Malanga, Gerard

Rosebud with: Ephemera

ISBN: 0915778033
Lincoln, MA: The Penmaen Press, 1975. Limited First Edition. Hardcover. Signed by Gerard Malanga. "the life of the one real dream/ is made of arrivals and departures/ is made of something not there/ held together by nothing/ the dream we will never remember returns" ("Dream Without Sequence," pg. 9) A collection of 24 poems on 24 pages by Gerard Malanga, the acclaimed poet, photographer & key member of Andy Warhol's "factory" scene during the height of the 1960s counterculture. An austerely handsome production, one of 300 copies bound in full linen over boards completed during June 1975, hand-numbered & signed by Malanga at colophon. This is copy No. 165/300. We also have added two fascinating pieces of ephemera: Contemporary copies of typed, signed letters from Malanga to Arthur Knight dated February 13, 1974; & to Arthur & Glee Knight dated February 21, 1974. Arthur, Glee & later Kit Knight were of course the pioneering publishers of their Unspeakable Visions of the Individual series, among the earliest to canonize the Beat Generation. Many figures & topics are mentioned in these two letters, including Robert Bly, Charles Henri Ford & Malanga's commentary on his own poetry & photography. But most important for our admittedly subjective purposes are his extensive references in both letters to William S. Burroughs. During this period, WSB had just returned to NYC & Malanga writes of prospectively photographing & interviewing him: "...I suggest you drop a note to Burroughs informing him that you would like me to interview him for your magazine as it would tie things over more easily than if I were to approach him without his knowing in advance that it would be a truly assigned encounter." (from February 13 letter) Each letter is two pages in length, copied onto loose sheets unstapled as we have left them. Both the book & ephemera in this bundle are from the estate of the late James Perrizo, a devoted Beat-&-Beyond scholar & collector. A most desirable Malanga rarity, further enriched with this ephemera. Book in very fine condition with only a tiny amount of rubbing at edges & corners of front, back covers & spine; otherwise substantially mint inside & out, without dust jacket as issued. Ephemera in fine condition, copied on recto only with creases where originally folded horizontally into three sections; light creasing at surfaces; very mild wear & a few tiny bumps at edges & corners; a touch of light browning at edges & blank margins; one tiny spot at upper blank margin of first page of first letter. Very Fine; Fine. [Item #3682]

Price: $100.00 save 20% $80.00