Various (Eshleman, Clayton; Fawcett, Brian; Kyger, Joanne et al.)

Writing 4 (May 6-13, 1970)

Vancouver, Canada: The Vancouver, 1970. First Edition. Folded Sheets. The sought-after supplement from a vintage issue (“January 28 – February 4, 1970”) of The Georgia Strait — the pioneering, Canadian underground newspaper founded in Vancouver in 1967. The title of the magazine, a sort of Vancouver in-joke, makes satirical reference to an oft-heard line on Vancouver public radio’s weather reports (“the weather forecasts will offer free publicity,” the magazine’s founders argued: “they’re always issuing gale warnings for the Georgia Straight” (Pauls & Campbell). In underground press contexts, The Georgia Strait was an immediate hit & cause célèbre. Its inaugural issue was published on May 5, 1967; and seven days later, co-founding publisher, Dan McLeod, was arrested, questioned, & jailed for three hours on suspicions of “vagrancy.” That same day, The Strait’s headquarters were raided, and a series of fines were levied at the paper by the Vancouver Police, who had now taken to describing their paper as engaged in the publication of “obscenities.” Bans of a de facto & de jure nature went into effect as the Mayor of Vancouver, Tom Campbell attacked the paper in the press. An escalating war between the Mayor and The Strait followed in short order: with the Mayor eventually setting the Vancouver licensing inspector on the magazine, who suspended its business license on charges of “gross misconduct” (“The Mayor’s Bust,” The Seattle Helix Vol. 2, No. 3 , October 17, 1967). This action made it illegal for The Strait to sell papers and dangerous for printers to print them. McLeod rallied, announcing soon after the ban took effect that nothing would stop him from publishing. Exploiting the obvious legal grey area, McLeod declared the paper free-of-cost, though donations would still be accepted. While its license was still suspended, the ‘free’ papers were often confiscated by Vancouver Police during mafia-style visits they made to known vendors & vending sites. Before long, the suspension was lifted — but harassment & litigation continued through 1969, when the paper was found not guilty of obscenity on three counts. These charges related to The Strait’s satirical publication of a photograph & advertisement — (in the “man seeking woman” style of the ‘personals,’ as those now-extinct sections of old newspapers used to be called) — which contained the word ‘muffdiving,’ a slang term for cunnilingus. The old judge who was ruling on the case didn’t know the meaning of the word prior to its being brought before him: and it was on these grounds that he decided to rule in favor of The Strait: NOT guilty (which is hilarious). From 1970-1972, The Strait drifted towards a more conventional tone & form; and the de-prioritization of its political voice resulted in the resignation of several members who’d been on staff (or with the paper; in one form or the next]) during the guerrilla period of 1967-1969. The writing supplement of The Georgia Strait was overseen by Stan Persky (b. 1941), who was part of the original group of five that founded the newspaper back in April 1967. Persky, a writer, professor, & media commentator from Chicago, IL, corresponded with Jack Kerouac (1922-1969) & Allen Ginsberg (1926-1997) while still in his teens. All the above certainly justifies the halo of mystique & Revolutionary canonization afforded it in its heyday (by the small-press & youth-cultural worlds); & in retrospect (by period scholars, like us). Writing 4 features: the poems “Comprehending,” “Transmuting,” and “Maya” by the legendary Beat poetess Joanne Kyger (1934-2017); the poem “The Wild Common” by Bert Lawrence; the Journal entry “The Drowned God” by Stan Persky; the poems “The Bandit,” “Weeds,” “The Place,” “The Calling,” “Leaves,” and “Them Apples” by Canadian poet Frank Davey (b. 1940); the prose piece “The Friends” by Brian Fawcett (b. 1944); and a snippet of the poem “The Lay of Phi Delta Theta” by Clayton Eshleman (1935-2021) American poet, translator, editor, and scholar, among many other great contributions! From the collection of Albert Glover (1942-2026), the great American scholar, bibliographer, author & publisher who until recently was the foremost living authority on literary giant Charles Olson (1910-1970) (our favorite Maximus Obscurantist), with whom we're honored to have been acquainted. Loose sheets. First & presumably only printing. In relatively fine-very fine condition with only minor wear to fine edges, slight discoloration due to age-toning throughout interior and exterior, two instances of marginalia–[1] at page 10 in thin red ink, [2] in thin blue ink at page 11, and one horizontal crease along middle. Fine-Very Fine. [Item #8746]

Price: $50.00