Eigner, Larry

Valleys Branches

London, England, UK: Big Venus, 1969. First Edition, First Printing. Stapled Wrappers. "trees | light flying one leg" (opening stanza of "Valleys"). Presented today is "Valleys/Branches," a charming chapbook of poems by American poet Larry Eigner (1927-1996), exemplar of the Black Mountain School of poetry & closely associated with fellow Black Mountaineer Robert Creeley (1926-2005). Which is all very fine and well, but perhaps the most delightful (and Beat-scholastically important) thing about this issue is a point of reference that you quite literally have to look for — because the people and the connection it illustrates, major though it is, is almost nowhere explicated. Except, that is, when you turn to the colophon page, and see the following printed notation: “U.S. Distributor: / Asphodel Bookshop, / P.O. Box 05006, / Cleveland, / Ohio 44105.” As Joe at Third Mind Books knows from his ongoing research on poet d.a.levy’s (1942-1968) Cleveland scene, — that oft-overlooked outpost of the Mimeograph Revolution — the poets of Cleveland, OH under their reluctant Commanding Officer, d.a.levy were arguably ‘more famous’ in London, England than they were in the States. This remained the case until the Asphodel Bookshop raids of '66-'67, levy’s (as well as John Scott's and Robert J. Sigmund's["r.j.s."]) arrests & prison-stints) — at which time Beat Generation Founding Father Allen Ginsberg (1926-1997) & neo-Beat Ed Sanders’ (b. 1939) efforts on levy’s behalf popularized what was happening in Cleveland beyond the scope of its (already impressive) influence. So, what really is Larry Eigner’s “Valleys, Branches” besides a unique book of poems by a prolific-&-underappreciated American poet? It’s direct evidence of the impact a comparatively small-&-still-today-under-recognized group of poets had on the dapper chaps of London, and its Underground Literary Elite (as paradoxical as that descriptor might sound). It’s direct evidence of the impact levy and Kent Taylor’s books of Concrete Poetry (particularly 1965’s “fortuItOns motHERFuCer,” & the multi-installment “Polluted Lake” & “Ohio City” Series) had on the hip Brits who frequented [first] Better Books on Charing Cross road, and [second] Barry Miles’ (b. 1943) Indica Bookstore & Gallery. In its heyday, Miles’ shop was Ground Zero for the London Literary Underground. At precisely the same time here in the Midwest, levy’s Cleveland Scene was cooking with gas. From the collection of Richard Cupidi (b. 1945), our esteemed mate in the UK who managed the fabled Unicorn Bookshop in Brighton, England for founder 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 William S. Burroughs (1914-1997), J.G. Ballard (1930-2009) 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. Chapbook Original in Stapled Wrappers: the first and only printing of this uniquely historic Eigner collectible. The Asphodel Bookshop being the primary, sole-listed American distributor of a volume of New American Poetry published in the UK is a historical link that testifies to this exchange of poetries and cultures, all of which makes this Eigner rarity truly, truly special, with relevant association & very distinguished provenance. In relatively fine-to-very fine condition with mild fading, rubbing & some occasions of discoloration to front, back covers, stapled spine & fine edges; creasing/bumping to corners of same; rusting of staples with light interior bleeding, spotting; mild rubbing & age-toning to text block. Interior fine-to-very fine with mild age-toning to page leaves; bumping of corners to some of same; light rose-blossom & attendant spotting noted above; several occasions of spot-staining to verso/recto title and final page. Fine-Very Fine. [Item #8510]

Price: $35.00