Clark, Tom

The Emperor of the Animals: A Play by Tom Clark

London, England, UK: Cape Goliard Press, 1967. Limited First Edition. Softcover in Over-Wraps. Here we have yet another delightful item we actually had not seen or sold before it came across the Desks of our Curators here at TMB: the eminently portable (and oddly adorable) third published effort from Tom Clark, “The Emperor of Animals.” Offered here is an extremely early and petitely charming chapbook by the great American poet, Tom Clark (1941-2018), “The Emperor of Animals” — a most unique one-act, two-scene short play which captures the then twenty-six-year-old poet finding his footing (and sometimes much more) in a form he’d yet to publish in up to that point. As the small author bio nested at the back of this oblong, small-format letterpress chapbook in sewn binding (how’s that for Mimeo Rev luxury?) dependably notes, Clark had only published “The Sand Burg” [See TMB Item #3520] and “Airplanes” [See TMB Item #3563] at the time this third published effort was chaperoned to print by the esteemed Cape Goliard Press, whose volumes are often if not always well-quaffed and dapper; self-respecting in form and content both. This quick-passing play is no exception to the rule, and delivers on both counts; easily overlooked and charmingly collectible: coolly hip and commendably priced; a small-batch cinnamon roll of UK Beat Theatre — made to last and served to order! Oblong, small-format chapbook in over-wrap with flaps: Limited First Edition, “Designed and printed by the Goliard Press / 10a Fairhazel Gardens, London N.W.6. / in an edition of 300 copies of which the / first 35 are numbered and signed by the author and all other members of the origin- / al production, and contain two illustrations . of the sets. / Copyright © Goliard Press February 1967,” per colophon. From the collection of Robin Eichele (b. 1941), noted Mimeograph Revolutionary & co-founder (with John Sinclair) of the Detroit Artists’ Workshop, who has hand-written (in thin black fountain pen ink) his name [“Eichele”] in a nonuniform though somewhat decorative style at the bottommost fine-edge of stiff wrapper’s interior front flap (to bottommost fine-edge at center-middle — see pictures for further clarification. While just an owner’s signature, the hand and collection from which it hails together comprise a most aidful endowment to the lot here offered. The result is an already-desirable item made even more alluring, esp. for the Clark initiate who has yet to fully survey his early work; who has yet to furrow their brows in exasperated amusement alongside him. In very fine condition with only mild-to-moderate shelf-wear, light bumping and similarly mild-to-moderate rubbing to fine-edges & corners of front, back covers & spine-edge; some light rubbing (of the sort and gradation earlier described) to same, else alluringly well-preserved. Very Fine. [Item #6012]

Price: $45.00