Ginsberg, Allen

Collected Poems 1947-1980 with: Ephemera

ISBN: 0060153415
New York, NY, USA: Harper & Row, 1984. First Edition. Hardcover. Inscribed, signed, dated & with drawing by Allen Ginsberg to Bruce Hutchinson. "Gathered here for the first time is the verse of three decades of one of America's great poets. Collected Poems 1947-1980 includes all writings in the groundbreaking paperback volumes published by City Lights Books, the contents of many rare pamphlets issued by small presses, and, finally, some notable texts hitherto unpublished...The uninterrupted energy of Ginsberg's remarkable career- embodying political activism as well as Buddhist spiritual practice- is clearly revealed in this volume. Seen in the order of composition, the poems reflect on one another; they are not only works but also a work." (from front & back flaps) The first & greatest "door stopper" anthology of poetry published during the lifetime of Allen Ginsberg (1926-1997), Founding Father of the Beat Generation. With an "Author's Preface, Reader's Manual," notes, appendices & indexes. Rear dust jacket photograph of Ginsberg by Robert Frank (that's Peter Orlovsky behind him with hand on his shoulder). A beautiful production, hardcover in unclipped first-issue dust jacket (with $27.50 price & "12264484" printed at front flap), first edition as stated at copyright page, first printing as indicated by number sequence thereon. Morgan, A48(a)1.1, pgs. 59-61. On the title page, beginning above Ginsberg's printed first name & continuing down between printed text & image, Ginsberg has cursively hand-written, signed, dated & drawn in bold black ink: "For Bruce Hutchinson/ with thanks for his hospitality at M.S.U./ (signed) Allen Ginsberg/ returning thru the spiritual/ wars/ 11/19/86/ AH/ (drawing of flower, stars, planets)." Bruce Hutchinson (1965-2023) was a beloved & popular Jazz producer/radio host, educator & Beat devotee here in Michigan, & "M.S.U." stands for Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. We found & have retained, between front paste-down & endpaper, two pieces of ephemera: A clipped article from the MSU student newspaper- in fine condition with inevitable newspaper age-toning, folded once horizontally with a few tiny bumps, creases & irregularities at edges & corners- undated but clearly just after the time of the inscription, which describes/reviews a reading given by Ginsberg at MSU. Hutchinson must have been among Ginsberg's student/faculty hosts at this event, where he obtained this warm & grateful inscription. The article features a photo of Ginsberg at the microphone delivering the reading, his raised right arm & hand gesturing dramatically. Also, Hutchinson's original ticket to the event dated "Nov 19, 1986" (the same date as the inscription), in very fine condition & with perforated portion still attached. A now-classic & essential Ginsberg collectible in its rarest contemporary form, with a particularly lavish & meaningful inscription, signature, date fairly close to publication & drawing; with enriching ephemera, distinguished association & provenance. Book in relatively quite fine-to-very-fine condition with only mild rubbing, faint scratching to black-cloth front, back covers & spine (gilt letters, graphics at spine & front cover bright & intact); light wear & fading to edges & corners of same; one very small spot at middle of blank back cover; slight rubbing to edges of text block. Interior very fine with only a few faint wave-creases across length of blank brown front paste-down (likely a minor flaw as issued); occasional spotting at blank endpapers & rear paste-down; mostly slight bleeding from Ginsberg's inscription etc. at title page onto verso of leaf (copyright page); miniscule bumps at corners of a few page leaves. Dust jacket (again relatively) fine with slight rubbing, faint scratching to front, back covers & spine; light wear & some tiny bumps, creases & occasional chips at edges & corners of same & flaps with minor loss of paper, surface paper esp. at spine-edges, corners; several very faint creases across length of rear flap. Fine-Very Fine / Fine. [Item #7450]

Price: $300.00 save 15% $255.00