Randall, Margaret

Small Sounds from the Bass Fiddle

Placitas, NM: Duende, 1964. First Printing. Stapled Wrappers. A volume of poems by Margaret Randall (b. 1936), the American author, activist and academic affiliated with mid-century expatriatism and the New American Poetry. In the opinion of Your Devoted VP-of-Operations here at Third Mind Books, Small Sounds from the Bass Fiddle is a curious, low-cost classic-in-waiting. Why more people don’t know about it is a slightly less puzzling question for this author, but rarity alone doesn’t quite explain it. Four or five copies have been floating around unnoticed for several months now, but I bet that most who encounter them don't know about the work's association with Bobbie Louise Hawkins (1930-2018); more on that later. But when they’re gone—likely very soon—they will be gone for a very long time. This, because Randall’s only studied by curious Third Minders, Part-Time Burroughsians, and the hyperminority of total Freeks who work in the field of Beat Studies. Being part of that troupe allows us to illustrate how impactfully cool and scholastically important it is that this very early work by Margaret Randall features a suite of delightfully well-executed collages by Bobbie Louise Hawkins. BLH, as fans of her one-time husband well-know, was married for a time to the great American poet, Robert Creeley (1926-2005). What's important about the presence of BLH's collages is that this is the earliest appearance of them anywhere that we are aware of; and if they appeared somewhere else earlier, it's certainly among the earliest appearances of poetry or artworks by BLH in a volume of verse (or a magazine, for that matter) and would be considered a part of the Mimeograph Revolution. Moreover, most of BLH’s art — to the extent that Beat readers have seen it, at all — is only thought about with reference to its appearance in Black Sparrow Press books from the mid-to-late 1970s. Her history with collages in particular, then (and with visual art, broadly) goes back farther than most readers of Creeley are aware. In sum, these factors delightfully enhance a serious, intentioned, though forgotten work. More importantly, they constitute a notable early instance of two women of the Mimeograph Revolution collaborating amongst themselves. Chapbook in stapled wrappers: First Edition, though not explicated as such on copyright page; First Printing, with no reference to other printings thereon. From the collection of Robin Eichele (b. 1941), noted Mimeograph Revolutionary & co-founder (with John Sinclair) of the Detroit Artists’ Workshop. Eichele's ownership signature, in thin, black pen ink, is present on title page in the upper right-hand corner and reads: “Robin Eichele.” In Good-Very Good condition with mild-to-enunciated shelf-wear, age-toning, some light rubbing, bumping, and a modest apportionment of related, low-visibility exhibits of bump-creasing present at/along fine-edges & corners of front, back covers & spine-edge, throughout; moderate rusting & bleeding to staples at interior & exterior; otherwise, generally clean. Good-Very Good. [Item #8656]

Price: $45.00