The Song of Lazarus

Barnet, England: Poetry Folios, 1945. From the Bart Auerbach Collection. A fine copy, a few soft creases. 8vo. 11 pages. Original printed wrappers; glassine. First edition, one of 200 copies, this copy hors commerce. The dedication copy, inscribed beneath the colophon by the author: "À Paul Eluard en hommage Alex Comfort." The printed dedication ("For Paul Eluard") appears beneath the poem's title. With an ALS by Comfort to Eluard, in French, 30 January 1946, 4to, 1 1/4 pages, forwarding the book and commenting on Eluard's work, "... La poème que vous m'avez envoyé doit sa face à cette conscience de l'humanité – j'ai vouler faire un tel, moi, et je vrai pas pu. Je vous en remercie." Alex Comfort (1902-2000) was a British scientist and physician known best for his nonfiction sex manual, 'The Joy of Sex' (1972).