The San Francisco Earthquake Vol. 1 No. 2 (Winter Issue 1968)
San Francisco, CA: Jacob Herman; Gail Dusenbery, 1968. First Printing. Softcover. This second number of the literary journal edited & published by Jacob Herman & Gail Dusenbery features two contributions by William S. Burroughs, Founding Father of the Beat Generation-&-Beyond, as well as the iconic figure of our very enterprise: "Salt Chunk Mary" & "Last Awning Flaps on the Pier," exemplary short classics that mark WSB's later-1960s transition from his full-blown cut-up method toward a return to (relative) linearity & lucidity. Maynard & Miles, C217, C218, pg. 158; Shoaf, Section III, No. 119, pg. 136; Schottlaender, C213, pg. 49. M&M notes that these pieces had previously appeared individually in issues of Intrepid during 1965 & 1966; Shoaf notes: "Apparently numbered out of sequence by M&M based on volume as opposed to date of issue, "Winter 1968" being suitably ambiguous to mean either 1967-68 or 1968-69. In this case it was the former, though M&M list it as the latter." Also in this issue are contributions by Douglas Blazek, Dusenbery, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Herman, Herbert Huncke, Bob Kaufman, Michael McClure, Frank O'Hara, Claude Pelieu, Carl Weissner & others. The obvious influence of WSB's style, cut-up & otherwise, is very evident among some of the works of poetry, prose-poetry & prose here, particularly those of Pelieu & Weissner. Also with a portfolio of illustrations by Mary Beach, Jeff Nuttall, Piet Mondrian & others; & front cover artwork by Norman Ogue Mustill. Trade-format softcover in wrappers, first & undoubtedly only printing with no reference to further editions on copyright page. From the collection of Kevin Ring, publisher of Beat Scene magazine & other indispensable productions in the UK, & our good friend. Truly a key issue among the myriad 1960s independent journals, with an almost dizzyingly rich gathering of some of the foremost figures of the Beat Generation, San Francisco Renaissance, New York School & Beyond at their peak of innovation; an essential WSB-in-context collectible; & with distinguished provenance to boot. In relatively fine condition with mild rubbing, browning, faint creasing, light scratching & occasional spotting to front, back covers & spine; very light wear & some tiny bumps, creases at edges & corners of same; mild rubbing, a bit of browning to edges of text block; light spotting at upper edge of same. Interior very fine with only a touch of browning mostly to blank margins/edges of inner covers & page leaves; tiny bumps, creases at corners of some leaves. Fine. [Item #5290]
Price: $50.00