Moe, H. David

Birth to Birth

ISBN: 0972515313
Berkeley, CA: Deserted X Press, 2002. First Edition. Softcover. Dated, inscribed & signed by H. David Moe to Thomas Rain Crowe. "We the people have (& are) conditioned to think that the meaning of language resides in no smaller 'units' than roots. This is not true, even though the reader/listener may not have 'learned' the etymological cradle of the alphabet ("A" was the yoke of an ox, for instance) each letter has meaning." (Introduction, first paragraph, pg. 1) A collection of poems by H. David Moe (1937-2013), the acclaimed & prolific American poet who was an important & influential member of the Baby Beat Generation/ Second San Francisco Renaissance scene during the 1970s & beyond. Legendary among Moe's endeavors was his publisher-editorship of Love Lights, an ostensibly pornographic tabloid rag filled with his own & other Baby Beats' poetry (see our item No. 7430). With an Introduction by Moe (quoted above) & an afterword by Jack Foley (b. 1940), the noted American Beat-adjacent poet & broadcaster. Large-format softcover original, first edition, first printing though neither specified at copyright page. At otherwise blank white inner front cover, Moe has hand-dated, inscribed & signed in cursive bold black ink (as far as we're able to decipher): "January 23/ 2002/ To Tom/ finally in (illegible)/ form after being/ held by a lawyer/ publisher for/ (over?) 10 yrs/ -you may even/ recognize old/ poems here/ -keep Tom(illegible)/ your long time/ (remembered?) friend/ (signed) Dave." Recipient "Tom" is Thomas Rain Crowe (b. 1949), the esteemed American poet who co-founded & was at the center of the Baby Beat Generation/ Second San Francisco Renaissance, & this volume is from the Thomas Rain Crowe archive- obtained, catalogued (see our item No. 1010) & originally offered for sale as a single item by Third Mind Books. The individual pieces of the TRC archive are now being incrementally curated & presented during this year of 2025. See also Starting From San Francisco (item No. 3071), published by Third Mind Books, wherein Crowe provides a complete anecdotal history of the BBG/SSFR & its critical collaborations/mentorships with the key figures of the original Beat Generation/ San Francisco Renaissance. There are several references to Moe by Crowe in SFSF. We quote: "Ah....David Moe. Now here's an interesting and unique man and poet if there ever was one. I knew David well and spent a lot of time with and around him during the 70s." (pg. 27) Find out for yourself, Dear Third Mind Reader, who & what so fascinated Crowe & Co. An essential & exemplary Moe collectible in its rarest contemporary form, greatly enriched by his inscription dated right at the time of its (apparently deferred) publication, with most-distinguished & relevant association & provenance. In relatively quite fine-to-very-fine condition with very slight rubbing, mostly faint scratching & occasional spotting to front, back covers & spine; a bit of wear & some tiny bumps, creases at edges & corners of same; a touch of rubbing & occasional very small, light markings to edges of text block, esp. lower edge. Interior very fine with only tiny bumps at mostly lower corners of a few page leaves. Fine-Very Fine. [Item #7680]

Price: $60.00