Clark, Tom

Who is Sylvia?

ISBN: 0912652543
Berkeley, CA: Blue Wind Press, 1979. First Trade Hardcover Edition. Hardcover. "This fast-paced cinematic novel depicts a hip young American professor/poet's brief but deeply disturbing affair with an enigmatic Englishwoman named Sylvia. Set against the backdrop of the psychedelic 60s, the novel opens on the London literary scene where Bob and Sylvia become entangled. The action shifts to the art world and backwaters of the jet-set scene on the French Riviera, where the affair finally decays as Sylvia's drugged psyche disintegrates. Who is Sylvia? is a modern counterpart to the Classic American Expatriate genre of the 20s and 30s." (front flap) A novel by Tom Clark (1941-2018), the brilliant & prolific (mostly) poet, novelist, editor & biographer who we think is most exemplary of our category "The Prolific & Underappreciated." With front cover dust jacket illustration by Clark (also a very talented artist); back cover contemporary photograph of Clark by Susanna Acevedo. First trade hardcover edition in unclipped dust jacket, published simultaneously with softcover & limited, signed & numbered editions. A haunting parable of the curdling counterculture, no doubt inspired by Clark's own experiences at its center. Book in exceptionally very fine condition with only a tiny amount of wear at edges & corners of front, back covers & spine; light, sparse spotting to edges of text block. Interior very fine with only small, light spot-stains at blank lower side margins/ edges of a few page leaves. Dust jacket very fine with only a bit of rubbing & a few tiny spots to front, back covers, spine & flaps; very light wear, browning & a few tiny bumps, creases at thin edges & corners of same. Very Fine / Very fine. [Item #3724]

Price: $30.00