Rubington, Norman (a/k/a del Piombo, Akbar)

Fuzz Against Junk: The Saga of the Narcotics Brigade

New York, NY: Beach Books,Texts & Documents, Inc., 1969. Second American Edition, First Edition Thus. Softcover. A collage novel originally published in 1960 by Norman Rubington (1921-1991) under the nom de plume “Akbar del Piombo.” Rubington, per our distinguished colleague Gregory Stephenson at the European Beat Studies Network (ebsn.eu), “was an acclaimed American artist — painter, sculptor, illustrator and filmmaker — who lived much of his adult life abroad, chiefly in Paris and Rome. Born in New Haven, Connecticut, he later studied at the Yale School of Fine Arts. During World War II, he served for three years in the U.S. Army, stationed in China. Moving to Paris in 1946, he supported himself there on the G.I. Bill and by writing pornographic novels for the Olympia Press. It was in this latter capacity that he assumed the exotic nom-de-plume of Akbar del Piombo, subsequently choosing to publish his collage novels under that same ill-famed, fabled name” (“Mutinous Jester: The Collage Novels of Akbar Del Piombo,” https://tinyurl.com/yc88bdxx). This work, titled Fuzz Against Junk, is the best known of the six collage novels authored by Rubington — and like TMB Item No. 9036, was later published by Beach Books, Texts, and Documents, the imprint of Mary Beach (1919-2006) & Claude Pelieu (1934–2002), mother & stepfather of our good friends Pamela Beach Plymell, & (in-laws of) Literary Outlaw-Legend Charles Plymell (b. 1935). A classic, if overlooked Beat-&-Beyond collectible. Trade-format softcover: “Second American Edition, 1969,” per copyright page. 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. In strong Good-Very Good condition with only minor-to-moderate age-toning, shelf-wear, some light bumping to fine-edges & corners of front, back covers & spine-edge; a few minute-to-moderate exhibits of creasing (including one since-flattened, larger bump-crease at top right-hand corner of front cover that extends into page leaves) & a few related crease-indentations variously present at same; otherwise, generally clean with interior unmarked. Good-Very Good. [Item #9038]

Price: $40.00 save 10% $36.00