Selected Poems. A Revised and Enlarged Edition.

NY: Knopf, 1964. Second printing., 1964. 8vo. 111 pp. Original gilt stamped navy blue cloth binding. SIGNED by Ransom on the front free endpaper with "? hospitality and conference and audience Sincerely, John Crowe Ransom." From the library of Marion Montgomery whose signature is on the front pastedown and ink MM is written bottom edge. Montgomery fashioned himself a "third generation Fugitive Agrarian" and his perceptive John Crowe Ramson and Allen Tate. At Odds About the Ends of History and the Mystery of Nature firmly places him in this tradition. This was Montgomery's working copy of this collection of poems. Approximately half of the poems have Montgomery's marks and sometimes substantial notes. Affixed to the rear pastedown is an envelope sleeve in which are laid in photocopies of Ransom's unpublished typescript manuscripts of two earlier versions of the poem, included in this collection, "The Vanity of the Bright Young Men". Montgomery has written on the top of one "Early (Spring 65) version." These two have very different opening quatrains and, overall, are substantially different than the published version. Also laid into this sleeve is a 3 pp. Montgomery typescript manuscript entitled (in holograph) "My intro 1965" with hand corrections in ink. Perhaps of greatest literary moment are the two full pages of notes Montgomery has written on two of the rear endpapers in which he recounts a conversation he had with Ransom on April 8, 1965 which is of substantial content vis-a-vis Ransom's poetry, philosophical outlook, etc. Overall an important look into the interrelationship of poet and critic. The book is near fine in DJ with several tears and shallow chips.. Signed by Author(s). 2nd Edition. Hardcover. Very Good/Dust Jacket Included.