Harwood, Lee

The White Room

London, England, UK: Fulcrum Press, 1968. First Trade Edition. Hardcover. "Lee Harwood's poetry lies open to the reader, like a meadow. It moves slowly toward an unknown goal, like a river. It is carelessly wise, that is, wise without knowing or caring what wisdom is. In these things it seems more like recent American poetry than English poetry. The English language is constantly trying to stave off an invasion by the American language; it lives in a state of alert which is reflected to some degree in English poetry. The American language does not know it is invading the English language and would not understand about this, since it considers all words desirable and is always borrowing or inventing new, not always necessary ones. Lee Harwood's English is like American English in that it lacks a strong sense of possession. At the same time it has a pearly, soft-focus quality one rarely sees in American poetry, and which I associate with poets like (William) Wordsworth and (Matthew) Arnold. The "great" poetry I like best has this self-effacing, translucent quality, self-effacing not from modesty but because it is going somewhere and has no time to consider itself." (John Ashbery, from front flap) An earlier collection of poems by Lee Harwood (1939-2015), the acclaimed British poet whose compelling, sui generis works were partly inspired by the Dadaists, the New York School poets & even William S. Burroughs (see our presentation, The Cut-Up Life of WSB, here on our carousel). Hardcover in unclipped dust jacket, first trade edition as indicated at copyright/acknowledgements page. From the collection of Richard Cupidi (b. 1945), our esteemed mate in the UK who managed the fabled Unicorn Bookshop in Brighton, England with its founder 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 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 which is also now closed, & he still resides there. We are honored to have obtained what Cupidi has termed "The Last Hurrah," all the remaining gems of Unicorn & Public House such as this. Third Mind Books is proceeding to reverently curate & incrementally present the Butler-Unicorn-Public House Legacy which is in our custodial hands- until it passes to yours. An essential Harwood collectible in its rarest contemporary trade form, with most-distinguished & relevant provenance. See also our item No.s 8494, 8496, 8498, 8676, 8678. Book in relatively quite fine-to-very-fine condition with only a touch of rubbing, faint scratching to front, back covers & spine; very slight wear & a few tiny bumps, creases at edges & corners of same; light rubbing, a hint of age-toning & occasional spotting to side & lower edges of text block; more pronounced at upper edge of same. Interior very fine with only very slight age-toning to page leaves, chiefly at blank margins/edges. Dust jacket fine with mild rubbing, faint scratching, light age-toning & spotting to front, back covers, spine & flaps; a bit of wear & some tiny bumps, creases at esp. upper edges & corners of same. Fine-Very Fine / Fine. [Item #8680]

Price: $50.00