Various (Horovitz, Michael (Editor); Cage, John; Corso, Gregory; Creeley, Robert; Ginsberg, Allen; Ionesco, Eugene; Kerouac, Jack; Picasso, Pablo et al.)

New Departures No. 2/3 (1960)

London, England, UK: New Departures, 1960. First Printing. Softcover. The vintage second & third double number of the literary, art & cultural journal edited by Michael Horovitz (1935-2021), the noted German-born British poet, editor & artist who was a childhood Jewish Holocaust Refugee & became a significant figure in the UK Beat Generation scene. With contributions of poetry by Beat Founding Fathers Gregory Corso, Allen Ginsberg & Jack Kerouac, & primary Black Mountain-&-Beyond poet Robert Creeley; transcription of "Winter Music" (dedicated to Robert Rauschenberg & Jasper Johns) by avant-garde musical-literary giant John Cage including his introduction with facsimile signature; a one-act play, "Mind the Flowers," by the great playwright Eugene Ionesco; reproduction of a lithograph by the canonical artist Pablo Picasso; & much more by relatively lesser-known contributors. Trade-format softcover in sewn binding, presumed first-&-only printing, complete with attached addenda/errata sheet between recto final leaf & inner rear cover. 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 honored to obtain what Cupidi has termed "The Last Hurrah," all the remaining gems of Unicorn & Public House, such as this. Third Mind Books proceeds to reverently curate & incrementally present the Butler-Cupidi-Unicorn-Public House Legacy that is in our custodial hands- until it passes to yours. An extradordinary literary collectible with a stunningly varied constellation of Supreme figures in Beat-&-Beyond literature & the arts; in its singularly rarest contemporary form & with most-distinguished, relevant provenance. In relatively quite near-fine condition with mild-to-moderate rubbing, mostly faint scratching & light age-toning to front, back covers & spine; mild wear & some tiny bumps, creases at/from edges & corners of same; mild-to-moderate rubbing, age-toning & spotting to edges of text block esp. upper & side edges. Interior fine with mild age-toning, occasional spotting to inner covers & page leaves; tiny bumps & small, faint creases at corners of some leaves. Near Fine. [Item #9074]

Price: $50.00 save 20% $40.00