Robert The Devil

Iowa City: The Windhover Press at the University of Iowa [Kim Merker], 1981. Limited Edition. Hardcover. Near fine. Sexauer, Roxanne. One of 310 copies, folio size, 46 pp. The legend of "Robert the Devil" goes back to a late twelfth-century romance; according to the legend, a son was born in the seventh century in answer to prayers to the devil, hence his name. "This diabolical parentage resulted in Robert being colean, violent, and cruel from an early age" (n.b., from the web site of Visit Rouen).

This version of the legend printed by by inimitable Karl Kimber Merker (1932-2013) at the University of Iowa's Windhover Press. Per "A Century (truncated) for the Century", this publication shows, "as with all of Merker's books...a combination of beautiful and legible classicism with an inventive and fresh approach."

Merker's publication is based on a translation made by William Stanely Merwin (1927-2019), who "won nearly every award available to an American poet, and...was named U.S. poet laureate twice" (n.b., from the web site of the Poetry Foundation).

Merker approached Roxanne Sexauer, who has both BFA and MFA degrees in Printmaking, to create the wood engravings, in a medieval style, to complement the text. In addition to numerous solo exhibitions, she serves on the faculty of Cal State - Long Beach as a Professor in the Printmaking Discipline.

___DESCRIPTION: Bound in full greyish cream-coloured linen cloth over boards by Black Oak Bindery, red paper spine label, illustrated title page in red and black, "chapter headings" (e.g., "Act One") in red, text in double columns, eleven wood engravings (some duplicated); types Mardersteig's Dante, Bembo italic and Centaur capitals printed on paper specially hand made for the Press in England, binding folio size (12 3/4" by 9"), pagination: [1-8] 9-[45] [1, colophon]; limited edition of 310 copies, this one of the 260 standard copies. Note that the errata slip is missing from this copy, which noted the following changes: where the colophon states that the book was produced "in the fall and winter of 1979 [with] thirty-five [copies] numbered and signed by the artist" the errata slip reads "between the fall of 1979 and the summer of 1981. 50 numbered copies have been signed by the artist...and by the translator".

___CONDITION: Near fine, the boards clean other than a few light, stray marks, straight corners without rubbing, a strong, square text block with solid hinges, the interior is clean and bright, and entirely free of prior owner markings; lacking the errata slip.

___CITATIONS: A Century for a Century, no. 85; Berger, no. 77.

___POSTAGE: International customers, please note that additional postage may apply as the standard does not always cover costs; please inquire for details.

___Swan's Fine Books is pleased to be a member of the ABAA, ILAB, and IOBA and we stand behind every book we sell. Please contact us with any questions you may have, we are here to help. (Inventory #: 16020519)