The Cat’s Meow

Santa Barbara: Black Sparrow Press, 1981. First Edition. Of an edition of 201 deluxe hardbound copies signed by the author, Wright Morris, each containing an original photograph by Morris, this is a special additional copy, the “Printer’s Copy” so designated on the colophon page which was presented to the book’s printer, Graham Mackintosh. A little trace of very minor foxing here and there, else a near fine copy in the original plain acetate dust jacket. Graham Mackintosh’s press work bibliography reads like a who's who of latter twentieth century fine publishing: Black Sparrow, Oyez, Capra, Capricorn, Cadmus, Scrimshaw (among a score or more other literary houses). Then there is, of course, Graham Mackintosh’s own influential White Rabbit Press, a basis and force for today’s best poetry. For over forty years Graham Mackintosh has made distinguished contributions to American literary and art publishing as publisher, printer, type designer, book designer, editor, and as a writer on printing. His impact can be seen from the early nineteen-sixties at the modern renaissance of poetry in its hungry, revolutionary days of mimeo chapbooks through the revival of fine press and letterpress printing, and it continues to this day. Graham Mackintosh met seminal poet Jack Spicer in 1954. During the time Mackintosh served in the United State Marine Corps, the two continued to correspond. Upon his discharge from the service, Mackintosh enrolled in the Arts Program at San Jose State College and then transferred to University of California at Berkeley where he worked with Jack Spicer on The Linguistic Atlas of the Pacific Coast. Upon graduating, Mackintosh created his first While Rabbit publication in 1962, and continued to seriously study the arts of printing and design, His desire to learn pulled him from the Bay area for a time to Los Angeles to study with the legendary Saul Marks at the Plantin Press. As Graham Mackintosh’s reputation grew and he won printing and design awards, so did the list of distinguished publishers who sought him out to create books for them.