Heliczer, Piero

The First Battle of the Marne

New York, NY, USA: Dead Language Press, 1962. First Edition. Stapled Wrappers. Signed by Piero Heliczer. "this sphynx white mourning/ a sphynx white after noon// the sphynx breasts and/ sphynx white haunches// and ants running along sphynx lips/ curled softly and eyes/ white/ passport of sphynxes ("Poem Number One," first stanzas, unpaginated) An early collection of poems by Piero (Giorgio) Heliczer (1937-1993), the Italian-American poet, publisher, actor & filmmaker who was at the center of the Mimeograph Revolution, underground film & avant-garde music during the 1960s. Chapbook in stapled wrappers, an exemplary production of the Dead Language imprint co- founded by Heliczer. The poems are followed with "a note" by Anselm Hollo (1934-2013), the award-winning Finnish-born poet & translator, dated November 1962 (in roman numerals)- it is from this that we surmise the year of publication, which is unstated at copyright-colophon page at inner front cover, we have seen references to 1962 & 1969 as the year of publication from various sources. At blank front endpaper/ recto first leaf, Heliczer has hand-written his signature in bold black ink. From the collection of Richard Cupidi (b. 1945), our esteemed mate in the UK who managed the fabled Unicorn Bookshop in Brighton, England founded by Bill Butler (1934-1977, the legendary American-expatriate poet, publisher & bookseller). From the late 1960s through the early 1970s, Unicorn proffered & published many outstanding productions by William S. Burroughs, 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 which is also now closed, & he still resides there. We have been honored to obtain what Cupidi has referred to as "The Last Hurrah," all the remaining gems, including this, of Unicorn & Public House. Third Mind books proceeds to reverently curate & incrementally present the Butler-Cupidi-Unicorn-Public House Legacy that is in our custodial hands- until it passes to yours. A supreme Heliczer collectible in its ultra-scarce, singularly rarest contemporary form; inestimably enhanced with his signature & with the highest, most relevant provenance. In relatively quite near-fine-to-fine condition with mild-to-moderate rubbing, fading, faint scratching & light spot-staining to front, back covers & stapled spine; light wear & some tiny bumps, creases at/from edges & corners of same; mild rubbing, age-toning to edges of text block. Interior fine with mild rubbing, occasional creasing & a hint of age-toning to inner covers; very slight, hardly discernable age-toning mostly to blank margins/edges of light-brown page leaves; tiny bumps, faint creases at corners of some leaves. Near Fine- Fine. [Item #8567]

Price: $1,000.00