Micheline, Jack

North of Manhattan: Collected Poems, Ballads and Songs 1954-1975

San Francisco, CA: ManRoot, 1976. First Edition. Softcover. Dated, inscribed & signed by Jack Micheline to Thomas Dawson (a/k/a Thomas Rain Crowe). "There is within poetry a distinct tradition that is becoming obsolete. The tradition is the poet or the troubador who goes about or wanders, roams over the country trading his songs and poems for bread and butter...There is only one poet who comes close to chronicling a similar lifestyle, trading his poems, songs and drawings for food, an urban street singer whose Basso Aspirante has been capturing audiences for the last twenty years and that poet is Jack Micheline." (from Preface by Paul Mariah, pg. 11) The most comprehensive compendium of poems, lyrics & illustrations by Jack Micheline (1929-1998), the quintessential street/outlaw poet-artist who was a major figure of the Beat Generation & San Francisco Renaissance. With an introduction by the noted San Francisco poet Paul Mariah (1937-1996, quoted above) & Beat Generation Founding Father Jack Kerouac's introduction to Micheline's 1958 collection River of Red Wine. Trade-format softcover, first (trade) edition as stated at copyright page, which notes: "A response from Andrei Vosnesensky to Jack/ Micheline's Kuboya is found on the front endpaper." The facsimile hand-written note by Vosnesensky (1933-2010), the great Russian poet, is reproduced on that leaf. From the archive of Thomas Rain Crowe (b. 1949), the acclaimed American poet who was at the center of the Baby Beat Generation/Second San Francisco Renaissance during the 1970s- see Starting From San Francisco (item No. 3071), published by Third Mind Books. The TRC archive has been assembled & curated by TMB (see item No. 1010), & collectively represents the entire legacy of the BBG/SSFR. All of the items in the TRC archive are being separately curated & offered incrementally throughout this new year of 2025. On the recto of third leaf, opposite frontispiece, Micheline has hand-dated very near time of publication, written & signed in bold black felt-tip ink: "Jan(uary) 30, 1977/ For Tom Dawson/ For Everybody who/ knows how to dance/ and sing/ (illegible unknown signature)/ (signed) Jack Micheline." "Dawson" is TRC's last name at birth, he officially changed his name to TRC at the end of his San Francisco residency when he returned to his home state of North Carolina, where he still resides as of this writing. In our SFSF volume, Crowe refers to Micheline in several instances- he was exemplary of those primary figures from the original BG/SFR who mentored & collaborated with TRC & his second-generation group. Vosensensky (see above) is also briefly mentioned. A superb Micheline collectible with very significant association & provenance, a veritable bridge between two fabled literary generations. See also our item No. 2810. In relatively good-to-near-fine condition (appropriately Beat if you know what we mean...) with mild-to-significant rubbing, light browning & scratching to front, back covers & spine incl. area from lower right corner of front cover with loss of paper (part of image of dilapidated dock); mild wear & some tiny bumps, creases at edges & corners of same; one very small chip at middle-left upper edge of back cover with minor loss of paper, surface paper; mild-to-moderate rubbing, browning & spotting to edges of text block. Interior (again relatively) good-to-near-fine with first leaf/front endpaper (see above) neatly detached with attendant loss of surface paper at thin left edge & corners; a hint of browning to blank inner covers & page leaves (the latter chiefly at blank margins/edges); tiny bumps at corners of some leaves. Good-Near Fine. [Item #7273]

Price: $100.00