Eshleman, Clayton

Cantaloups & Splendor

Los Angeles, CA: Black Sparrow Press, 1968. First Edition. Sewn Wrappers. “it is feared the I Ching is a book / for servants, they are restless / thru magic we will keep them to their lot / … / nailed to a savagery beyond description” (from “Glyph on the 9th Maximus,” pp. 5-6). Offered here is a early Black Sparrow Press pamphlet featuring the work of Clayton Eshleman (1935-2021), the great American poet, editor, scholar & translator. John Martin’s Black Sparrow Press — a press which rose, pheonix-like, to fame on the back of of a German-born man from Los Angeles. His name? Charles Bukowski — then (outside of a few hyper-literary, small press circles) “a complete unknown,” as Dylan might phrase it. Back to Clayton: these early works of his are particularly valuable for those curious about his work — especially those who are also themselves poets. This is because Clayton spent the second half of his career contextualizing the first. Exceptions to this rule do exist: the Olsonian masterwork, “Juniper Fuse” is one such example; a book where Clayton totalistically achieves the removal of Corman, the unsure parasite and retains Corman, the visionary Modernist. In almost all of Clayton’s poetry, however, is the prior Corman; an extension of the relationship, and it took Clayton decades to “get over” the abusive elements of that mentorship. Eshleman writes candidly about this in his nonfiction, and also his poetry. This is one example of the latter: and as a general rule, the sixties and early-70s are a really great place to study the “real” Clayton — because he had yet to petrify into that state of perpetual embitterment that caused his verse, in later years, to chafe. If, like We Devoted Curators here at Third Mind Books, are curious about how Clayton, the high-achieving and aspiring, became a man with far more enemies than friends, look first to the sixties: to the man in early maturity, young, bright, and sincere. Large-format chapbook in sewn wrappers: “Printed 1968 in Santa Barbara by Noel Young for / the Black Sparrow Press. Design by Barbara Martin. / This edition is limited to 250 numbered copies / sewn in wrappers & 75 numbered / copies handbound in boards / by Earle Gray, all / copies signed by / the author. / This is copy No. 228). This copy is additionally signed by the poet at front endpaper in green ink to a presently unidentified close friend of Eshleman’s, one “Denis” (sic). This particular inscription, however, quite clearly surpasses all others intended to its biographically-elusive addressee. The inscription, in full, reads: “For Denis + Kathy / with love, all ways / Clayton. It is raised a / spiritual body ‘This / is the yellow metal men worship wch [sic] makes them / crazy. It is worth nothing.’ / Black Elk thru the yaqui / the (illegible) changes of / man. When a people goes / into decline metaphor / becomes unreal. Come / vision from the deep I / call thee forth — come / lead me, vision lead / come lead my people / 4 feb. 1969 / sudbury.” Lastly, the work is signed boldly by the poet at colophon in green felt pen ink, as displayed here in the photographs accompanying this listing. In strong near fine condition with moderate-to-significant shelf-wear, light bumping, rubbing & a few (mostly minute-to-mild) creases to front, back covers & fine-edges of same; some spotting, foxing, yellowing, & other (generally mild) indications of age-toning to exterior at varying locales, otherwise clean. Near Fine. [Item #6593]

Price: $40.00