Burroughs, William S.

APO-33 Bulletin: A Metabolic Regulator

San Francisco, CA: Beach Books Texts & Documents, c. 1966. Second Edition (First WSB-Approved Edition). Stapled Wrappers. "A Report on the Synthesis of the Apomorphine Formula" (front cover); this cut-up classic by William S. Burroughs is offered here in the first incarnation of its second edition (to the best of our art-&-science knowledge as set forth below), preceded only by the elusive & effectively unobtainable first edition by Ed Sanders' Fuck You Press of 1965, which was rejected by WSB & of which only a few copies are known to exist. A photo-offset of an original WSB scrapbook-manuscript with columned cut-up text & images, 3000 copies each year were printed of the second & third editions during c. 1966, 1967 (reprint of second edition) and 1968 respectively, per publisher's estimates. Maynard & Miles, A12(b,c), pgs. 57-58; Shoaf, Section I, 12, 12(a), pg. 32; Schottlaender (5.0 edition), A13 (B,C) pg. 9. Here we have a copy that appears to have all points in the above bibliographers' collective descriptions of the first printing of the second (again, only obtainable, WSB-approved) edition, with one interesting exception: In M&M, it is noted after the descriptions of the three printings that "Price was $1.25." We have seen copies from what we believe to be all three printings over the years and the price printed has, without fail, always been $1.50, as here. Thus we are led to believe that the $1.25 price reference may be a (very rare, perhaps only ever) mistake in the foundational M&M bibliography- please forgive this blasphemy against your spotless Burroughsian Skullership, Miles, but indeed even the photograph of front cover of this item on pg. 55 of M&M shows a price of $1.50. Large-format booklet in stapled wrappers with brown newspaper-style paper stock. A production of Beach Books Texts & Documents, the imprint of Mary Beach & Claude Pelieu, mother & stepfather of our good friends Pamela Beach Plymell, & (in-laws of) Literary Outlaw-Legend Charles Plymell. All four of these well-known writers, artists & publishers were close friends & colleagues of WSB. Distributed by Lawrence Ferlinghetti's City Lights Books, as noted on front endpaper/ recto first leaf. From the collection of Richard Cupidi (b. 1945), our esteemed friend in the UK who was manager of the fabled Unicorn Bookshop in Brighton, England founded by Bill Butler (1934-1977, the famed American-expatriate poet, 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, veritably mythical Beat-&-Beyond collectibles (see for example our item No.s 8217, 8366). After prevailing against censorious harrassment 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 privileged to obtain what Cupidi has termed "The Last Hurrah," all the remaining rarities of Unicorn & Public House including this gem. Third Mind Books is reverently progressing to incrementally curate & present the Butler-Cupidi-Unicorn-Public House Legacy that is in our custodial hands- until it passes to yours. An essential, most-desirable & important collectible by WSB- the Founder's Founder of the Beat Generation-&-Beyond, the very Patron-Icon of our enterprise- in its rarest author-approved contemporary form (as far as we can determine per above); with the highest & most relevant provenance. In relatively strong near-fine condition with mild-to-moderate age-toning (esp. at margins-edges), light rubbing & faint scratching to front, back covers & stapled spine; a touch of wear & some tiny bumps, creases at/from edges & corners of same; rows of spotting/ (possibly) mild water-staining at side margin-lengths of back cover; slight rubbing & moderate age-toning to edges of text block. Interior near-fine with moderate age-toning to blank inner covers & page leaves (the latter chiefly at blank margins/edges); light spotting/water staining at lower area of blank final leaf & inner rear cover (the latter bled to or from rear cover per above); tiny bumps, creases at corners & edges of some leaves. Near Fine. [Item #8416]

Price: $125.00