Cummings, E.E.

HIM: A Play by E.E. Cummings

New York, NY: Boni & Liveright, 1927. First Trade Edition. Hardcover. "There is good reason for Mr. (E.E.) Cummings' crypticism in his description of HIM. We do not remember any book that more baffles an attempt to describe it. You may think you know what to expect in a play by Cummings- and you will find out that you don't know the half of it. Such lucid madness, such adventurous gayety, such graceful irreverence, such abounding novelties- squads of characters firing broadsides of wit- interpolations of American folklore, extravagances that astound the imagination. It is a play that satisfies the five senses, and every corner of the intelligence- a play full of revels for the grown-up mind." (from rear flap) The seventh published stand-alone work, & first play, by E(dward) E(stin) Cummings (1894-1962), the canonical American poet, playwright & painter. First premiered on stage the following year (1928), HIM is a breakthrough avant-garde sui generis milestone with elements of surrealism & German expressionism; & is considered an influential predecessor to the Theatre of the Absurd movement that flourished in Europe three decades later. Offered here is the first trade edition of 1927, hardcover in scarce unclipped dust jacket, first (trade) edition, first printing, though neither explicated as such at copyright page; published simultaneously with a "special limited edition" of 160 numbered & signed copies as noted on colophon at verso of shorter title page. With all points in Firmage, A7(a), pgs. 14-15. From the collection of Dr. Stanley Hurwick Levy (1926-2020), an American physician who met & conferred with Albert Einstein while a student prodigy at Princeton University during the 1940s, & was one of the most legendarily prolific & important book collectors of them all, over many years. This writer was privileged to attend a presentation & meet Dr. Levy at his home here in Michigan some years ago, & was indeed astonished by the size, variety & quality of his esteemed collection. A canonical Cummings collectible in its rarest (especially with jacket) contemporary trade form, with most distinguished provenance. Book in relatively quite fine condition with mild-to-moderate rubbing, browning & occasional spotting to front, back covers & spine; mild wear, rubbing, browning & some tiny bumps, creases to edges & corners of same (red letters, graphics at black-cloth spine somewhat dulled but intact); moderate browning & light rubbing to side & lower edges of text block (both coarsely trimmed as issued); one small spot-stain at lower edge of same near lower rear cover edge/corner; mild rubbing, scratching & significant fading to (once grey-dyed?) upper edge of same. Interior fine with mild browning, occasional spotting to blank white paste-downs & endpapers; mild browning mostly to blank margins/edges of page leaves. Dust jacket (again relatively) fair-to-good with mild rubbing, browning & spotting to front, back covers, spine & flaps; mild wear & some tiny bumps, creases at edges & corners of same incl. some tiny chips with very slight loss of paper; neat, closed separation of front cover/flap from right edge of spine with hardly any paper loss (& hardly discernable with our protective materials); thin loss of paper at upper spine-edge, corners; four small-to-medium oblong/rectangular areas of affixed tape at flaps (three at front flap, one at rear flap) partially over but not obscuring texts; one very small triangular instance of same at lower right edge of rear flap. Fine / Fair- Good. [Item #6175]

Price: $300.00