Various (di Prima, Diane (Editor); Jones, LeRoi (Editor); Meltzer, David; Olson, Charles et al.)

The Floating Bear: A Newsletter, No. 18 (1962)

New York, NY, USA: Floating Bear, 1962. First Edition. Stapled Sheets. "Who am I to love | so deeply? As against | a heavy darkness, pressed | against my eyes. Wetting | my face, a constant trembling | rain." (first stanza, LeRoi JonesFootnote to a Pretentious Book, unpaginated). The Floating Bear, founded and edited by Diane di Prima (1934-2020) and LeRoi Jones (1934-2014, a/k/a Amiri Baraka), started in February 1961, was a mimeographed “newsletter” distributed by mailing list whose mission was the speedy dissemination of new literary work. Twenty-five issues came out in the magazine’s first two years and featured contributing writers such as: Charles Olson (1910-1970), Robin Blaser (1929-2005), Robert Creeley (1926-2005), Philip Whalen (1923-2002), Paul Blackburn (1926-1971), and Ed Dorn (1929-1999), while Ray Johnson (1927-1995) and Wallace Berman (1926-1976) were among the many visual artists whose work was presented. This tremendous output was due at least in part to Jones’ experience as editor at Yugen and Totem Press and to his voracious working habits. Di Prima recalls, “LeRoi could work at an incredible rate. He could read two manuscripts at a time, one with each eye. He would spread things out on the table while he was eating supper, and reject them all—listening to the news and a jazz record he was going to review, all at the same time.” While "The Floating Bear" was widely loved by readers and kept afloat by subscribers, the publication unfortunately ran into trouble. One of the recipients of Bear 9 was Harold Carrington, a poet who was in prison in New Jersey. The censor read his mail and objected to the contents of the issue, which included Jones’s "The System of Dante’s Hell" and William S. Burroughs' (1914-1997) "Routine." Jones and di Prima were subsequently arrested on obscenity charges on October 18, 1961. Di Prima remembers, “I heard a knock on my door early in the morning which I didn’t answer because I never open my door early in the morning in New York City. In the morning in New York City is only trouble. It’s the landlords, it’s Con Edison, it’s the police, it’s your neighbors wanting to know why you made so much noise last night, it’s something awful, and before noon I never open my door.” There was a grand jury hearing, but after Jones’s two-day testimony, they failed to return an indictment. Jones resigned from "The Floating Bear" in 1963 after issue 25. Di Prima moved briefly to California in 1962 and the magazine came out irregularly over the next several years, culminating in a very large issue in 1971 guest-edited by Allen De Loach (1939-2002) in Buffalo. It was called The Intrepid-Bear Issue: Intrepid 20/Floating Bear 38. Offered today is 1962’s Floating Bear Issue #18. This issue features: In the Face of a Chinese View of the City by Charles Olson, the legendary literary titan; Footnote to a Pretentious Book, a poem by the aforementioned Beat Generation poet LeRoi Jones; Poem to H.P. Lovecraft, The Struggle/Poems for the Muse & Heroes: 7/The Comics by San Francisco Renaissance poet David Meltzer (1937-2014); After Overture & Mornings by Mike Strong; Random Thoughts About Recent Plays, On and Off Broadway by Joseph LaSueur (1924-2001); Statement for James Goldsworthy by George Brecht (1926-2008) and a rejoinder for Concerning the Reviews by Miss Zazeela and Mr. Marlowe in FB 16 by John King. See Item No.s 6025, 8659 & 8817 for more issues of this indelible mimeograph newsletter. From the collection of Albert Glover (1942-2026), the great American scholar, bibliographer, author & publisher who was the foremost authority on the aforementioned literary giant Charles Olson (our favorite Maximus Obscurantist), with whom we’re honored to have been acquainted. Stapled sheets. First & only printing. A most collectible item for any collector of Beat Generation/Black Mountain/San Francisco poetry in its rarest contemporary form with highly relevant association & very distinguished provenance. In relatively fine-very fine condition with moderate wear to fine edges, light wear at horizontal crease across middle, very mild fading to text throughout, light age-toning throughout, and light rusting at staple. Fine-Very Fine. [Item #8815]

Price: $150.00