Billowitz, Edgar (Olson, Charles; Glover, Albert)

American Indians (A Curriculum of the Soul No. 14, 1972)

Buffalo, NY: Institute of Further Studies, 1972. Limited First Edition. Stapled Wrappers. “Sometime after Charles Olson’s death in January 1970, I told Jack Clarke I wanted to publish some kind of tribute to Olson. He responded by sending me a copy of “A Plan for a Curriculum of the Soul,” which Olson had sent to us for publication in The Magazine of Further Studies No. 5. On the copy Jack had selected 28 terms as “subjects” and to each one he had written the name of a poet who might write a ‘fascicle’ using the term as a title. We agreed that he would request the text and forward it to me and that I would publish and distribute it. I imagined that the project would take about two years, but in fact it took thirty. Many of the fascicles were printed mimeograph, texts and covers. But as the decades passed, I began to employ commercial printers. The issues were sold by subscription or through book dealers. Press runs were usually close to 300 copies. After the final issue (“one’s own Language,” by Lisa Jarnot [a/k/a Issac Jarnot]) appeared in 2002, I began editing the whole toward a single volume limited edition of 51 copies designed and produced by Michael Russem at Kat Ran Press and bound in Japanese silk by Sarah Creighton. The book was released in 2010 at the Charles Olson Centennial celebration in Vancouver. In 2016 a two-volume trade edition was published by Spuyten Duyvil press” (Albert Glover [b. 1942], from the “Curriculum of the Soul” entry on Steve Clay, of Granary Books’ “From a Secret Location” website). This issue titled American Indians is the fourteenth in the series and is by Edgar Billowitz, about whom unfortunately little is known. A series of poems and what seems like journal entries, American Indians is a classically Olsonian-inspired addition to Curriculum of the Soul. Abstract, experimental, emotionally raw, and mired in an in-depth cultural observation of Native American tribe of the Cora, American Indians is as imaginative as it is insightful, as Olsonian as it is ethnographic. Ultimately, Curriculum of the Soul 14: American Indians is not only an unique number in the curriculum, but is also exceedingly rare; a great Olson-related collectible! Please see Item No. 8138 for the complete series of The Curriculum of the Soul. From the collection of Albert Glover (1942-2026), the great American scholar, bibliographer, author & publisher who until recently was the foremost remaining authority on the aforementioned literary giant Charles Olson (1910-1970), with whom we're honored to have been acquainted. Chapbook in stapled wrappers. Limited First edition, first printing. In very fine condition with only minor wear to fine edges, and minimal rusting at staples. Very Fine. [Item #9219]

Price: $150.00 save 10% $135.00