Bunting, Basil

Collected Poems

London, England, UK: Fulcrum Press, 1970. Second Edition, First Softcover Edition Thus. Softcover. "Poetry, like music, is to be heard. It deals in sound- long sounds and short sounds, heavy beats and light beats, the tone relation of vowels, the relations of consonants to one another which are like instrumental colour in music. Poetry lies dead on the page, until some voice brings it to life, just as music on the stave is no more than instructions to the player. A skilled musician can imagine the sound, more or less, and a skilled reader can try to hear, mentally, what his eyes see in print; but nothing will satisfy either of them till his ears hear it as real sound in the air. Poetry must be read aloud." (Basil Bunting, quoted at rear cover) A collection of poems by Basil (Cheesman) Bunting (1900-1985), the venerable British modernist poet. We here offer the amended second edition, first edition thus, in its first trade-format softcover printing, second edition as stated at copyright page, complete with errata slip affixed thereon. 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 is 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. The definitive Bunting compilation in its penultimately rarest contemporary form, with very distinguished & relevant provenance. See also esp. our item No.s 6424, 6447, 8308, 8369. In relatively quite near-fine-to-fine condition with mild-to-moderate rubbing, age-toning & age-related spotting; mostly faint scratching to front, back covers & spine; light wear & some tiny bumps at/from edges & corners of same; several thin, faint creases across length of spine; slight embossment of publisher's list at inner rear cover onto outer rear cover (an interesting little flaw as issued); small sticker with former price in British currency affixed to blank upper right margin of rear cover (a quaint relic of its Unicorn heritage); mild rubbing, age-toning & spotting to edges of text block esp. upper edge. Interior relatively fine with age-related spotting to inner covers; very slight age-toning mostly to blank margins/edges of page leaves; tiny bumps at corners of a few leaves. Near Fine- Fine. [Item #9340]

Price: $40.00