Rothenberg, Jerome

The Flight of Quetzalcoatl

Brighton, England UK: Unicorn, 1967. Limited First Trade Edition. Stapled Wrappers. "Then the time came for Quetzalcoatl too, when he/ felt the darkness twist in him like a / river, as though it meant to weigh him/ down, & he thought to go then, to leave/ the city as he had found it & to go, for-/ getting there ever was a Tula" (first stanza/paragraph, pg. 1) Translation of an ancient Aztec text by Jerome Rothenberg (1931-2024), the great American poet, translator & anthologist who pioneered & was the foremost practitioner in the field of ethnopoetics. To be exact: "(Translated from the Aztec by/ Bernardino de Sahagun and/ rendered from that version into/ Spanish prose by Angel Maria/ Garibay from which this version/ was done.)" (following text, pg. 7) Large-format chapbook in stapled wrappers, with beautifully reproduced cover illustrations by "Tony Bennet" per title/colophon/copyright page. We cannot determine with certainty, but it is possible that this was none other than the canonical American entertainer who also happened to be a noted artist. Per colophon: "An edition of 400, of which:/ 26, numbered A-Z, are hors commerce;/ 50 are numbered and signed;/ 324 are for trade distribution." This copy is from the un-numbered, unsigned trade edition of 324. 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 & this very item by Rothenberg, 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 early & exquisite Unicorn production. 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 especially scarce Rothenberg collectible in its rarest contemporary trade form; with the most distinguished, relevant association & provenance. In relatively quite fine condition with light rubbing, faint scratching to front, back covers & stapled spine; mild wear & some tiny bumps, creases at/from edges & corners of same; a few very short, closed tears from side-edges of covers. Interior very fine with only miniscule rubbing of blank inner covers- block of page leaves appears substantially mint. Fine. [Item #9088]

Price: $100.00