Brown, Sterling A.

The Collected Poems of Sterling A. Brown with: Ephemera

ISBN: 0060105178
New York, NY, USA: Harper & Row, 1980. First Edition. Hardcover. Inscribed & signed by Sterling A. Brown to Laurence Goldstein. "Publication of Sterling A. Brown's Collected Poems is an event of great importance for those who are interested in Afro-American culture- and, indeed, in American literature. While many of his poems regularly appear in anthologies, the classic collection Southern Road (1932) has not been available for some time and most of the other poems have never before been gathered together in book form. Brown's influence as a poet rests not only in his inventive use of forms, but also in the integrity of his subject matter- aspects of a people's survival, the comedy and tragedy in black cultural history, scenes and portraits from black folklore, and a defiant insistence on addressing the question of race in America." (from front flap) The monumental, definitive collection of poems by Sterling A(llen) Brown (1901-1989), the canonical African-American poet, folklorist, literary critic & academician. Selected & with a Preface by Michael S(teven) Harper (1938-2016), the award-winning, Jazz-influenced African-American poet. We proudly offer the first edition of this classic volume- hardcover in unclipped first-issue dust jacket (with $12.95 price & "0780" printed at front flap), first edition as stated at copyright page, first printing as indicated by number sequence thereon. An entry in this & other prestigious publishers' "National Poetry Series." At title page, Brown has cursively hand-written & signed in blue ink: "For Larry Goldstein/ best wishes,/ (signed) Sterling A. Brown." Recipient Laurence Goldstein (1943-2023) was an esteemed author, film critic, editor & academician here at the University of Michigan. We found & have retained, between front paste-down & endpaper, two items of ephemera: Single leaf from an unknown journal (pgs. 293-294) with first page of a critical-tribute article, "Sterling A. Brown, 1901-2001," by an unknown author apparently in commemoration of Brown's centenary, with marginalia mostly in black ink presumably by Goldstein, at pg. 94 (verso), in very fine condition. Also, a single sheet folded once horizontally, in very fine condition, with printed "Bulletin" from UM's Center for Afroamerican and African Studies at recto announcing a live reading by Brown at a UM facility on Thursday, November 5, 1981; & with extensive cursive hand-written notes in black ink by Goldstein, presumably relating to Brown, at unprinted verso. While the date of Brown's inscription & signature in the volume described above is undated, we surmise with fair certainty that it took place at or near the time of this event not long after publication, & that Goldstein was therefore an attendee & probable participant at this event. See images of all sides of both of these items. A foundational, classic collectible in the Brown Oeuvre in its very scarce & rarest contemporary form, inestimably enriched by the great author's poet-to-poet inscription, signature; & with enhancingly relevant ephemera & most-distinguished association & provenance. What a gem! Book in relatively quite near-fine-to-fine condition with a touch of rubbing, faint scratching to front, back covers & spine; a bit of wear, age-toning & fading at/from edges & corners of same; slight upward bend to outer edge of front cover; the slightest hint of rubbing, age-toning to edges of text block. Interior very fine with only mild age-toning to thin edges, corners of blank paste-downs & esp. endpapers; light bumps, faint creases at side-edges of a few page leaves. Dust jacket (again relatively) near-fine with mild rubbing, faint scratching & light age-toning to front, back covers, spine & flaps; light wear & some tiny bumps, creases at/from edges & corners of same; short, mostly closed vertical tear from upper left edge of front cover backed with tape; small chip from upper right edge of back cover over which is another small piece of tape. Fine-Very Fine / Near Fine. [Item #8843]

Price: $600.00