Various (di Prima, Diane (Editor); Ashbery, John; Berkson, Bill; Clark, Tom; Coolidge, Clark; Ernst, Max; Fagin, Larry; Koch, Kenneth; Padgett, Ron; Waldman, Anne; Warsh, Lewis et al.)

The Floating Bear: A Newsletter No. 36 (1969)

New York, NY, USA: Floating Bear, 1969. First Edition. Stapled Sheets. “It was this way in the origins: / How To Be Born / Coming from a native land (Switzer) and what it means / catching a glimpse or grasp on life (Mental) / Talking about their differences now…… / Fly now over raised map bob up again / A town’s binoculars at your throat / He is watching / Look at him soar again / the mob sliding by some cows on the homestretch / in for a gentle landing & she clobbers the closet drama crowd / Cross these lines out, repeat the sentence in a mug voice / Getting this surprise in the wrappers (inflated sweaters) / and seeing them really big like that is a surprise really / You would prefer leave that all behind you / but you can’t / And that’s what’s what it’s all about coming here: / Awaken the morning with your love & letting up in the sun.”--Anne Waldman, “Bright Side.” 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’s 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 1969’s The Floating Bear Issue #36. This issue features: “Beautiful Music,” “Dog Salt,” and “The Secret of Jane Bowles” by Larry Fagin (1937-2017), Bill Berkson (1939-2016) & Ron Padgett (b. 1942); “Be Happy O Sad World Be Happy,” and “Bright Side” by Anne Waldman (b. 1945); “Where I Live” by Tom Clark (1941-2018); “Forked Dah,” and “Stanky” by Berkson; “I Am From Argentina,” and “Stone Take” by Diane di Prima; an untitled prose piece by Kenneth Koch (1925-2002); “Moveable Basketballs” by Padgett; and “Upper Silesia” by John Ashberry (1927-2017) among many other great contributions! From the collection of Albert Glover (1942-2026), the acclaimed American poet, bibliographer, editor, publisher & academician who was the foremost remaining authority on Charles Olson (1910-1970), the Great Black Mountain-&-Beyond Poet's Poet who is our favorite Maximus Obscurantist. Glover was a student of & anointed by the Maximus Master himself at SUNY Buffalo during the 1960s, & ever since was the foremost Olsonian Torch-Bearer. We were honored to know Glover, & are deeply saddened at his recent passing. Stapled sheets. First & only printing. In very fine condition with slight wear to fine edges, minor smudging/scratching/spotting to front and back covers, and light rusting at staples. Very Fine. [Item #8953]

Price: $125.00