Duncan, Robert

Medieval Scenes 1950 and 1959 with: Ephemera

Kent, OH: The Kent State University Libraries, 1978. Limited First Edition Thus. Stapled Wrappers. "The Genius mixd too strong a cup./ At noon the lethargy remains./ We cannot shake it off.// Sleep lingers all our lifetime in our eyes/ as night at midday hovers/ in the fir tree boughs./ The Genius brews his lethal cup./ All things swim and glitter." ("The Dreamers," first two stanzas, unpaginated) A collection of poems by Robert Duncan (1919-1988), the canonical American poet of the Beat Generation, San Francisco Renaissance & Black Mountain School. The poems all share a medieval milieu & style, & were originally published in collections during 1950 & 1959. With an introduction by Duncan, & an afterword by Robert Bertholf, author of the famously comprehensive "Robert Duncan: A Descriptive Bibliography" (see our reference below, & our item No. 2414). A handsome letterpress production, chapbook in stapled wrappers, one of 624 copies in a "regular edition" (100 numbered & 26 lettered copies signed by Duncan were also produced) per colophon. Bertholf, A3(b), pg. 26. With loose original errata slip. From the collection of the late artist-poet Erin Matson, who with her then-husband the acclaimed poet & educator Clive Matson was a bona fide member of the Beat Generation- morphing into the hippie counterculture during the 1960s. The Matsons were protege-colleagues (in lifestyle as much as literature) of Herbert Huncke, Bonnie Bremser et al. We found & have retained two very interesting pieces of Erin's ephemera in this volume: Two sheets, each folded once horizontally, a note dated Sept. 26, 1978 & an invoice dated February 15, 1979- both hand-typed & on the letterhead of Robert Wilson's Phoenix Bookshop, the late legendary NYC bookstore & publisher. The former is hand-signed in parentheses by "Jordan Davis," & neither specifically refer to this item although their dates are close to the time of publication. The latter document is specifically addressed to Erin at her residence in upstate NY. A rare & desirable Duncan collectible, with distinguished provenance & delightful (to us bibliophiles) ephemera. In near-fine condition (especially for Erin, who used & maintained her collection like the tried-&-true Beat she was...) with moderate rubbing, scratching & a few spots to front, back covers & stapled spine; light wear & some tiny bumps, creases at thin (esp. side) edges & corners of same; light rubbing & occasional spotting to edges of text block esp. upper edge. Interior near-fine with small areas of smudging, waving at/ near upper-right edges of some page leaves (probable result of minor water spillage); smaller of same at lower corners of a few leaves. Errata slip substantially mint; ephemera very fine, printed-typed-written on recto only with a hint of browning at thin edges & corners; a few tiny bumps, creases at same. Near Fine. [Item #4687]

Price: $50.00