Various (King, Jennifer A. (Editor); Myles, Eileen; Perez, Christoher et al.)

Bird Fly Good No. 1 (2010)

Austin, TX: Bird Fly Good, 2010. First Limited Edition. Sewn Binding. “I want gold armor: finely gilded fish scales / held together by nylon, lined with silk, / mandarin buttoned with pearls strained by blood. / In the future, everything is romantic and heavy. / Gods will baroque minimalism, / clothes that carry secret messages: / Shakespearian sonnets discerning lovers / from simple technology. / Forget electric heating, electric cooking. Turn to fire / from which the scents smoke, wood, and darkness / fill designer perfumes, our houses made of glass / but draped with Egyptian cotton / that veils that we live underground, that we let the house be / only a house, very symbolic and good for the day– / when we pull back curtains and meet outside. / Deep in wet dirt, though, is where we sleep / and take those that we care about. / Feed them milk and cottage cheese. / the pits behind our knees.”--Christopher Perez, “Medieval Futurism,” pg. 25. From intro page: “Bird Fly Good began as a way to make something physical, tangible, and full of connections. The authors published in the first issue of Bird Fly Good represent part of Austin’s community of poets. Some either live, teach, or study poetry in Austin. Others did so in the past or have visited to read or host workshops, thereby having a creative influence on our community.” Composed of a number of writers involved in the literary scene of Austin, either in writing workshops or reading series’, Bird Fly Good: Issue No. 1 is a collection of poetry that is as experimental and profound as it is rare. Featuring the likes of: “She Had Begun in Flight for Texas Ball Moss,” and “Agave Americana” by Sarah Blake (b. 1984); “Letter 27, Folding,” and “Letter 31, You Remember Yellow” by Cindy St. John; “Inmate,” “Arms,” and “Bread” by Hoa Nguyen (b. 1967) Vietnamese-American poet and author; “AD” by Eileen Myles (b. 1949) American poet and writer; “The Witch” by Dale Smith (b. 1967) American poet and editor; “Peptitio Principii,” and “Medieval Futurism” (as quoted above) by Christopher Perez, of which little is known other than his mastery over the surrealist form; “Try On,” “Acts of Creation,” and “Discover / Cover / Discover” by Elisa McCool, another poet that little is known of; and “6,” “7,” and “8” by Kate Greenstreet, surrealist poet, graphic artist and painter, among many other contributors and contributions! From the collection of Albert Glover (b. 1942), the great American scholar, bibliographer, author & publisher who is the foremost living authority on literary (and literal) giant Charles Olson (our favorite Maximus Obscurantist), with whom we’re honored to be acquainted. Chapbook in sewn bindings. From a limited edition of 300 as per colophon. In very fine condition with only minor wear to fine edges, and minimal smudging to front and back covers. Very Fine. [Item #8181]

Price: $40.00