Someone to Hold Onto at the Bottom of the Stairs
Ann Arbor, MI: Self-Published by the Poet, 1972. First Edition. Softcover. Inscribed & signed by John Allen to James Perrizo. "Putting together a first book of poems is a very strange experience. A most private part of one's life suddenly threatens to become public, at least in a minor sort of way. The temptation to offer up a host of disclaimers and qualifications is strong...The basic reason for this particular book is fairly simple: enough friends have wanted their own copies of some of these poems to make the task of typing them out again and again a bit onerous. Hence the logic of a book as a lazy man's way out." (from author's Preface) And so, poet John Allen created this production to distribute & immortalize his poems. Allen was (still is?) a resident of our hometown of Ann Arbor, & happens to share the name of its early 19th century co-founder, though we can't say if there's any relation. The first section contains poems which won Allen the prestigious Hopwood Award at the University of Michigan, & among those he lists in an acknowledgment page is Donald Hall, the late acclaimed great American poet who at this time (1972) was a UM professor. On the short title page, Allen has handwritten: "For Jim-/ a Welcome Home present/ to say, "Welcome Home!"/ with love,/ (signed) John." "Jim" is James Perrizo (1944-2006), an important scholar & collector who specialized in the Beat Generation & was at one time the assistant to Edie Parker, Jack Kerouac's first wife. A most interesting local literary relic- Mr. Allen, if you're still around here & happen to see this, please let us know what became of you! Trade-format softcover in near-fine condition with moderate browning & spotting to front, back covers (esp. at/near edges) & spine; very mild wear & tiny bumps at edges & corners of same; series of light, faint vertical creases along left-middle surface of front cover; very light, sparse spotting & browning at edges of text block esp. top edge. Interior very fine with only tiny bumps at corners of some page leaves. Near Fine. [Item #3195]
Price: $20.00