Various (Stevenson, Lionel (Editor); Atwood, Margaret; Bukowski, Charles; Dickey, James; Field, Edward; Hughes, Ted; Merwin, W.S.; Plath, Sylvia; Walcott, Derek et al.)

Best Poems of 1963: Borestone Mountain Poetry Awards 1964

Palo Alto, CA: Pacific Books, 1964. First Edition, First Printing. Hardcover. "This is the sixteenth annual volume of the Borestone Mountain Poetry Awards - a series that has attained stature as "the best contemporaneous anthologies of poetry available" (Northwest Review, front pastedown sticker). Among the award-winning poems in this number of the prestigious series in which Scottish-born writer & lecturer Lionel Stevenson (1902-1973) was Chairman-Editor, include the classic earlier poems (Debritto, C67, pg. 450) The Singular Self (pgs.20-21) & The House (pgs. 22-23) by Charles Bukowski (1920-1994), the great American cult favorite poet-denizen of the dive bar & the racetrack. The Singular Self is a profound exploration of the human condition, particularly the theme of loneliness and the search for connection. The poem's title encapsulates the central idea, as it suggests that individuals are trapped in a singular existence, seeking to find a sense of self beyond the physical body. The House is a powerful poem that speaks to the human experience and is a reminder that our past shapes us, but it does not define us. The House is a celebration of resilience, the ability to overcome adversity, & the power of memory. Bukowski is in prestigious company here, with contributions from Margaret Atwood (b. 1939), James Dickey (1923-1997), Edward Field (b. 1924), Ted Hughes (1930-1998), W.S. Merwin (1927-2019), Sylvia Plath (1932-1963), Derek Walcott (1930-2017) & many other canonical award-winners. Hardcover, former library edition presumed to be from first hardcover edition, presumed first & only printing. Dust jacket not present. A scarce & most-significant collectible anthology in one of its rarest contemporary forms, of special interest to the most devoted Bukowski collector-completist. In relatively fine condition with mild rubbing, scratching & age-toning to front, back covers & spine; light wear & some tiny bumps, creases at/from edges & corners of same; Columbus College Library Dewey Decimal System call number sticker attached to spine near lower fine edge; a touch of age-toning & rubbing at edges of text block. Interior fine with two book description stickers affixed to blank inner front cover; "Withdrawn" red stamp at title page; library demarcations in pencil at top/along spine of same; library chart affixed to blank verso final leaf; library pouch affixed to blank pastedown of back cover; small barcode sticker above aforementioned pouch; tiny bumps & small, faint creases at corners of some page leaves. Fine. [Item #8793]

Price: $40.00