Various (Rosset, Barney (Editor); Brautigan, Richard; Genet, Jean; Hentoff, Nat; Lahr, John; Osborne, John; Schreiter, Rick; Seaver, Richard; Weisman, Ann et al.)

Evergreen Review Vol. 12 No. 61 (December 1968)

New York, NY: Evergreen Review, Inc., 1968. First Printing. Glued Wrappers. This vintage number of the legendary literary, cultural & arts journal chiefly edited by Barney Rosset features "A Salute to 100,000 Stars" by Jean Genet (1910-1986), the great French avant-garde novelist, playwright & countercultural activist who earlier that pivotal year of 1968 had joined William S. Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg & Co. to "cover" the notorious Democratic National Convention in Chicago. This piece, accompanied with an illustration by Ann Weisman & printed on appropriately bright-red paper, is a tirade against the USA's then-raging war in Vietnam, translated from French into English by associate editor Richard Seaver (pgs. 50-53, 87-88). Also in this issue: An article by Beat-influenced cult favorite Richard Brautigan about photographs he & co. took of discarded Christmas trees during January 1964 ("It was a strange time in America...all of the flags flying at half-mast to mourn President Kennedy's murder, and the trees abandoned in the gutter like dead soldiers."); an essay on the game of tennis by the hard-boiled, proto-Gonzo journalist Nat Hentoff; a critique of playwright John Osborne's work by the now-venerable critic & biographer John Lahr (son of Cowardly Lion Bert) accompanied with an illustration by Rick Schreiter (in a blank area of which is affixed the dried, flattened corpse of a small insect- a secret appearance by WSB?) & much more. With many other all-out groovy graphics, risque cartoons, images & illustrations throughout; letters; & contemporary ads (including for the live multi-media production "Lenny" which preceded the acclaimed 1974 film starring Dustin Hoffman as Lenny Bruce). The last issue of 1968, most exemplary of its explosive creativity & controversy, in this highly important & collectible series. In near-fine condition with mild rubbing, scratching, browning & occasional light spot-staining to front, back covers & spine; mild wear & some tiny bumps, creases at thin edges & corners of same; very short, mostly closed tears at esp. upper & lower spine-edges & corners with very slight loss of paper; moderate rubbing & browning to edges of text block. Interior fine with only "Exterminator!"-like insect cameo (pg. 60); a hint of browning mostly to blank margins of page leaves; tiny bumps at mostly upper corners of some of same. Near Fine. [Item #4551]

Price: $35.00