Martin, Brent

Staring the Red Earth Down

St. Paul, MN: Red Bird Chapbooks, 2014. Limited First Edition. Sewn Wrappers. Inscribed & signed (twice) by Brent Martin to Thomas Rain Crowe. "A homeless man named Leslie/ jumps into the old town Pilot Light selling weeds./ He's pulled them from the cracked sidewalk/ outside, and cupped them in a kudzu leaf" ("Everyday People," first stanza, pg. 11) A collection of poems by Brent Martin, a distinguished poet-essayist-conservationist who resides in rural North Carolina. The poems are salty & humorous, evocatively attentive to the details of local places & people. With beautiful & riveting front cover, frontispiece & many interior images by Robert Cox, originally created in various media. A hand-crafted chapbook production in sewn wrappers, from an edition of 100 copies as noted on copyright page. This is copy No. 19/100, as hand-noted with drawing of a red bird (as in publisher's name) & date below short biographies of Martin & Cox on penultimate page leaf. On the title page, Martin has hand-written & signed: "To Thomas-/ Thanks for the/ inspiration!/ (signed) Brent." "Thomas" is Thomas Rain Crowe, the acclaimed poet & publisher who was at the center of the Baby Beat Generation/ Second San Francisco Renaissance during the 1970s (see our book, Starting From San Francisco, Item No. 3071, Deluxe Edition No. 3075). Crowe & Martin are fellow North Carolinians, colleagues, collaborators & kindred friends, as shown in this warm inscription. Additionally, Martin has written his full signature below his printed name, which he has crossed out, on the same title page. A rare & very desirable Martin-Cox collectible, with wonderful poet-to-poet association & provenance. In very fine condition with only a bit of wear, a few tiny bumps & short, faint creases at thin edges & corners of front, back covers, sewn spine & short, blank flaps. Interior very fine with only tiny bumps, faint creases at lower corners of page leaves. Very Fine. [Item #3988]

Price: $35.00