Various (Ferlinghetti, Lawrence (Editor); Ansen, Alan; Apollinaire, Guillaume; Artaud, Antonin; Beck, Julian; Cassady, Neal; Ginsberg, Allen; Kandel, Lenore; O'Hara, Frank; Pelieu, Claude; Snyder, Gary et al.)

City Lights Journal No. 2 (1964)

San Francisco, CA: City Lights Books, 1964. First Edition, First Printing. Sewn Binding. Signed by Allen Ginsberg at his contribution. "They didn't smoke much of the legal "Ganja" until Mr. Orlovsky & I introduced that western notion & brought to their attention their own indigenous subliterary Shaivite pot-smoking & hymn-singing in the burning grounds as a usable poetic tradition." (Allen Ginsberg, pgs. 117-118). The second number (Cook 49, pgs. 53-54) of the landmark first series of the literary journal published by iconic Beat Generation aficionado & publisher Lawrence Ferlinghetti's (1919-2021) City Lights imprint. Featuring a critical essay on William S. Burroughs' (1914-1997) three works (The Soft Machine, The Ticket That Exploded & Dead Fingers Talk [pgs. 260-271]) following the first publication of Naked Lunch by Alan Ansen (1922-2006), WSB's good friend & the basis of Naked Lunch character A.J.; English translations of works by Dada-Surrealist French writers Guillaume Apollinaire (1880-1918) & Antonin Artaud (1896-1948); a poem (pgs. 202-203) by Living Theater co-founder & actor Julian Beck (1925-1985); the first chapter of Neal Cassady's (1926-1968) memoir, The First Third (pgs. 166-172); articles (pgs. 47-48) on Louis-Ferdinand Celine (1894-1961) translated into English by Mary Beach; three "routines" (pgs. 247-254) by Ferlinghetti (Morgan, C213, pg. 194) with an illustration by "Topor;" the 1962 poem Morning Dream (pg. 116) & a journal entry from 1964 ("Few Bengali Poets pg. 117) by Allen Ginsberg (1926-1997; Dowden, pg. 66; Morgan C189, pg. 236); a 1963 interview (pgs.131-138) with Ginsberg conducted in San Francisco by Ernie Barry (1928-2003) with an illustration of the poet by Peter Le Blanc; an article & letter (pgs. 7-13) endorsed by many illustrious writers against literary censorship & the arrest of French publisher Maurice Girodias (1919-1990; who printed the first edition of WSB's Naked Lunch); a portfolio of illustrations (pgs. 145-151) by Daniel Moore; four poems by Frank O'Hara (1926-1966), including Hotel Particulier (pgs. 179-183); a short prose work (pgs. 101-103) by Claude Pelieu (1934-2002) translated from French into English by Beach (his wife & collaborator in writing & art); an interview (pgs. 37-46) with poet Ezra Pound (1885-1972) conducted in Italy by Livi Grazia (1930-2015) with several photographs (Pound is also depicted on the front cover); notes (pgs. 77-78) in English by French poet Arthur Rimbaud (1854- 1891) with an illustration of the poet by Moore; a poem (McNeil, C128, pg. 128) by Gary Snyder (b. 1930) from what became his series Rivers and Mountains Without End (Hymn to the goddess San Francisco in Paradise, pgs. 140-144); an essay-manifesto (pgs. 14-36) by Alexander Trocchi (1925-1984); the poem Junk Angel (pg. 165) by Lenore Kandel (1932-2009) & much more. From the collection of Richard Cupidi (b. 1945), our esteemed mate in the UK who managed the fabled Unicorn Bookshop in Brighton, England for founder Bill Butler (1934-1977, the famed American-expatriate bookseller & publisher). 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 is also now closed, & he still resides there. We have been honored to obtain what Cupidi has termed "The Last Hurrah," all the remaining gems of Unicorn & Public House, including this. Beneath his "Morning Dream" (pg. 116) contribution, Ginsberg has signed his name in raven black ink: "Allen Ginsberg." Softcover in Sewn Binding: First Edition, first & only printing per publication custom. An original, highly collectible issue of this most significant series, with an astonishing breadth of writers & eras, including of course the Beat Generation, with highly relevant association & very distinguished provenance, greatly enhanced by Ginsberg's signature. In relatively fine-to-very fine condition with only moderate rubbing, age-toning, scratching & spot-staining to front, back covers & spine; very light wear & bumping to edges & corners of front, back covers & esp. bottom edge of spine. Interior fine-to-very fine with mild age-toning mostly to blank margins & fine edges of page leaves. Fine-Very Fine. [Item #8776]

Price: $125.00 save 15% $106.25