Ginsberg, Allen

Wichita Vortex Sutra

London, England, UK: Peace News/ Housmans, 1966. First Separate Edition. Stapled Wrappers. "Oh at last again the radio opens/ blue invitations!/ Angelic Dylan singing across the nation/ "When all your children start to resent you/ Won't you come see me, Queen Jane?"/ His youthful voice making glad/ the brown endless meadows/ His tenderness penetrating aether,/ soft prayer on the airwaves,/ Language language, and sweet music too/ even unto thee,/ hairy flatness!/ even unto thee/ despairing Burns!/ Future speeding on swift wheels/ straight to the heart of Wichita!" (pg. 11) The stirring poem by Allen Ginsberg (1926-1997), Founding Father of the Beat Generation-&-Beyond. In this mid-1960s post-Beat-cusp-of-Hippie classic, Ginsberg contemplates the burgeoning malaise of the Vietnam War while passing through the American heartland landscape on his way to Wichita, Kansas. First published as a contribution to the Village Voice & Peace News underground newspapers in the USA & UK respectively, offered here is the first separate edition published by Peace News approximately concurrent with or very shortly after its appearance in the Peace News issue of May 27, 1966. Chapbook-format booklet in stapled wrappers, with all points in Dowden, Section A, pg. 13; Morgan, A8 (a.1), pgs. 14-15. In Morgan's entry, it is noted that this was published "...in an impression of approximately 500 copies." (pg. 15). From the collection of Robin Eichele (b. 1941), a noted Mimeograph Revolutionary poet who co-founded the Detroit Artists' Workshop with the legendary John Sinclair (1941-2024) during 1964. At recto of first leaf at blank area above title, an anonymous person (possibly Sinclair?) has hand-written this inscription, dated near-contemporaneously with publication: "For Robin,/ For the first poem/ I heard you/ read/ 10-10-66." A top-tier Ginsberg collectible in its very rarest first separate form, with distinguished & relevant provenance. In relatively quite fine condition with very slight rubbing, occasional mostly faint creasing & spotting to front, back covers & stapled spine; a touch of wear & a few tiny bumps, creases at/from edges & corners of same; mild rubbing, browning to edges of text block. Interior fine with mild-to-moderate browning to page leaves (chiefly at blank margins/edges), tiny bumps & faint creases at/near esp. upper corners of leaves. Fine. [Item #6701]

Price: $90.00 save 15% $76.50