Harwood, Lee

The First Poem

London, England: Unicorn Bookshop, 1971. Limited First Edition. Folded Single Sheet. A small-format broadside featuring a poem by Lee Harwood (1939-2015), the Leicester, England-born poet affiliated with the Beat Generation in America and the British Poetry Revival in the nation of his birth. Harwood is also known to collectors of work by William S. Burroughs (1914-1997), our Patron Saint-Demon here at Third Mind Books and the Founder’s Founder of the Beat Generation and beyond, for publishing a valued early cut-up work (“Who is the / Walks Beside You / Written 3rd”) by WSB in his magazine, TZARAD. The poem was produced by the legendary Unicorn Bookshop in Brighton, England in conjunction with the Hawkeye Press, Brighton and the Unicorn’s embassy-like location in Seattle, WA. A valued, exemplary Unicorn Bookshop collectible. From the collection of Richard Cupidi (b. 1945), our esteemed mate in the UK who managed the fabled Unicorn Bookshop in Brighton, England with Bill Butler (1934-1977, the famed 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.s 8217, 8366). 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 myth. Small-format letterpress broadside on folded single sheet: “Unicorn Poem Card 3 published June 1971 by Unicorn / Bookshop/London & Seattle and printed by Hawkeye / Press/Brighton. Edition/500 copies of which 25 (lettered / A-Y) are hors commerce,” per colophon. Included is the original envelope in which it (presumably) was issued. In strong near fine condition with only moderate-to-enunciated shelf-wear, light bumping, some bump-creasing, and similarly moderate-to-enunciated age-toning to fine-edges; otherwise, generally clean. Envelope is similarly near fine with mild age toning and bumping to fine edges. Near Fine. [Item #8496]

Price: $45.00