Sinclair, John (Coltrane, John)

Meditations: A Suite for John Coltrane

Oak Park, MI: Book Beat, 2007. Limited Facsimile Edition Thus. Stapled Sheets. "I've wanted to be able to write these poems for a long time, but only now has the specific energy for these poems been made available to me- and, as at many times in the past, through the agency of John Coltrane's music." (first paragraph, "A Note" preceding poems, unpaginated) A collection of poems by John Sinclair (1941-2024), the legendary American poet, publisher & countercultural activist whom we had the honor of hosting at our Third Mind Books venue during late 2022, among his last public appearances. As Sinclair notes above, these poems were inspired by the music of the great American Jazz Giant John Coltrane (1926-1967), parrticularly the classic albums Meditations, Kulu Se Mama & A Love Supreme. With front cover photograph of Sinclair, & back cover of Sinclair with Coltrane, by Magdalene Sinclair (b. 1940, known as "Leni"), the noted photographer & activist who was John's wife at the time; & front cover illustration, graphics by Gary Grimshaw (1946-2014), the acclaimed 1960s-era rock concert poster artist. First published in early 1967 by the Artists' Workshop Press (publishing arm of the Detroit Artists' Workshop), barely still within Coltrane's lifetime, we here offer the 2007 limited facsimile edition of this canonical Sinclair-&-Co. collectible. Per colophon, "This facsimile edition of Meditations: A Suite for John Coltrane is published by Book Beat in an edition of 500 copies. This book was first printed in 1967 by the Detroit Artists Workshop Press. It is now published on the occasion of John Sinclair's reading at the Book Beat on May 3rd, 2007, and the 40th anniversary of John Coltrane's passing on July 17th, 1967." Book Beat, located in nearby Oak Park, MI, is a store-consortium that is a venerable, still-flourishing spiritual predecessor & inspiration to our own Third Mind enterprise. Side-stapled sheets including covers. From the collection of Robin Eichele (b. 1941), a noted American Mimeograph Revolutionary-era poet who co-founded the DAW with Sinclair in 1964, & is our dear nearby friend & mentor. An essential Sinclair-DAW collectible in a very scarce special facsimile form, with most-distinguished, relevant association & provenance. See also our item No. 6315. In very fine condition with only the lightest rubbing, faint scratching to covers; a few tiny bumps, creases at edges & corners of same; otherwise appearing substantially mint inside & out. Very Fine. [Item #8650]

Price: $75.00