Padgett, Ron; Brainard, Joe

100,000 Fleeing Hilda

Tulsa, OK: Boke Press, 1967. Limited First Edition. Stapled Wrappers. Signed by Joe Brainard & Ron Padgett. "Little red apple/ Lived on a tree./ Little red apple/ Looked down at me.// Little red apple/ was shiny and red./ Little red apple/ Fell on my head." ("Red Apples," unpaginated) A collaborative work of poetry & illustrations by two legendary New York School Giants: Ron Padgett (b. 1942) & Joe Brainard (1942-1994). With facsimile hand-writing & artworks/graphics, some of which seem to us exemplary of one or the other poet-artiste, others of which Third Minds may speculate. Chapbook-format booklet in stapled wrappers, one of an edition of 300 hand-numbered copies signed by Brainard in bold orange felt-tip ink & by Padgett in bold red felt-tip ink, this is copy No. 103/300. A beautiful, riveting production. From the collection of Richard Cupidi (b. 1945), our esteemed mate in the UK who was the manager of the fabled Unicorn Bookshop in Brighton, England founded by Bill Butler (1934-1977, the famed American-expatriate poet, 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 which has also now closed, & he still resides there. We have been privileged to obtain what Cupidi has termed "The Last Hurrah," all the remaining gems of Unicorn & Public House, including this. Third Mind Books proceeds to reverently curate & incrementally present the Butler-Cupidi-Unicorn-Public House Legacy which is in our custodial hands- until it passes to yours. An exceptionally scarce & quintessentially exemplary Brainard-Padgett collectible in its singularly rarest contemporary form; greatly enriched by their exuberant signatures & with most-distinguished, relevant provenance. In relatively quite fine-to-very-fine condition with mild-to-moderate rubbing, age-toning & occasional spotting to front, back covers & stapled spine esp. at blank margins/edges; very slight wear & a few tiny bumps, creases at/from edges & corners of same; mild rubbing, age-toning & spotting to edges of text block. Interior fine-to-very-fine with only light age-toning & age-related spotting to blank inner covers & page leaves (again chiefly to blank margins/edges); tiny bumps at esp. upper corners of some leaves. Fine-Very Fine. [Item #8972]

Price: $175.00