Joyce, James

Pomes Penyeach

San Francisco, CA: City Lights Books, 1966. First "Pirated Edition" Thus. Stapled Wrappers. "The moon's greygolden meshes make/ All night a veil,/ The shorelamps in the sleeping lake/ Laburnum tendrils trail.// The sly reeds whisper to the night/ A name- her name-/ And all my soul is a delight,/ A swoon of shame." ("Alone," unpaginated) An officially unauthorized facsimile of the slender chapbook of poems by James Joyce (1882-1941), the canonical, revolutionary Irish-expatriate writer whose influence & impact on all world literature cannot be overstated. Originally published by Sylvia Beach's Shakespeare and Company in Paris (also the first publisher of Joyce's breakthrough 1922 novel Ulysses) during 1927, this is one of many subsequent editions with a very interesting twist- issued by Lawrence Ferlinghetti's City Lights Books, iconic imprint of the Beat Generation & beyond, as a stated "Pirated Edition" (back cover). According to Ralph T. Cook's definitive CLB bibliography, this production was first published in May 1966 in an edition of 2000 copies. Cook notes that "This title was reprinted several times. The subsequent printings bear no printing notice, and are identical to the first printing." (No. 56, pg. 61). This copy has all points noted in Cook including original errata slip reproduced as inner back cover, fifty-cent price printed near lower right corner of back cover, lack of any printed reference to CLB etc. The condition of this copy (see below) indicates to us that its vintage is likely from the first printing. We include a blank envelope in which this copy was housed as originally sold as if it were contraband. As we say, very interesting indeed- a most eccentric rarity for the Joyce completist & CLB collector. [Cook 56, pg. 61]. Chapbook in very fine condition with only light browning & occasional spotting to front, back covers & stapled spine; a few tiny bumps, creases at thin edges & corners of same; slight rusting to staples with miniscule interior bleeding. Interior very fine with light browning mostly to blank margins of page leaves. Envelope fair-to-good with moderate browning, creasing & sparse spotting to surfaces; mild wear, tiny bumps & creases at thin edges & corners of same; upper opening-flap torn through most of its length at upper edge but still attached. Very Fine. [Item #4563]

Price: $50.00