Clark, Tom

The Border: Poem & Drawings with: Ephemera

ISBN: 0918273064
West Branch, IA; Santa Barbara, CA: Coffee House Press; Tom Clark, 1983; 1985. Limited First Editions; Autograph Poem Excerpt; Typed Manuscript Page. Sewn Wrappers; Single Sheets. Chapbook signed by Tom Clark; card with signed & dated autograph poem excerpt; signed typed manuscript page. "False Hildagos stripped to the waist conduct idle and/ fractious dialogues under the moonlit palms, stopping/ now and then to duel with knives, bodies flop to the sand..." ("The Border: A Play," second stanza) A bundle of uniquely rare & significant collectibles by Tom Clark (1941-2018), the prolific American poet, editor, novelist, biographer & artist originally associated with the New York School; who by this mid-career juncture had fully developed a bold series of styles quite all his own: (1) The Border: Poem & Drawings, large-format chapbook in sewn wrappers, part of publisher's Morning Coffee Chapbooks subscription series per front flap. One of an edition of 500 copies signed by Clark at colophon, this copy is hand-designated "PP" (we presume this stands for Poet's Proof) & signed by Clark in bold orange ink. A beautiful, hand-crafted production with the title poem ("The Border: A Play" inside); front cover & interior illustrations by Clark which are especially haunting & provocative. (2) Publisher's promotional-reading announcement card for (1), announcing its publication & a reading from the poem at Black Oak Books in Berkeley, California which took place during May 5, 1985 on recto; on blank verso Clark has hand-written the second stanza of the poem (quoted above), signed & dated "May 5. 85"- an apparent souvenir of the reading noted on recto. (3) Hand-typed manuscript page signed by Clark (last name only) near upper right corner. A short, laudatory review-blurb of Thomas McGrath's Echoes Inside the Labyrinth (Thunder's Mouth Press, 1983). Single letter-size sheet with typing & signed on recto only. Presented with publisher's photocopied press release announcing the publication of this "...major new collection of poetry by by one of America's foremost living poets at the height of his power" & including short quotes about McGrath by Robert Bly, Lawrence Ferlinghetti & Studs Terkel; dated August 1, 1983. Quite an exceptional, singular gathering of important Clark collectibles. (1) in very fine condition with only a few tiny bumps at edges & corners of front, back covers, sewn spine & flaps; otherwise substantially mint inside & out. (2) very fine, substantially mint. (3) both sheets very fine with only minor, faint creases at surfaces; very light wear & a few tiny bumps at edges & corners; press release with light horizontal crease across middle where once folded. Very Fine. [Item #3927]

Price: $100.00 save 20% $80.00