Various (Allen, Donald; Blaser, Robin; Creeley, Robert; Davis, Douglas M.; Duncan, Robert; Olson, Charles; Snyder, Gary et al.)

The National Observer Vol. 5 No. 28 (July 11, 1966, Complete Newspaper)

Washington, DC: The National Observer, 1966. First Printing. Single Sheet. “The continuing development here of what its practitioners call “The New American Poetry” is surely one of the major untold stories of our time. That a movement so serious, so vital, and so accomplished should remain, years after its inception, largely unknown to most people and misunderstood by others is surprising. Comparable postwar developments in the arts—abstract expressionism, black humor, Pop art, electronic music, even the underground film—are common knowledge. But not the vast, exciting body of poetry written outside the academic mainstream of American verse. In part, of course, the press is at fault. It has inadvertently associated San Francisco poetry exclusively with the Beatniks of the 1950s in the public mind. In A.D. 1966, however, years after the Beatniks’ noise, there is little excuse for not knowing of the New Poetry. It is more vigorous than ever, gaining great strength in its maturity. 'More poetry is happening in San Francisco,' said Irish poet John Montgomery on a recent visit, 'than anyplace else in the world'” (from “Where Poetry Finds Fertile Ground: The Men, the Magazines, and Their Presses and Spice,” p. 24). Offered here is a most unique relic of mid-century American literature: one of the rare flattering looks at the then-ascendant fame of the New American Poetry — a rather late look at it, in actual fact (as most might say that its real “blow-up” had happened years before). The article quoted from, above — authored by one Douglas M. Davis — covers ‘the scene as a whole’ as it stood in 1966, and does so rather astutely, we might add. He makes ripe mention of the fact that, well, it didn’t all die with the publication of The New American Poetry in 1960, and this whole new thing that’s going on (with what he calls “electronic music” and we today would call Psychedelic Rock) hasn’t & shouldn’t replace or obscure the development of Mid-Century American Poetry (a.k.a. “The New American Poetry” as here outlined). To do this, Davis provides capsule biographies and/or excerpts from the work of six American poets – Robin Blaser [1925-2009], Robert Duncan [1918-1988], Gene Fowler, Charles Olson [1910-1970], and Gary Snyder [b. 1930] – and arrays them (conceptually, as well as physically on the page) rather artfully for a journalist! Noticeably absent from this essay is the great Allen Ginsberg [1926-1997], the pied-piping Maestro of the whole bunch, their acknowledged “paterfamilias” (as Thomas Rain Crowe [b. 1949] calls him), but in another sense Allen’s absence is a kind of strength; divvying up the spotlight in a way that reflects more honorably upon the energies of the group as a whole. We previously offered this item for sale in the form of just the article quoted from above: this listing, in contrast offers the entire Monday, July 11th 1966 issue of The National Observer referred to in the listing’s title: hence the slight rise in price from the last time ephemera from this issue was offered. From the collection of Albert Glover (b. 1942), the acclaimed American poet, author, bibliographer, editor & publisher whom we're honored to be acquainted with, & who is the foremost living authority on Charles Olson [1910-1970], the canonical American poet among the most Gigantic (literally & literarily) men-of-letters of the twentieth century—our favorite Maximus Obscurantist. Glover studied with & was anointed by the Maximus Master himself, & has outstandingly served as his bibliographer & editor (see for example our item No. 8126). In strong near fine condition with only moderate-to-enunciated age-toning; light-to-moderate edge-wear; & a few minute-to-moderate exhibits of chipping, creasing & a few small closed tears; particularly (& somewhat predictably) at folds, otherwise improbably clean & with all text retained. Near Fine. [Item #8419]

Price: $85.00 save 15% $72.25