Burroughs, William S.

Painting & Guns

ISBN: 0937815489
Madras, India; New York,NY: Hanuman Books, 1992. First Edition. Softcover in Over-Wraps. "I am trying to get the pictures to move. It almost happens: A face comes into almost miraculously clear focus, smiles, snarls, speaks. Then back into the picture, there on the paper, the wood. Look outside at the trees and leaves in front of the bedroom window. They move in the wind. The same thing is happening. I see faces, scenes, look at that vista of blackened, swollen corpses. There are green monkeys, a green man, very serene. But it's just like in the pictures, the feeling of strain, of 'can't quite make it.' Almost there, but something, someone, blocks the final step. Green men, leaf tips moving in the breeze. I don't have to go to outer space for aliens. They are all around me." (from "The Creative Observer," pgs. 11-12) The 46th number in the cult-collectible series of miniature volumes published by Hanuman Books, the imprint of NYC curator-impresario Raymond Foye & the acclaimed artist Francesco Clemente; produced in Madras, India by the Kalakshetra Press. Among the many great writers, artistes & hipsters in this series, this one is our favorite as it is the sole production by William S. Burroughs, Founding Father of the Beat Generation & among the most critically influential literary & cultural figures of all time. Painting & Guns is comprised of two essays, originating as explained on copyright page: " "The Creative Observer" originated as an interview with Raymond Foye & Francesco Clemente. The bold text appeared in a catalogue for an exhibition at the Tony Shafrazi Gallery..."The War Universe" originated as an interview with Raymond Foye and originally appeared in Grand Street no. 37 in a slightly different version." With front over-wrap cover photo of WSB by Allen Ginsberg (with the exemplary garish Hanuman color treatment), uncredited frontispiece black-&-white image of unknown WSB artwork, photo of WSB with David Bradshaw by Allya Canepa opposite second essay. First edition, first printing with no reference to further printings on copyright page. Softcover in sewn binding with blank stiff wrappers & illustrated loose over-wrap. Schottlaender, A67, pg. 20; Shoaf, Section I, No. 80, pg. 61. Key texts by WSB about about his later-life work in the arts & his life-long, notorious interest in firearms, which he combined by shooting paint at boards, in its very rarest original form & with distinguished provenance: From the collection of Kevin Ring, publisher of the indispensable Beat Scene magazine & other collectible productions in the UK (many available here), & our good friend. Book in very fine condition with only a bit of wear & a few tiny bumps to edges & corners of blank front, back covers & spine; very slight rubbing to edges of text block. Interior very fine with only tiny bumps at corners of a few page leaves. Over-wrap dust jacket fine with a touch of rubbing, browning to front, back covers & spine (gilt & other lettering, illustrations all very bright & intact except for tiny portions of "W" in "William" on front cover; a bit of wear & a few tiny bumps at edges & corners of same & blank flaps; previous seller's barcode sticker affixed to lower area of back cover just below "Hanuman" (if not for this latter point, we would declare the over-wrap to be very fine). Very Fine / Fine. [Item #5191]

Price: $130.00