Disordered Ideas (Three Editions)
ISBN: 0876856970;0876856954
Santa Rosa, CA: Black Sparrow Press, 1987. Limited Lettered Edition; Limited Numbered Edition; First Trade Softcover Edition. Hardcovers; Softcovers. Lettered Edition signed by Tom Clark & with signed hand-drawing; numbered edition signed; softcover edition with titled & signed hand-drawing. "The humiliation of being/ constantly observed/ by a hostile or derisive eye/ is certainly no joke/ but neither is/ not being able to find/ your shoes" ("Commuting," first stanza, pg. 111) A mid-career collection of poems by Tom Clark (1941-2018), the profound & prolific poet, editor, novelist, biographer & artist who was originally associated with the New York School but by this time, a quarter-century into his oeuvre, had fully developed his own several varied & distinct styles. The poems are organized into five titled sections, three with relatively traditional (in their structure, anyway) works, & two with decidedly prose-poems. We offer three very collectible versions of this volume: (1) Most limited hardcover edition, one of only 26 copies hand-lettered & signed by Clark at Colophon, & with a signed hand-drawing (of a procession of three rodents) on blank page opposite copyright page. This is copy "D." An exemplary, sumptuous production of the acclaimed Black Sparrow Press, with illustrated boards & patterned cloth spine. (2) Limited hardcover edition hand-numbered & signed by Clark at colophon, one of 150 hardcover copies, this is copy No. 6/150. With illustrated boards, plain light-blue cloth spine. (3) First trade-format softcover edition, in illustrated wrappers & spine. While technically the least rare edition with no stated limitation, on the title page is a hand-drawing (of a single rodent), hand-titled "Falling Rat Experiment" & signed by Clark. This uncalled-for, unique Clark artwork makes this perhaps the most scarce of these three editions. An exceptionally rare & desirable bundling of this Clark classic. (1) in very fine condition with only slight wear at edges & corners of front & back boards; mild spotting to edges of text block esp. upper edge. Interior virtually mint. Publisher's clear protective sleeve very fine with only mild rubbing & light scratching to surfaces. (2) very fine with substantially the same points as (1) above. (3) very fine with only very slight rubbing to front, back covers & spine; a touch of wear & a few tiny bumps at edges & corners of same; light spotting to upper & side edges of text block; much less & with one short, shallow scratch-gouge (near spine) to lower side of same. Interior very fine with only tiny bumps at corners of a few page leaves. An extra handling fee will be added for shipping due to the weight of this item. Very Fine. [Item #3905]
Price: $200.00