Leary, Timothy

Supreme Court of the United States: Timothy Leary v. State of California, Memorandum of the Appellant Timothy Leary

San Francisco, CA: City Lights Books, 1971. Second Printing. Stapled Wrappers. “This memorandum is submitted in support of the appellant’s application for bail pending appeal of his conviction of possession of marijuana in violation of Section 11530 of the Health and Safety Code of the State of California. The amount of marijuana was alleged to be two half-smoked cigarettes. At the present time Timothy Leary is unlawfully imprisoned, detained, confined, and restrained of his freedom in the California Men’s Colony-West, San Luis Obispo, California. Appellant has been incarcerated since February 19, 1970. This brief, including the above statement, was prepared by Timothy Leary just before his flight from prison" (from "Introductory Note"). A reproduction of a brief submitted by countercultural revolutionary Timothy Leary (1920-1996), the American psychologist and author prior to his escape from prison on September 12, 1970 with the assistance of the terrorist group, The Weather Underground. A fine Leary-related relic of the counterculture in America. From the collection of Richard Cupidi (b. 1945), our esteemed mate in the UK who managed the fabled Unicorn Bookshop in Brighton, England with 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 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 treasures of Unicorn & Public House, including this gem. Small-format chapbook in wraps: “Second Printing, 1971,” per printed notation on verso side. (Cook, 87, pg. 92) In strong near fine condition with only mild-to-moderate shelf-wear, light bumping & select, low-visibility exhibits of bump-creasing to fine-edges & corners of front, back covers & spine-edge; similarly mild rubbing & age-toning to same; moderate-to-pronounced rusting, bleeding to staples at interior & exterior, otherwise generally clean. Near Fine. [Item #8894]

Price: $40.00