Search Results: Poetry from Singularity Rare & Fine

Davis, CA: Putah Creek Press, 1974. First Edition . String Tied Wraps. Near Fine. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Friedman, Diana. Davis, CA: Putah Creek Press, 1974. First Edition, number 57 of 175, signed by the author and the illustrator. Octavo, 4 pp. (one sheet folded), string tied brown wraps. Some lightening of the brown of the covers at the top and left margins, else fine. Poet W.H. Auden, who "Dazzled and dazzling all the ideas and forms" and who presumably lit the way for American verse to become thus liberated and free of spirit, is honored by this short Shapiro poem and graced by a Diana Friedman illustration, a stylized portrait of Auden. Signed by both author and illustrator Diana Friedman. A piece of American literary history. L-45n

Omaha: Abattoir Editions & The Cummington Press/The Univ. of Nebraska at Omaha, 1974. 1st Edition . Cloth. Fine. 10 1/2" x 10. Mall, James W.. Omaha, NE: Abattoir Editions & The Cummington Press/The Univ. of Nebraska at Omaha, 1974. First Edition and Limited Edition, one of 430 copies. Illustrated by James W. Mall. Cream/beige cloth with decorated rice paper label on cover. Unpaginated. Faint soil, no salient flaws. Fine. A sharp copy; please see scan. Schwermer (d. 1999), a Belgian immigrant in 1935, became a post-war experimenter in poetry - at the "maximalist" end, say some, because of the diverse and thorough self-education present in his work - and showed native humor and philosophical depth in this and his other best-known works, "The Tablets", "Cantos From Dante's Inferno", and "Selected Shorter Poems". Perhaps over-interpreted - the mark of a poet of texture and substance - Schwerner gets into sensory and cerebral appeal… Read More

New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1909. Hardcover. Very Good. 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall. A strong Very Good, and striving hard for Near Fine. See scans and description. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1895 copyright (on copyright page), 1909 publishing (on title page). The Ballads and Other Poems of Robert Louis Stevenson (which includes A Child's Garden of Verses, Underwoods, and Ballads; Volume XVI in the overall Scribner's Stevenson series). Octavo, textured red cloth boards with gilt imprinting on front cover and spine, Top Edge Gilt, uncut fore-edge, frontis with tissue-guard, contents + 359 pp. + 3 blank leaves. Better than Very Good, with just a modestly sunned spine keeping this example out of Near Fine condition. No writing or other besmirchment of the immaculate interior, either. Sharp, handsome and more than deserving of a Very Good Plus rank. Firmly bound. See scans. L20n

San Pedro, CA: Lummox Press, 2008. 1st Edition 1st Printing. Soft cover. Fine. 24mo - over 5 - 5¾" tall. San Pedro, CA: Lummox Press, 2008. Chapbook, LRB # 53, stated First Edition. Chapbook, 24mo, red stapled wraps, unpaginated + LRB ads. Fine condition. Perfect little chapbook of poems by Anita Wynn, author of "White Horses" and "Speaking In Tongues". Includes three-page mini-bio on Wynn. Very scarce little collectible piece from Lummox's Little Red Book (LRB) series of poetry chapbooks. L-g3

New York: Brentano's, 1905. Hardcover. Very Good. 16mo - over 5¾ - 6¾" tall. New York: Brentano's, undated but circa 1905. 16mo, cloth covers illustrated in red, gold, green and white (see scans), gilt spine imprinting, 147 pp. Very Good; edge wear, corner tips worn, spine moderately darkened, rear hinge starting but strong, very early prior owner's script name on ffep. See scans. The Recessional referred to in the title is one of nineteen separate poem/songs appended to the main piece, "Barracks-Room Ballads". A famous Kipling title, here in a scarce edition, nicely decorated on the covers. See scans. L53n

Edinburgh and London: William Blackwood & Sons, 1877. Decorated Cloth. Very Good. 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall. William Blackwood & Sons, Edinburgh and London, 1877. One of a number of later editions which increasingly expanded on the 1849 original. 12mo, 256 pp. Bright blue very fine grain cloth with gilt and blind stamped title and decoration; All Edges Gilt. Edge wear, some small stains at some edges; foxing at endpapers, contents otherwise remarkably bright and fine. About Very Good. See scans. A collection of parodic verse, "edited by Bon Gaultier". In fact, written by William E. Aytoun and Sir Theodore Martin, whose contributions to Fraser's magazine were made under this nom de plume, borrowed from Rabelais' Prologue to Gargantua. An expanded 256 page edition of not-so-subtle lampoons of about everyone and everything within reach at the time, with many writers being quasi-stylistically lampooned as well. Colt, Widdicomb, Wordsworth, Willis,… Read More

London: Constable & Co., Ltd., 1928. First Edition . Levant Morocco with Gilt. Very Good Plus. Octavo. London: Constable & Co., Ltd., 1928. First Edition, very handsomely bound by Sangorski & Sutcliffe of London, with their small imprint on the verso of the ffep. ix, [1], 345 pp. 8vo. A gorgeous near fine volume, with serious curb appeal. Bound in full period levant blue-green morocco, ruled and tooled in gilt, two gilt-lettered orange morocco spine labels, spined tooled in gilt, raised bands, inner gilt dentelles, patterned endpapers, all edges gilt. Spine is either very uniformly sunned, or is of olive morocco; a striking look, in either case. See scans. Internally fine. Serious shelf appeal. A scholarly examination of the two critical nineteenth century poets. Small wood-engraved bookseller's paper label from Paul Elder & Co. on the rear flyleaf, for the collector of those. A display book. L-45n

New York: Random House, 1952. First Edition . Cloth-backed Paper Boards. Fine/Fine. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Fine Book in Fine Jacket. See scans and description. New York: Random House [1952]. First Edition. First Printing stated on copyright page. Octavo, 335 pp. Black cloth-backed orange paper boards, blue lettering on cover and spine; light buff dustjacket with black and red lettering on cover, spine and rear cover. Fine, flawless book in a Fine, unclipped dustjacket, showing one 1 mm closed nick at upper left, front (see scan). Mylar protected. Striking condition. The third novel in Williams' White Mule trilogy about the Stecher family of immigrants and their lives in America; the first two were The White Mule [1937] and In the Money [1940]. L12n

New York: Alfred A. Knopf / Borzoi Books, 1994. Hardcover. New/New. 16mo - over 5¾ - 6¾" tall. New. Pristine and flawless throughout. Byron: Poems (Everyman's Library Pocket Poets Series). New York: Alfred A. Knopf / Borzoi Books, 1994. 16mo, illustrated wraps, rich maroon fine cloth boards with gilt and black imprinting on the front cover and spine, diagonal endpaper design, gold satin page-marker ribbon,288 pp. With Index of First Lines. New, impeccable. See scans. Ships in stout protection, of course. -L16

Philadelphia: Henry Carey Baird, 1856. Hardcover. Very Good. 12mo - over 6¾ - 7¾" tall. Very Good. See scans and description. Philadelphia: Henry Carey Baird, 1856. Lord Byron's 'Childe Harold's Pilgrimage. A Romaunt.' in a decorative 1856 edition, edited by Thomas Moore as 'A New Edition, With All the Notes'. 12mo, textured red cloth boards, gilt-stamped at cover and spine (scans), also decoratively border-stamped; All Edges Gilt; 339 pp. + 24 pp. ads for Baird's books. Very Good; old dampstain at lower right, front cover, and on earliest pages within; spine ends show short slits (scan); spine modestly darkened compared to covers; no other flaws. Firmly bound, with no cracks at hinges. See all scans. Byron's narrative poem, probably partly autobiographical, originally published in 1812. Ships in a new, sturdy, protective box, of course; not a bag. L47n

London: Sidgwick & Jackson, Ltd. , 1931. 1st Edition 1st Printing. Soft cover. Good. 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall. First Edition. Good; very close to Very Good; contents Near Fine. See scans and description. London: Sidgwick & Jackson, Ltd.,1931. 'Christmas Poems by John Drinkwater', 1931 First Edition. Cover illustration and six interior illustrations (one matching cover) in gravure by Ernest H.Shephard. Octavo, illustrated adhered orange-russet wraps (paper over thin cardboard double core by The National [British] Council for the Preservation of Eyesight - see scan), 19 pp. Six Christmas poems by English poet and dramatist John Drinkwater, each with one of the illustrations. Covering paper shows chipping and soil (see scans) to a degree which does not permit a Very Good grade, though this example is quite close to that. Contents are Fine. See all scans. Quite scarce. Ships in a new, sturdy, protective box, of course; not a bag. L200

Pollock Pines, CA: Rattlesnake Press, 2009. 1st Edition 1st Printing. Soft cover. New. 4to - over 9¾ - 12" tall. Pollock Pines, CA: Rattlesnake Press, May, 2009. The Rattlesnake Interview Anthology Series, Volume 5. Quarto, spiral bound with clear plastic cover protector, 75 pp. Signed and dated on the cover by interviewer (and poet) B.L. "Bari" Kennedy. A new, pristine and flawless piece - sort of the opposite of Kennedy himself. Conversations by promiscuous interviewer Kennedy (along with some author photos and sample poetry) of Lytton Bell (yum), Gene Bloom, V.S. Chochezi, Robert Grossklaus, Vincent Kobelt, Art Mantecon, Jackie Schaffer, Donald Sidney-Fryer, Bob Stanley, Monica Storss (yum), S.A. Griffin. Short bio of Kennedy, with his pic at the end. L-g2

Pollock Pines, CA: Rattlesnake Press, 2007. 1st Edition 1st Printing. Soft cover. Near Fine. 4to - over 9¾ - 12" tall. Pollock Pines, CA: Rattlesnake Press, 2007. First Edition/printing. Signed and dated by interviewer Kennedy on the cover. Narrow quarto, 11" x 4 1/2", stapled wraps, 17 pp. + page with two short bios (Connor and Kennedy). Near Fine; slightly curving from having been carried in a hand, else fine. An interview with poet Julia Connor, poet laureate of Sacramento from 2005-2008, by prolific poet and poet-interviewer B.L. "Bari" Kennedy. A Littlesnake Broadside: Rattlesnake Interview Series, #5. Scarce. L-g3

Pollock Pines, CA: Rattlesnake Press, 2009. 1st Edition 1st Printing. Soft cover. New. 4to - over 9¾ - 12" tall. Pollock Pines, CA: Rattlesnake Press, May, 2009. The Rattlesnake Interview Anthology Series, Volume 5. Quarto, spiral bound with clear plastic cover protector, 75 pp. Signed and dated on the cover by interviewer (and poet) B.L. "Bari" Kennedy. A new, pristine and flawless piece - sort of the opposite of Kennedy himself. Conversations by promiscuous interviewer Kennedy (along with some author photos and sample poetry) of Lytton Bell (yum), Gene Bloom, V.S. Chochezi, Robert Grossklaus, Vincent Kobelt, Art Mantecon, Jackie Schaffer, Donald Sidney-Fryer, Bob Stanley, Monica Storss (yum), S.A. Griffin. Short bio of Kennedy, with his pic at the end. L-g3

Various: Various, 1968. First Editions . Various Wraps. Very Good Plus. Various. Wagner, D.R. And Others. A somewhat stunning collection, which, taken in all its parts, is both a free-form long-span biographical sketch of the accomplished poet, artist and musician D.R. Wagner, and a moving testimony to the closeness of his relationship with fellow counterculture poet B.L. "Bari" Kennedy [see separate listing of original manuscript poems by Kennedy]. (1) CHAPBOOKS: Various locations, dates and publishers; lot of poetry chapbooks inscribed to Bari Kennedy. Included: Cruisin' at the Limit [Duck Down, Fallon NV, 1982]. Signed and inscribed to Bari Kennedy; VG+. The Union Camp Papers [Twowindows Press, San Francisco, 1968. Edition of 420 copies]. Signed and inscribed to Bari Kennedy and flat signed at the title page; near fine. Round, Earth, Poems. [Gunrunner Press, Milwaukee, no date. Edition of 300 copies]. Signed and inscribed to Bari Kennedy; near fine. 100 Aspects of the Moon… Read More

Kent, CT: Truax Press, 1977. First and Limited Edition . Wraps in Cloth Portfolio. Fine. 12.5" x 17.5. Nichols, Sally & Pan, Loretta. Kent, CT: Truax Press, 1977. First/Limited Edition. No. 10 of 500 copies designed by Nichols. Signed by Nichols on dedication leaf. Calligraphy by Loretta Pan. Separate 19 page introduction, translation and technical analysis of poems by Stuart H. Sargent. Translators include Kenneth Rexroth, Arthur Waley, Henry Hart, Burton Watson and others. 16 poems in Chinese with English translations, on loose folding sheets along with pen-&-ink illustrations by Nichols, the Chinese calligraphy by Loretta Pan; along with separate folder containing printed sheets giving short biographies of artist, calligrapher, the readers of the poems for the records, etc.; Sargent's booklet in wrappers; two long-playing (33-1/3 r.p.m.) records of Chinese poetry reading. All items set into folding cloth portfolio, overall 12-1/2x17-1/2. Nichols brought together a… Read More

New York: Alfred A. Knopf / Borzoi Books, 1996. Hardcover. New/New. 16mo - over 5¾ - 6¾" tall. New. Pristine and flawless throughout. Emily Bronte: Poems (Everyman's Library Pocket Poets). New York: Alfred A. Knopf / Borzoi Books, 1996. 16mo, illustrated wraps, royal blue fine cloth boards with gilt and black imprinting on the front cover and spine, modest diagonal endpaper design, royal blue satin page-marker ribbon,255 pp. With editor's note and Index of First Lines. New, impeccable. See scans. Ships in stout protection, of course. -L16

[New York]: Simon and Schuster, 1952. First Edition . Cloth-backed Paper Boards. Near Fine. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Near Fine. See scans and description. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1952. First printing [stated]. Octavo, 107 pp. Small spot on front cover, smudge at top corner of one text page. Sharp, clean, of almost brand-new general aspect. Near Fine. See scans. Robinson was a Columbia grad and native of Ulster County, NY - by the time of this publication, he had lived and written in Woodstock for 26 years [and that was still years before Woodstock was to become - well - Woodstock, even though that was actually in Bethel, more than sixty miles...never mind]. In addition to a number of verse collections - from which he selected those in this volume - Robinson wrote several novels, the most famous being The Cardinal (1950), filmed in 1963 by Otto Preminger with Tom Tryon in the title role. He died on December 23, 1960, of complications from second- and third-degree… Read More

New York: Cheval Books and Random House, Inc. , 1971. 1st Edition 1st Printing. Hardcover. Very Good/Very Good. 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall. New York: Cheval Books and Random House, Inc., 1971. First Edition and First Printing, stated. Octavo, dust jacket with a David Nutter photograph, two-tone green paper and cloth covered boards, "RM" monogram blind-stamped on cover, gilt imprinting on spine, 108 pp. A substantially better than Very Good book in a Very Good, unclipped jacket showing modest tatter and curl primarily at top edge. Please review scans. L-46n

New York: Henry Holt & Company, 1936. Cloth. Near Fine/Very Good Plus. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. New York: Henry Holt & Company, 1929. No printing indicated.. Octavo, 102 pp. Dark red cloth, jacket in dark red and buff/cream. Previous owner's label at front pastedown, else a handsome near fine copy. Jacket shows darkening at spine, light to moderate wear at spine ends and top edges, VG or better jacket. Frost's love of connections - between people and place, people and people, and between the external and internal forests and fields - yielded the spirit of this collection, which is best explaned in his deciation of it to his wife Elinor: " To E.F. for what it may mean to her that beyond the White Mountains were the Green; beyond both were the Rockies, the Sierras, and, in thought, the Andes and Himalayas - range beyond range even into the realm of government and religion" . L6