Ruggles, Eugene

The Lifeguard in the Snow with: Ephemera

ISBN: 0822952815
Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1977. First Edition. Softcover; Single Sheet. Signed by Eugene Ruggles to Thomas Rain Crowe, the Co-Authorial Founder of the Second San Francisco Renaissance. An extremely rare copy of the most celebrated book of poems by the noted American poet, Eugene Ruggles (1935-2004). Ruggles, despite being affiliated with The Beat Generation (and with the San Francisco & Marin Co. scenes, respectively), was born in Pontiac, MI, and grew up on a dairy farm in the surrounding area. Ruggles was saved from this world — this prison of udders and drudgery — a happy twist of fate whisked his family, whole cloth, to sunny California at dawn of the 60s. This development is key to understanding Ruggles’ link to the Second San Francisco Renaissance, because in many ways he was a part of the first one: Ruggles just wasn’t writing “seriously” yet. That said, he would have been around to witness pre-traumatic brain injury Bob Kaufman — (an experience which is almost universally committed to paper in a manner conveying commemoration or reverence by those who saw it (e.g., Ken Kesey’s great remembrances)), but flecked always with a hue of sadness. This sadness, — at least as Your Devoted VP-of-Operations at TMB interprets it — seems to say, ‘To tell you the truth, we lost the guy upstairs to undocumented (i.e., ‘untreated’) traumatic brain injuries by 1964.’ Ruggles was on the scene early enough to be around for THAT, which is really saying something and explains why Crowe & Co. drafted him into their growing contingent in the first place. From the collection of Thomas Rain Crowe (b. 1949), the legendary American poet and co-authorial founder of the Second San Francisco Renaissance. For more information on the Thomas Rain Crowe archive (assembled & curated by Third Mind Books), see our above-mentioned book or consult the catalog for the Thomas Rain Crowe archive (Item No. 1010), which contains several excerpts and quotations from the book, as well as a full listing of the archive’s contents (which are now being offered for sale individually on the Third Mind Books site). First Trade Softcover Edition: First Printing, though not explicated as such on copyright page. This copy of The Lifeguard in the Snow is also riotously signed by Ruggles to Crowe. Both poets, one imagines, were deep in their cups that evening, but Ruggles — who quite nearly won the Pulitzer Prize for this book very shortly after this copy was signed — provided what, to date takes the crown for “Most Hammered Inscription” Your Devoted VP-of-Operations here at Third Mind Books has yet seen. Stereotypes aside, it’d be reasonable to assume that anyone inches from the vaunted Pulitzer — no matter how drunk — could dash off a far finer inscription than what the momentarily skill-bereft Versifier in question here pens. Ruggles' inscription & signature, in thin, blue pen ink, reads: “for Tom — / Dear, close + / good / friend — / Gene.” To be so drunk at the table that you’re collapsing mid-sentence onto the page whether writing or speaking (e.g., the inability to choose between the two qualifying adjectives and the most apt noun which rose to his mind, THEN drunkenly rationalize the use of all three (because he feels a little of each at that moment) — I mean, this is textbook Hammered Author behavior. If I had to guess, that became a “Sad Drunk,” — for emotionally unsure, directionally unfocused, and “incongruent” thinking spells Bad News When Combined with Booze. Luckily for Gene, he was still riding high: as is evidenced by the trumpeting flyer-invitation to the Book Party for The Lifeguard in the Snow, which took place on Sunday, May 29th, 1977. The “flyer-invitation” must have been quite convenient for both this work’s author & publisher: as the blank verso side is turned into something mailed like any other letter and addressed accordingly (to the apartment Crowe shared with the Second San Francisco Renaissance’s key ‘young Surrealist,’ Ken Wainio (1952-2006) on 412 Greenwich St. in San Francisco, CA. Lastly, we have found & have retained a cut-out page from (what Crowe dates as) the “Jan / ‘77” issue of the New Yorker, in which a poem by Ruggles titled “An Opening (For My Mother)” features. These items, in concert illustrate the tightly knit, vocationally attuned & actively aspiring nature of the Second San Francisco Renaissance & its authors. In strong near fine condition with moderate-to-enunciated 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 #7676]

Price: $100.00