Various (Jones, LeRoi (Editor); Cohen, Hettie (Editor); Ashbery, John; Blackburn, Paul; Bremser, Ray; Creeley, Robert; Dorn, Edward; Kerouac, Jack; Koch, Kenneth; McClure, Michael; Meltzer, David; Lamantia, Philip; O'Hara, Frank; Selby Jr., Hubert; Snyder, Gary et al.)

Yugen No. 6 (1960)

New York, NY: Yugen, 1960. First Printing. Stapled Wrappers. Signed by Amiri Baraka, Michael McClure, Hubert Selby Jr., and Kenneth Koch. (McNeil C75-C78, p.124 in “Gary Snyder: A Bibliography”; Charters C78, p. 60 in “A Bibliography of Works by Jack Kerouac”). “‘Merde!’ screams Rimbaud / at Verlaine salons --- / Gossip in Paris---Verlaine Wife / is jealous of a boy / with no seats to his trousers / ---Love sends money from Brussels / ---Mother Rimbaud hates / the importunity of Madame / Verlaine---Degenerate Arthur / is suspected of being a poet / by now--- / Screaming in the barn / Rimbaud writes Season in Hell, / his mother trembles -- / Verlaine sends money & bullets / into Rimbaud --- / Rimbaud goes to the police / & presents his innocence / like the pale innocence / of his divine feminine Jesus / ---Poor Verlaine, 2 years / in the can, but could have / got a knife in the heart” (from “Rimbaud” by Jack Kerouac [1922-1969]). Yugen 6 features the very first publication of Jack Kerouac’s “Rimbaud,” — a delectable fact for Kerouac students, collectors and obsessives (such as Your Devoted VP-of-Operations here at Third Mind Books), but features much more than just this. Edited by Amiri Baraka (1934-2014; t/k/a “Leroi Jones”) and his first wife, Hettie (1934-2024), Yugen 6 also features contributions by a veritable buffet of figures affiliated with “The New American Poetry” as defined by Don Allen’s legendary anthology of the same name — which, not coincidentally, appeared in the same year as this publication, 1960. For a full contributor list, see the photographs attached to this listing: but We at TMB can’t waste any time in telling those interested in this item about the presence of four signatures that, in combination, make this the rarest issue of Jones’ Yugen that we have ever seen. Without further ado: this copy of Yugen 6 is signed by four of its legendary Beat-&-Beyond contributors: [1] the editor, Amiri Baraka [LeRoi Jones]; [2] Michael McClure (1932-2020); [3] Hubert Selby Jr. (1928-2004); and [4] Kenneth Koch (1925-2002). [1] Baraka’s signature, in thin, black pen ink, reads: “Am / Baraka / 1979.” [2] McClure’s signature, at contribution & also in thin black pen ink, reads: “Michael McClure.” [3] Hubert Selby Jr.’s signature, also at contribution but in thin blue pen ink, reads: “Roger / Many thanks / H. Selby Jr.” [4] Kenneth Koch’s signature, again at contribution & in thin black pen ink, reads: “Kenneth Koch." Small-format literary journal in stapled wrappers: the first and only printing of Issue 6 of Yugen, an incredibly rare testament to the durability of the Mimeograph Revolution unto the present. In strong near fine condition with only minor-to-moderate rubbing, shelf-wear, light bumping & scattered, light nicks & low-visibility scuffs to front, back covers & spine-edge; light-to-moderate age-toning throughout, otherwise clean. Near Fine. [Item #7041]

Price: $500.00