Various (Evans, Paul (Editor); Matthews, Paul (Editor); Dowden, George; Grass, Günter; Rothenberg, Jerome; Tzara, Tristan et al.)

Eleventh Finger No. 2 (Autumn 1965)

Brighton, England: Eleventh Finger, 1965. First Printing. Stapled Wrappers. The second issue of the literary magazine edited and published by Paul Evans & Paul Matthews in the UK during the mid-to-late 1960s. Like the first issue of Eleventh Finger (TMB Item No. 9022), the crown of this issue is its focus on “Deep Image” poetry, which was a style, method, and way of thinking about writing pioneered by poets including our late friend & mentor, Clayton Eshleman (1935-2021), Jerome Rothenberg (1931-2024), and George Dowden (b. 1933), and the latter two are featured here. Also featured is the great Romanian-French Dadaist, Tristan Tzara (1896-1963); the German novelist, Günter Grass (1927-2015); & several other authors of note. For a full list of contributors & contents, see the photographs attached to this listing. 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. Literary journal in stapled wrappers: the First-&-Only Printing of the second issue of Eleventh Finger. In Very Good-Near Fine condition with moderate-to-enunciated shelf-wear, rubbing, some light bumping, a few instances of slightly more pronounced bump-creasing to fine-edges & corners of front, back covers & spine-edge; some chipping, & related horizontal, as well as vertical use-&-storage-based creasing to/at/along fine-edges of same; minute-to-light rusting to staples at interior, exterior; mild-to-enunciated age-toning, foxing, spotting, & artifacts similar in style or gradation to these present variously throughout; otherwise, generally clean with interior unmarked. Very Good-Near Fine. [Item #9344]

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