Meltzer, David

Journal of the Birth

Berkeley, CA: Oyez Press, 1967. First Edition. Stapled Wrappers. The late-1960s, of course, saw the explosive reformation of social and sexual norms, especially as they applied to young people. “Free Love” happened, that’s for sure — but what also occurred was a new, “psychedelicized” version of monogamous coupling and parenthood. The factors that informed this latter explosion are culturally visible — (for ex., are promoted, variously, in the literature[s] of the movement, writ large) — but have yet to be appraised by the sociologically informed: have yet to be categorized, academically or otherwise, as a culturally singular approach to parenthood. Psychedelic Parenthood — to coin it, quite comically — has yet to be considered sociologically. It should be taken seriously, however; and a trained sociologist (equipped with the toolbox of a literary historian) will one day write a compelling book on this very subject. It is Your Devoted VP-of-Operations here at TMB’s hope, then, that whoever commits to such a project starts with the American poet and musician, David Meltzer (1937-2016) — and specifically, Meltzer’s Journal of the Birth, which both uniquely and powerfully speaks to that hypothesis. Take these passages, lifted without alteration from the book’s afterword. “First of all, it’s the woman’s art. If a woman is healthy and sound of body it is a great shame to deny her the right to practice her art. She should reinforce her health during pregnancy, maintaining a high protein diet low in starches and sugar. It is a very simple equation that a healthy mother produces a healthy child. The better the mother’s health the safer it is for her doctor or her husband to deliver the baby at home. The chances of tearing, rupturing, etc., are reduced to the minimum possibility. […] I delivered our last daughter and my wife allowed me, trusted me, to be an apprentice to her act of creation. The baby came forth in a moment of silence that was filled with the roar of the universe. The light in the room was of a quality I have never known. It was a light fashioned mostly in facsimiles of it: in paintings, ikons [sic], described in tracts and texts of great inner journeys,” to quote [in abridgement] just one exemplary passage. Outside of the obvious (Beat-scholastic) work to be done on this very topic, we relay this information as a matter of curatorial responsibility: to frame Meltzer’s “A Journal of the Birth” in the proper context, and to elucidate its uniqueness within the larger San Francisco Renaissance tradition. A final word: if you know any poets that happen to be new (or expecting) fathers, this beautifully composed pamphlet might make for an excellent, meaningful gift. From the collection of Thomas Fitzsimmons (1926-2017), a noted American poet, academician & editor, which we have been honored to obtain from his son, Ian Fitzsimmons. Medium-format softcover in stapled wrappers: the First [standalone] Edition of Meltzer’s powerful “Journal of the the Birth,” but the second in-print appearance of the poem (e.g., preceded only by a cardinal appearance in City Lights Books’ Journal for the Protection of All Beings, No. 1 (1961). This item contains two previous ownership inscriptions, found at the top right, and bottom right-hand corners of title page near topmost & bottommost fine-edges (respectively) of same. The first, again, is likely a previous owner inscription from someone largely unaffiliated (or vaguely affiliated) with the “Beat” or West Coast-literary traditions — one “Yvonne Winslow,” whose name does not quite ring a bell for us (at least in the previously-mentioned contexts). There is a possibility, however — (while almost unverifiable, in any case) — that this volume once belonged to the actress, Yvonne Winslow (1921-2012) from Los Angeles, CA. Winslow, our research indicated, was best known for her roles in A Touch of Satan (1971) & A Field of Honor (1973) — but whether William Everson knew Winslow, or whether it belonged to said actress, we can’t as of this moment verify. This, even though the second inscription (near bottom right-hand corner of title page, as previously enumerated) makes it sound like Ms. Winslow did in fact know Everson: reading, as it does, “from / Brother Antoninus-Everson, O.P.” What we do not know is that this writing is neither in the hand of Fitzsimmons, Everson, or Meltzer — though it may be in the hand of Mrs. Winslow. At any rate, we invite any-&-all Everson scholars out there (if one has, in fact, luckily chanced upon this listing) to aid us in solving this curatorial mystery, should they have anything to add. If not, this item — its epistemic uniqueness and the breadth of its contents — more than suffice. In strong near fine condition with only mild-to-moderate shelf-wear, rubbing, & some light bumping to fine-edges & corners of front, back covers & spine-edge; moderate-to-enunciated age-toning throughout, with select exhibits of spotting, smudging present at varying locales, though all of a generally understated nature; small, faded scribbling (presumably in the hand of one of this item’s previous owners) present [in thin, red pen ink] at lower left-hand corner of front cover; moderate-to-enunciated rusting & slight (though measurably contained) bleeding to staples at exterior & interior, otherwise clean. Near Fine. [Item #6897]

Price: $45.00