NINETEENTH AND EARLY TWENTIETH CENTURY CALCUTTA
Joardar, Biswanath First printing of this historical and anthropological look at "the oldest possible social institution" (jacket) in India, with a focus on prostitution in Calcutta. Joardar based this work on extensive fieldwork across India, and incorporates historical laws, statistics, and practices into a view of sex work in metropolitan and rural areas. Among the topics he covers are the intersection between the Caste system and brothels, the contribution of prostitutes to Indian literature, and the trafficking of sex workers. Uncommon overall, scarce in jacket. 9.5'' x 6''. Original black cloth boards with gilt lettering. Original price-clipped pink and black pictorial dust jacket. Illustrated with one black-and-white fold-out map. xii, 88 pages, including index. Occasional faint pencil marginal notes. Jacket with light sunning to upper edge and spine, abrasion to verso; rear flap with paper remnants to upper edge. Binding with a touch of shelfwear, with spine cracked at a couple openings; pastedowns bubbling a bit. Sound. Near fine in very good plus dust jacket.- $250
- $250
