Various (Berge, Carol (Editor); Blackburn, Paul; Dawson, Fielding; Mac Low, Jackson; Malina, Judith; Randall, Margaret; Rothenberg, Jerome; Schneemann, Carolee; Wakoski, Diane et al.)

Light Years: An Anthology on Sociocultural Happenings (Multimedia in the East Village, 1960-1966)

ISBN: 9781933132464
New York, NY; Santa Fe, NM: Spuyten Duyvil/ AWAREing Press, 2010. First Edition. Softcover. "Vivid personal stories of the poets and writers who leaped out of the literary traditions of the 1950s, blending with other artists to create the excitement of a new art mix called multimedia. Light Years tells the story of a unique group of poets, novelists, playwrights and book people who associated with visual and performing artists at the core of New York's emerging East Village Scene in a creative renaissance during the 1960s. The memoirs illustrate how these writers took poetry off the page, how they developed the heady amalgam multimedia. Voices and words were thrust into perspectives where the body and the space around it became extensions of poetry; this is what made the Light Years poets different from others of the era: taking skills into the realm of audio and visual experimentation, and exercising freedom to reconstitute academic learning so as to create new arts." (from "Introduction (a sociocultural study)" by Carol Berge, pg. 1) A door-stopper anthology that collectively tells the story of the development of multimedia art-literary-works-happenings in the countercultural ferment of East Village NYC at its fertile peak during the 1960s. Edited & with introduction (quoted above) by Carol Berge (1928-2006), the acclaimed & controversial poet who was at the center of the scene she has compiled here; & contributions by such primary Beat-&-Beyond figures as Paul Blackburn, Fielding Dawson, Jackson Mac Low, Judith Malina, Margaret Randall, Jerome Rothenberg, Carolee Schneeman & Diane Wakoski (many works by & about whom can be found here at Third Mind Books); & many more including Berge herself. With a central section of captioned historic images, some in color. Trade-format softcover original, first edition, first printing with "2009003349" printed on copyright page. A monumental, comprehensive & collectible compendium of great interest to Third Minds everywhere. In near-fine-verging-on-fine condition with mild rubbing, scratching to front, back covers & spine; mild wear & some tiny bumps, creases at edges & corners of same; mild rubbing, light staining & spot-staining to edges of text block esp. upper edge. Interior very fine with only tiny bumps & small, faint creases at corners of a few page leaves. An extra handling charge will be added for shipping due to the weight of this item. Near Fine- Fine. [Item #5315]

Price: $40.00