Ferlinghetti, Lawrence

An Eye on the World

London, England: MacGibbon & Kee Ltd., 1967. First Edition. Hardcover. Signed by Lawrence Ferlinghetti. This volume — the earliest Selected Poems in Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s (1919-2021) illustrious poetic career — was first published in London, England in 1967. It contains selections from LF’s debut work, Pictures of the Gone World, his masterwork of 1958, A Coney Island of the Mind, 1961’s Starting from San Francisco, & three additional classics, all of which are billed simply under “New Poems.” These classics, “The Situation in the West,” “After the Cries of the Birds,” and “Moscow in the Wilderness, Segovia in the Snow,” were all profitably published elsewhere — either in pamphlet and/or broadside form. The last poem, “Moscow in the Wilderness, Segovia in the Snow” is particularly important in Ferlinghetti lore, as Lawrence literally almost died composing it. He got the bright idea to copy Blaise Cendrars’ 1913 trip across the Trans-Siberian Railway, and — (as you can learn in the Ferlinghetti biographies that we at TMB also offer — see Item #2693 & #7710) — it almost didn’t end well. At any rate, this is among the best collections of Ferlinghetti ever printed, and it appeared in a special place at a special time: London, England in 1967. Hardcover in unclipped dust-jacket: First Edition, though not explicated as such on copyright page; First Printing with no reference to subsequent editions or printings thereon. This copy is additionally signed by Ferlinghetti on FFEP. Ferlinghetti signature, in thick, black, felt pen ink, reads: “lawrence ferlinghetti.” Book in very fine condition with only mild shelf-wear, light rubbing to fine-edges & corners of front, back covers & spine-edge, otherwise clean. Dust-jacket in relatively near fine condition with only mild-to-moderate shelf-wear, light bumping & light-to-moderate peeling & outward creasing to covers (see photos) esp. at/near fine-edges & corners of front, back covers & spine-edge; moderate-to-enunciated yellowing throughout; otherwise quite clean. Very Fine / Near Fine. [Item #7161]

Price: $135.00