Laughlin, James

Poems New and Selected with: Ephemera

ISBN: 0811213757
New York, NY, USA: New Directions, 1998. First Edition. Softcover. “James Laughlin’s poetry comes mainly in two sizes, short-line poems and long-line poems, and the table of contents here insists on that division. He began by writing in short lines and, of course, he has frequently returned to that form. These poems seem to me to belong at the center of his achievement. Their hold on the exact phrase, intonation, or cadence also makes possible, when he comes to write long line poems, a flowing distinctiveness and clarity, where many another poet might sound merely diffuse. There is no Whitmanian afflatus: what we hear is the tone of the speaking voice modulated as between friends, the diction nicely adjusted to conveying the matter in hand without overemphasis.” (From the Introduction by Charles Tomlinson, pg. XIII.) Renowned for his contributions to the literary world, James Laughlin (1914-1997) spent much of his earthly life lifting up other writers. He showed an early interest in literature, publishing short stories and poetry by eighteen years old; and studied writing at Harvard, where he found himself irritated at the conservative approaches his educators took. This led to a leave of absence to Europe where he’d meet the writer Gertrude Stein (1874-1946) and eventually the poet Ezra Pound (1885-1972). Pound would become a mentor of Laughlin, though he famously discouraged his poetry and urged him into publishing instead. In 1936, Laughlin founded New Directions back at Harvard. He published out of a cottage on his aunt’s estate in Connecticut. The first publication was an anthology called New Directions in Prose and Poetry that became an annual publication, with the final issue released in 1991. New Directions would go on to publish thousands of works, sometimes being the only outlet for authors struggling to find a publisher. James Laughlin sought out the fringe, experimental authors and gave them a corner of his soapbox. Though Pound clearly prodded the right nerve with the push to publish, Laughlin continued to be a poet. This book is proof. James Laughlin selected the poems for this anthology himself very shortly before his death. The poems featured were published as early as 1935, with the latest having been published in 1997. He writes in Italian and French, but largely English. The collection is split into nine books, each of them categorized by style or theme. There is ephemera included with the book, a letter from the Publicity Director at New Directions regarding this particular anthology. From the archive of Thomas Rain Crowe (b. 1949), the acclaimed American poet who was at the center of the Baby Beat Generation/ San Francisco Renaissance during the 1970s. The TRC archive was acquired, assembled & curated by Third Mind Books as a single item (see our item No. 1010), & its vast number of individual pieces are now being offered incrementally throughout this new year of 2025. The TRC archive collectively represents the entire legacy of the BBG/SSFR, & its critical collaborations-mentorships by the key figures of the original Beat Generation/ San Francisco Renaissance. See also Starting From San Francisco (item No. 3071), published by TMB, to obtain a thorough understanding of this important literary phenomenon from TRC himself. Trade-Softcover Original: First Edition, First Printing, though not explicated as such on copyright page. In fine condition with slight foxing to edges of paperback. Fine. [Item #7331]

Price: $30.00