Ginsberg, Allen

The Fall of America: Poems of These States 1965-1971

San Francisco, CA: City Lights Books, 1972. First Edition, Fourth Printing. Softcover. Signed by Allen Ginsberg. (Morgan a1.4, p. 37). "Beginning with "long poem of these States," The Fall of America continues Planet News chronicle tape-recorded scribed by hand or sung condensed, the flux of car bus airplane dream consciousness Person during Automated Electronic War years, newspaper headline radio brain auto poesy & silent desk musings, head-lights flashing on road through these States of consciousness..." (back cover) A now-classic collection of poetry by Allen Ginsberg (1926-1997), Founding Father of the Beat Generation-&-Beyond. First published as the thirtieth number of the iconic City Lights Pocket Poets Series in December 1972. Offered here is a copy of the fourth printing, issued June 1976 and endowed with significant provenance, as the notation below makes clear. From the collection of Richard Cupidi (b. 1945), our esteemed mate in the UK who managed the legendary Unicorn Bookshop in Brighton, England with Bill Butler (1934-1977, the famed American-expatriate poet, publisher & bookseller). From the late 1960s through the early 1970s, Unicorn proffered & published outstanding productions by William S. Burroughs, 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 rarities of Unicorn & Public House such as this. Third Mind Books is in the reverent process of incrementally curating & presenting the Butler-Cupidi-Unicorn-Public House Legacy that is in our custodial hands until it passes to yours. Small-format softcover in wraps: “Fourth printing: June 1976,” per notation on copyright page at center-middle, as previously noted. This copy is additionally enhanced by the presence of a signature from the great Beat bard on the work’s title page. Ginsberg’s signature, in thin, black, felt pen ink, reads: “Allen Ginsberg.” In strong near fine condition with moderate-to-enunciated rubbing, shelf-wear, light bumping & scattered, light nicks & low-visibility scuffs to front, back covers & spine-edge; light-to-moderate age-toning throughout, otherwise clean. Near Fine. [Item #8794]

Price: $100.00