Duncan, Robert

As Testimony: The Poem & the Scene

San Francisco, CA: White Rabbit Press, 1964. First Edition. Stapled Wrappers. "He knelt/ wept into his stony hands/ for his soul/ a chinese lantern/ hanging in a house/ that is not chinese/ was deep/ lost to him.// But this is only a statue./ In antiquity statues tried to be men./ But this is only an image in the poem./ What I mean is-/ where do we go from here?" ("The "Door" Poem," first two stanzas, pg. 1) Two poems & the title essay by Robert Duncan (1919-1988), the great American poet & author of the Black Mountain School- San Francisco Renaissance-&-Beyond. Chapbook in stapled wrappers, first edition, from first impression of 350 (un-numbered) copies with all points in Bertholf, A12(a), pgs. 56-57. From the collection of Robin Eichele (b. 1941), a noted American Mimeograph Revolutionary poet who co-founded the Detroit Artists' Workshop with the legendary John Sinclair (1941-2024) during 1964, the year in which this production was published. Eichele has hand-written his ownership signature & the date "12-4-(19)64" in bold dark ink at upper left area of blank inner front cover. Also, Eichele has bracketed sections of text from the essay in blue ink on pages 10-12, 16. An important earlier Duncan collectible in its very rarest contemporary form, with distinguished provenance. In relatively near-fine condition with mild rubbing, browning & faint scratching to front, back covers & stapled spine; a bit of wear & some tiny bumps, creases at/from edges & corners of same; mild rubbing, browning to edges of text block. Interior near-fine with very slight browning to inner covers & page leaves incl. shadow of title square at opposite copyright page; middle signature-sheet (pgs. 7-10) loosened & separated from staples but completely fitted & intact; tiny bumps, faint creases at esp. upper corners of leaves. Near Fine. [Item #6829]

Price: $50.00 save 15% $42.50