Kelly, Robert

The Pastorals (Sparrow No. 1)

Los Angeles, CA: Black Sparrow Press, 1972. Second Printing. “In Xanadu did Kubla Khan / a stately pleasure-dome decree: / Where Alph, the sacred river, ran / Through caverns measureless to man / Down to a sunless sea. / So twice five miles of fertile ground / With walls and towers were girded round; / And there were gardens bright with sinuous rills, / Where blossomed many an incense-bearing tree; / And here were forests ancient as the hills, / Enfolding sunny spots of greenery.”--Samuel Taylor Coleridge, first several stanzas of “Kubla Khan”. Robert Kelly (b. 1938) is an American poet educated at City College of the City University of New York (CUNY) and Columbia University, and is perhaps best known as the founder of the Deep Image movement, which he described in a 2006 interview as “the journey to the depths with language as our only tool and music our only weapon.” Kelly has often noted that his poetic inspirations include: Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834); Charles Baudelaire (1821-1867); Ezra Pound (1885-1972); Guillaume Apollinaire (1880-1918); Virgil (70 BC-19 BC); Charles Olson (1910-1970); Robert Duncan (1919-1988); and Paul Blackburn (1926-1971) just to name a few. Throughout his career Kelly has published more than 50 collections of poetry include Armed Descent (1961); Kill the Messenger Who Brings Bad News (1980), chosen as the Los Angeles Times Book of the Year; Red Actions: Selected Poems 1960–1993 (1995); and May Day (2007). Bookforum critic Joseph Donahue, praising Lapis (2005), noted that Kelly “has given magic back its dignity, finding it in human warmth.” Kelly’s free-verse poetry, both spare in language and wide-ranging in its attention, is often engaged with the intimacy of audience: the connection forged between individuals looking outward together. Offered today is the 1972 collection Sparrow I: The Pastorals. Published by the venerable, avant-garde publisher Black Sparrow Press–responsible for publishing the likes of Charles Bukowski (1920-1994)--the inaugural publication in the “Sparrow” series (a series of poetry chapbooks), Sparrow I: The Pastorals is a collection of Kelly’s poetry. Undeniably a reflection of Kelly’s influences–particularly Baudelaire, Olson, and Duncan–here is a collection that is restrained, raw, contemplative, and dripping with pathos and writhing with such sharp and visceral imagery that one is almost forced to construct a rich tapestry of each sight, sound, and smell. Kelly’s poetry is simply ethereal, moving, and genuinely incredible. Sparrow I: The Pastorals is not only a great rarity of Kelly’s poetry, but a great Black Sparrow Press rarity as well! From the collection of Robin Eichele (b. 1941), noted Mimeograph Revolutionary & co-founder (with John Sinclair) of the Detroit Artists’ Workshop. Stapled wrappers. First edition, second printing as stated at inside front cover. In very fine condition with only minor wear to fine edges, minimal discoloration due to aging, and very light rusting at staples. Very Fine. [Item #7723]

Price: $25.00