Paterson.

New York: A New Directions Book,, 1946-48-49-51-58. Say it! No ideas but in things First editions, first printings, of Williams's epic poem, Book 2 a review copy from the library of Ruth and Mark Schorer, with their bookplate on the front pastedown and a typed letter signed by the publisher Hubert Creekmore loosely inserted. This is an excellent association, sent to a significant friend and colleague of the author with a request for his comments. Mark Schorer (1908-1977) was a writer and critic, who earned his MA at Harvard and went on to chair the University of California's English Department from 1960 to 1965. He was a witness during the 1957 obscenity trial for Allen Ginsberg's Howl, testifying in defence of the poem. He was one of Williams's "teaching pals" (quoted in Mariani, p. 546), and in his autobiography, Williams recalls attending a two-week English conference in 1946 in Salt Lake City, Utah, where "Walter Van Tilburg Clark, Caroline Gordon, Mark Schorer, all swam with us in a nearby pool evenings, and at Alta we rode in the ski-lift (specially connected for us) over the snowless ground now blossoming profusely on the slopes between the tall firs... thrilling to be lifted that way above the mountainside, feet dangling, high over the earth to the shoulder of the slope". In his letter, Creekmore acknowledges this friendship, despite misspelling Schorer as "Shorer", a fairly common error: "knowing you are a friend of Williams, I wonder if you would read this new section of his longest and most mature poem and send us, as soon as possible, some comments on it". Paterson was influenced by Ulysses and embarked upon with the intent "to objectify the man himself as we know him and love him and hate him" (quoted in Lloyd, p. 190). The epic began life as an 85-line poem of the same name, which won the Dial award in 1926. Williams struggled with "the impossible poem Paterson", admitting in his autobiography that it "called for a poetry such as I did not know". However, his belief in the project sustained him: "A cold east wind, today, that seems to blow from the other side of the world - at the same time to be blowing all poetry out of life. A man wonders why he bothers to continue to write. And yet it is precisely then that to write is most imperative for us. That, if I can do it, will be the end of Paterson, Book IV. The ocean of savage lusts in which the wounded shark gnashes at his own tail is not our home. It is the seed that floats to shore, one word, one tiny, even microscopic word, is that which can alone save us" (Letter to José Garcia Villa, 1950, quoted in Wallace). Five volumes, octavo. Original buff cloth, title on front covers in gilt, thin rectangle stamped across front covers, spines, and rear covers in black (Book 1), green (Book 2), blue (Book 3), red (Book 4), and orange (Book 5), fore and lower edges untrimmed. With dust jackets. Ticket of the Holiday Bookshop, New York, on rear pastedown of Book 5. Spine and lower rear cover of Book 1 slightly foxed, a few marks to front cover, one corner bumped, a little offsetting to pastedowns; spine of Book 5 a little cocked; tiny bump to top edge of front cover of Book 4. A near-fine set, extremities occasionally toned, in lightly toned jackets, a little soiled, spine ends and corners occasionally chipped and nicked, a few short closed tears to panels of final three books, tiny damp stain to rear panel of Book 3, a very sharp and attractive set. Wallace A24a; A25a; A30a; A34a; A44a. Margaret Glynne Lloyd, William Carlos Williams's Patterson, A Critical Reappraisal, 1980; Paul Mariani, William Carlos Williams, A New World Naked, 1981; William Carlos Williams, The Autobiography, 2017.