Various (Merwin, W.S. (Editor); Benedikt, Michael; Creeley, Robert; Guest, Barbara; Ignatow, David; Kelly, Robert; Rothenberg, Jerome; Schwerner, Armand; Sexton, Anne; Simpson, Louis; Stafford, William et al.)

West Wind: Supplement of American Poetry

London, England: The Poetry Book Society LTD, 1961. First Printing. Stapled Wrappers. A petite anthology (or “supplement of American poetry”) edited by W.S. Merwin (1927-2019) & published by the Poetry Book Society of London in the winter of 1961. It features unique early work by the American poet & editor affiliated with Surrealism, Michael Benedikt (1935-2007); the great American poet, Robert Creeley (1926-2005); Barbara Guest (1920-2006); David Ignatow (1914-1997); Robert Kelly (b. 1935); Jerome Rothenberg (1931-2024); Armand Schwerner (1927-1999); noted Confessional poet, Anne Sexton (1928-1974); Louis Simpson (1923-2012); & cult favorite William Stafford (1914-1993). An adorable, ephemeral oddity in its singular rarest contemporary form. Small-format chapbook in stapled wrappers: the First-&-likely-only Printing of this elusive 1961 release. 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. In Fair-Good condition with light-to-moderate shelf-wear, some bumping & occasional light creasing to fine-edges & corners of front, back covers & spine-edge; mild-to-moderate rubbing & moderate-to-pronounced age-toning (yellowing, spotting, staining, & artifacts similar) present, variously throughout; minute-to-moderate rusting (as well as some light bleeding) to staples at exterior and interior; otherwise, predominantly clean with interior unmarked. Fair-Good. [Item #9376]

Price: $50.00 save 10% $45.00