Burroughs, William S.

TIME (Urgency Press Rip Off Version, 1972)

Brighton, England, UK: Urgency Press Rip Off Press, 1972. Limited Pirated Edition. Stapled Sheets. Signed by (pirate) publisher Roy Pennington. In 1965, William S. Burroughs (1914-1997), Founder's Founder of the Beat Generation-&-Beyond who is the very Patron-Icon of our enterprise, published TIME, his cut-up parody of the "American Century" 's flagship publication (along with LIFE & FORTUNE), a key work in WSB's life-long effort to subvert the powers-that-be establishment's control of society through the media. Published & edited by the canonical New York School poet Ted Berrigan (1934-1983) through his "C" Press imprint, with art direction by the great Joe Brainard (1942-1994) & reproductions of drawings by Brion Gysin (1916-1986), WSB's foremost friend & collaborator, the authorized 1965 edition consisted of 1000 copies, including 886 trade versions. Here we offer a copy of the pirated (bootleg) edition produced in May of 1972 by Urgency Press Rip Off, the imprint of Roy Pennington, the brother of our beloved friend & colleague Jim Pennington, publisher-printer-editor of the legendary Aloes Books imprint (see our item No.s 2903, 3471). The three differences between this pirated edition & the 1965 production are: Sheets are stapled at top edges instead of wrappers side-stapled; the sheets are appx. 8" x 13" instead of appx. letter-size; & at verso of front cover sheet is a statement by Pennington/UPRO (provocative, hilarious & with many intentional(?) misspellings). According to Maynard & Miles, A11(b), pgs. 52-54: "This edition, published in May 1972 for the Bickershaw Festival, consisted of 495 copies..." (pg. 54). With all points therein, as well as Shoaf, Section 1, 11b, pg. 32 (which notes that "...Pennington estimates that only about 100 copies were actually distributed..."); Schottlaender (5.0 edition), A15(B), pg. 10. At blank lower margin of front cover (recto first sheet), Roy Pennington has hand-signed & written in cursive red ink: "(signed) Roy Pennington/ (publisher)." From the collection of Richard Cupidi (b. 1945), our esteemed friend in the UK who managed the famous Unicorn Bookshop in Brighton, England with Bill Butler (1934-1977, the acclaimed American-expatriate bookseller & publisher). From the late 1960s through the early 1970s, Unicorn proffered & published many outstanding productions by WSB, J.G. Ballard et al., some of which have become the scarcest, all-but-unobtainable Beat-&-Beyond collectibles (see for example our item No. 8217). After prevailing against censorious harassment efforts, Unicorn closed & Butler died in short order. Cupidi went on to found the Public House Bookshop in Brighton, which had a long & successful run but is also now closed, & he still resides there. We have been honored to obtain what Cupidi has termed "The Last Hurrah," all the remaining treasures of Unicorn & Public House, some of which have become the stuff of Beat-&-Beyond myth (again see item No. 8217). Beginning with today's group of New Arrivals exclusively dedicated to this collection, Third Mind Books will reverently curate & present incrementally the Butler-Cupidi-Unicorn-Public House Legacy that is in our custodial hands- until it passes to yours. An essential WSB cut-up collectible in a very scarce (albeit unauthorized) form, inestimably enriched by the signature & self-designation as publisher of the elusive mastermind Roy Pennington, & with most-distinguished, relevant provenance. In relatively quite very fine condition with only a touch of rubbing, age-toning to sheets incl. covers; a hint of wear & a few tiny bumps, creases at/from edges & corners of same; one tiny spot from lower left edge of image onto blank lower margin of front cover, another from lower edge of front cover (neither effecting, Pennington's signature/designation). Very Fine. [Item #8213]

Price: $1,000.00