Various (Ginsberg, Allen; Burroughs, William S.; Joans, Ted; Johnson, Ray; Kupferberg, Tuli et al.)

Birth, No. 3, Issues 1 & 2 (Stimulants: An Exhibition)

New York, NY: Birth, 1960. First Printing. Stapled Wrappers. Volume 1 is Signed & Inscribed by Poet, Fug, and "World's Oldest Hippie," Tuli Kupferberg. Offered as a bundle is this legendary double-issue of Tuli Kupferberg’s (1923-2010) sui generis contribution to the Mimeograph Revolution (or one of them, anyway), “Birth Magazine.” The suite of both issues, titled (when taken together) as “Stimulants: An Exhibition,” made for the last and final issue of the magazine, as Jed Birmingham’s ribbon-wrapped prose—quoted, at considerable length, below—accurately & astutely notes. While Birth is not the only mimeo rag Kupferberg helmed or is known for (“YEAH” Magazine being the other underground publishing outfit, or link through with Kupferberg himself practiced “TOTAL ASSAULT ON THE CULTURE!”). It’s fitting that such a phrase—although adopted by Sanders and Kupferberg in the most trademarkable (and FUN!) of ways, originated with the Patron Saint-Demon of Third Mind Books, William S. Burroughs. It’s fitting for the following reason, especially. In the “Birth” entry of noted, marine-strength Burroughsian Jed Birmingham’s informative (& routinely infallible) Beat scholarly website, RealityStudio, Birmingham writes: “Each of the three issues of Birth center on a single theme—Bohemia, children’s literature, and drugs, respectively—and each provides a collage of primary materials relating to that topic. The mosaic approach is very Burroughsian and Burroughs is naturally featured in the drug issue (quotes from the “Master Addict Letter” in the British Journal of Addiction, and quotes on cocaine and morphine from ‘The Naked Lunch')". Addressing, now directly, Mugwump Nation—the roving, junk sick, Burroughsian mobs that find among their obsessions the breathtaking (and frankly insatiable) need to collect most or all of WSB’s Mimeo Rev & Small Press appearances: I’m sure you’ll realize immediately that the issues of Kupferberg’s BIRTH presently available here constitutes one such opportunity. Similarly, when it comes to Kupferberg-led publications (or Kupferberg-peppered projects) from this Golden Era of small press publishing, they don’t come to market often—which makes this lot of rarities truly something special. I could get lost for many hours in these small pamphlets’ rip-roaring, wild-eyed poems and prose. These issues, as Birmingham relayed, are drug themed, and hilariously so. “Alcohol, Marihuana, and Peyote” are covered in Issue No. 1, whereas “Book 2 contains opium, tobacco, tea & coffee, various stimulants, and general material on the subjects of stimulation and addiction.” Favorites of Your Devoted Managing Curator like Ted Joans (“Travelin’”) & Allen Ginsberg (“From the Journals”) likewise appear. My favorite section, however, comes on pg. 39 of Book 2, titled “My Best Drunk.” It contains some of the most legitimately hilarious stories of Boozing Gone Wrong ever compiled. Magazine in stapled wrappers; the first and only printings of this scarce, final issue of Kupferberg’s “Birth,” — the magazine which potently inspired Sanders to launch both “Fuck You/A Magazine of the Arts,” & “The Fuck You Press,” as well. Kupferberg inscription and signature (on upper right-hand corner of interior front cover of Volume 1, nested just to the right of the phrase which reads, “It’s sometimes pleasure / to be mad and foolish / Greek poet”) in thin, black fountain pen ink, reads: “I like coffee / I like tea / I like Dan List (?) / & Dan List (?) likes me / Tuli / (includes / Sylvia).” Both issues in unusually very fine condition considering both their age and city of origin (“milieu of origin,” more like it), with only mild-to-moderate shelf-wear, & tiny, select exhibits of bumping to fine-edges & corners of front, back covers; similarly mild-to-moderate rubbing & a few slight, scattered nicks present at same. Very Fine. [Item #5094]

Price: $170.00