Blue Cloud, Peter

Sketches In Winter, With Crows

ISBN: 0936574119
New York, NY, USA: Strawberry Press, 1984. First Edition. Stapled Wrappers. Inscribed, signed & dated by Peter Blue Cloud to Thomas Rain Crowe. "A knot of cedar/ the flames lick to dancing/ ancient fingers/ rub time the polished staff/ of tales/ bedded in sage myths/ our tongues/ taste tomorrow." ("Fire Tale," unpaginated) A collection of poems by Peter Blue Cloud (Aroniawenrate, 1933-2011), the acclaimed & award-winning Native American/ First (Mohawk) Nation Canadian poet-folklorist. With illustrations of crows at front cover & throughout by Peter Jemison (b. 1945), the noted Native American artist, educator & author. Chapbook in stapled wrappers, first edition, first (& likely only) printing, though neither specified at copyright page. At blank front endpaper, Blue Cloud has inscribed, signed & dated in black ink: "For Thomas Rain Crowe/ (signed) Peter Blue Cloud/ 9-15-(19)94." Crowe (b. 1949) is an esteemed American poet who was at the center of the Baby Beat Generation/ Second San Francisco Renaissance during the 1970s. This copy is from the Thomas Rain Crowe archive, which was acquired, assembled & catalogued by Third Mind Books as a single item (see our item No. 1010), & its vast number of individual pieces are now being curated & presented incrementally throughout this year of 2025. The TRC archive collectively represents the entire legacy of the BBG/SSFR, & its critical collaborations-mentorships with key figures of the original Beat Generation/ San Francisco Renaissance. See also Starting From San Francisco (item No. 3071), published by TMB, wherein Crowe provides a complete anecdotal/autobiographical history of this important literary phenomenon. Blue Cloud is referenced in several instances within SFSF- Crowe was highly influenced by Native American culture & folklore since childhood, & even changed his name from Dawson. Crowe was close with Blue Cloud, & both were very close with Gary Snyder (b. 1930), the canonical primary poet of the Beat Generation/ San Francisco Renaissance & environmentalist who was of course among the foremost mentors & colleagues to Crowe & his group. A collectible classic in the Blue Cloud oeuvre, in its singularly rarest contemporary form, greatly enriched with his inscription/ signature & with most-distinguished, relevant association & provenance. In relatively good-to-near-fine condition with mild rubbing, age-toning & mild-to-moderate spotting to front, back covers & stapled spine; slight wear & some tiny bumps, creases at edges & corners of same; small area at lower back cover with surface paper peeled back where taped (left portion of publisher's name & address); mild rubbing, spotting to edges of text block; staples beginning to rust with miniscule interior bleeding. Interior fine-to-very-fine with only light age-toning to blank inner covers; tiny bumps & small, faint creases at corners of some page leaves; minimal rust-bleeding noted above. Good-Near Fine. [Item #7757]

Price: $90.00