Various (Stettner, Irving (Editor); Atanasov, Peter; Bronk, William; Brown, Tom; Head, Robert; Joyce, William; Levy, Howard S.; Miller, Henry; Stobbs, Bill; Trantino, Tommy et al.)

Stroker No. 54 (1994) with: Ephemera

Shavertown, PA: Stroker Magazine, 1994. First Edition. Stapled Wrappers. “You have to realize fairly soon / the illusion attracting you isn’t at all / what you though it was. After that, stick / with what you’ve got. Pretend the illusion again / from time to time. You won’t make it much / better than that. It’s as good as you’re going to do.” So reads “Fealty,” first of a pair of short poems within this piece by William Bronk, 1982 winner of the National Book Award for Poetry. Both “Fealty” and “Occupied Area” would later be published in Bronk’s 1996 collection The cage of age. Included per usual in this number of the literary-art-cultural journal edited by NYC St. Marks Place underground denizen Irving Stettner (1922-2004) are items by Henry Miller (1891-1980), the great American author & artist whose earlier works were an influence & inspiration to the Beat Generation; in this case, three unpublished letters from Miller to Stettner (pg. 37-39). Featured as well are two poems by Robert Head, cofounder of underground paper NOLA Express (1968-1973); the poem “A Letter to the General” by Australian poet Peter Bakowski; Stettner’s review of “Life of an Anarchist” by Alexander Berkman; and a piece by convicted murderer Thomas "Tommy" Trantino (b. 1938), who spent four decades in prison, exhibited talent in art & writing, & frequently was published in Stroker. Includes two original order forms for “Stroker Anthology: 1974-1994” found and retained inside front cover. A later example of the art and literary magazine that was part of the Mimeograph Revolution NYC Lower East Side Zine era. Stapled wrappers: First edition & first-&-only printing. In fine condition with light smudging and creasing to front cover; bottom corner of final page has light creasing. Interior very fine with only tiny bumps, creases at corners of a few page leaves. Fine. [Item #7819]

Price: $50.00