Hamalian, Linda (Rexroth, Kenneth; Ferlinghetti, Lawrence)

A Life of Kenneth Rexroth

ISBN: 0393029441
New York, NY, USA: W.W. Norton & Company, 1991. First Edition. Hardcover. From the library of Lawrence Ferlinghetti, with his ownership signature, date & inclusion in the volume. "In this first comprehensive biography of Kenneth Rexroth (1905-1982), Linda Hamalian reveals a fascinating, enigmatic man riven with contradictions. From a high school dropout, Rexroth transformed himself into a newspaper columnist, painter, dedicated activist, translator, and poet, writing with breathtaking precision on love, nature, and politics. He immortalized his wives in exquisite poetry, yet all four marriages were turbulent. At the epicenter of San Francisco literary life for more than two decades, Rexroth was friends with Robert Duncan and Louis Zukofsky and an inspiration to a generation of younger poets, including Allen Ginsberg, Gary Snyder, and Denise Levertov." (from front flap) An acclaimed full biography of Kenneth Rexroth, the great (if sometimes insufferably dyspeptic) American poet who mentored & inspired many legendary poets of the Beat Generation, the San Francisco Renaissance & their younger proteges of the Baby Beat Generation/ Second San Francisco Renaissance. Author Linda Hamalian is a respected biographer & academician, & here provides a well-rounded critical-biographical portrait of Rexroth & his extensive orbit. With two sections of captioned historical photographs of Rexroth & Co. through the years. Hardcover in unclipped first-issue dust jacket (with $25 price & "3-91" printed at front flap), first edition as stated at copyright page, first printing as indicated by number sequence thereon. From the library of Lawrence Ferlinghetti (1919-2021), the canonical American poet, publisher & bookseller. At upper right area of blank front endpaper, Ferlinghetti has hand-written his stylized ownership signature & date in pencil: "Ferlinghetti 1993." Also, Ferlinghetti inevitably is referred to in this volume quite a few times, including at pg. 34, which leaf (pgs. 33-34) has been marked with a blue stick-note, presumably by Ferlinghetti. An excellently rich & rewarding collectible work on the life, work & associations of Kenneth Rexroth, in its rarest contemporary form & with most-distinguished, relevant association & provenance. Book in relatively quite very fine condition with only a hint of rubbing, fading & age-toning to edges & corners of front, back covers & spine; very slight rubbing to edges of text block. Interior very fine, appearing substantially mint. Dust jacket fine-to-very-fine with mild rubbing, faint scratching to front, back covers & spine; a bit of wear & some tiny bumps, creases at/from edges & corners of same & flaps. Very Fine / Fine-Very Fine. [Item #8172]

Price: $80.00