Duncan, Robert

WritingWriting: A Composition Book

Albuquerque, NM: Sumbooks, 1964. Limited First Trade Edition. Stapled Wrappers. "The word in the hand is the sound in the eye is the / sight in the listening mind. Listen, do you mind. Mind / than the solid pattern of all this soundless patter, / collected together only in the writing." ("Writing As Writing," first stanza, unpaginated) A collection of poems & prose-poems by Robert Duncan (1919-1988), the great American poet & author of the Black Mountain School- San Francisco Renaissance-&-Beyond. The full title of this work as printed on the front cover is: "WritingWriting / a composition book / Robert Duncan / for Madison 1953 / Stein Imitations," & the challenging, innovative spirit of Gertrude Stein (1874-1946), whom Duncan admired, permeates these pieces with their pun-producing, echoing, repetitive variations on words & phrases. There are myriad allusions & topics, from the classical to most-intimately personal musings-of-the-moment. Chapbook in stapled wrappers, first printing as stated at copyright page, one of 350 trade copies of a total edition of 375 per colophon. This copy includes the loose folded sheet with fourteen points of errata & the additional poem "A Birthday Dirge for Lynne Brown," between colophon & inner rear cover, often not present. With all points in Bertholf, A13(a), pgs. 57-59. From the collection of Albert Glover (1942-2026), the acclaimed American poet, editor, publisher & academician who was the foremost remaining authority on Charles Olson (1910-1970), the Great Black Mountain-&-Beyond Poet's Poet who is our favorite Maximus Obscurantist. Glover was a student of & anointed by Olson himself at SUNY Buffalo during the 1960s, & has ever since served outstandingly as his editor, bibliographer, publisher & most-eminent scholar- the Last Standing Bearer of the Olsonian Torch until his passing during February 2026 which we have just been informed of. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family. Of course, Duncan was a disciple-colleague of Olson's at Black Mountain & afterwards. A deep, essential, rich & rewarding Duncan collectible in its rarest & most complete contemporary limited trade form, with the highest & most relevant provenance. In relatively quite fine-to-very-fine condition with only mild rubbing, age-toning & a touch of fading to front, back covers & stapled spine; slight wear & a few tiny bumps, creases at/from edges & corners of same; mostly faint impressions from (we presume Glover's)writing at blank rear cover; light rubbing & mild-to-moderate age-toning to edges of text block. Interior fine-to-very-fine with only mild age-toning, slight fading & occasional spotting to blank inner covers; mild-to-moderate age-toning to page leaves (including loose insert); tiny bumps, minuscule chips at corners & edges of some leaves. Fine- Very Fine. [Item #8747]

Price: $80.00 save 15% $68.00