The Poet is Dead; A Memorial for Robinson Jeffers

San Francisco: The Auerhahn Press, 1964. First and Limited Edition. Hardcover. Near fine/very good +. Van Aver, Philip. First edition in book form, one of 205 copies, quarto size, 22pp., signed by Brother Antoninus, with prospectus. A heart-wrenchingly beautiful paean by one famous poet, Brother Antoninus (William Everson, 1912-1994), to another, John Robinson Jeffers (1887-1962) upon his death. "The great tongue is dried. / The teeth that bit to the bitterness / Are sheathed in truth. / For the poet is dead..."

For those who may not know, the Auerhaun Press was founded by Dave Haselwood, who relates its beginnings in the opening pages of the "Auerhahn Press Bibliography" thus: "During the Summer of 1958 I drifted around San Francisco talking endlessly with painters such as Robert LaVigne and Jesse Sharpe & poets Lamantia, McClure, Wieners and reading all the live poetry & prose I could get my hands on. It was at this time that it occurred to me that the press could mean a great many things, some personal, some in a larger context: - I had reached the point where complete physical involvement in something important to me was absolutely necessary. The press could fill that requirement" (pp. 5-6). Andrew Hoyem joined the Press and became a partner; his meticulous attention to detail and skill at design and layout are evident here, which would become hallmarks of his work at the Arion Press.

___DESCRIPTION: Bound in quarter purple leather over ivory paper-covered boards, white paper spine label with gilt lettering, title page in purple and black, the introduction ("Note") and poem both with a two-line purple initial capital, each stanza of the poem interspersed with a small purple circle, signed by Brother Antoninus on the blank following the last page of the text; binding quarto size (10 3/4" by 8 1/8"), unpaginated with twelve leaves; one of 205 copies, unnumbered. The dust wrapper of plain white, the prospectus a single sheet folded once to four pages, an illustration on the front page in purple by Philip Van Aver, text on the third page with purple initial capitals, the second and final pages blank, measuring 8 9/16" by 5 1/2" when closed.

___CONDITION: Volume near fine and could likely be deemed fine, the boards clean other than light offsetting where the paper meets the leather and a tiny speck at the fore-edge bottom corner of the front board, 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; some light offsetting to the paste-down endpapers and a few very small spots of foxing to the same, else fine. The dust wrapper a bit better than very good, mostly clean other than a few light, stray marks, light edgewear mostly at the head and tail, but with a fair amount of sunning to the spine and back panel; the prospectus fine, clean, utterly without wear or soil.

___CITATION: Auerhahn Press bibliography, no. 24; Bartlett and Campo, no. A20.

___POSTAGE: International customers, please note the following: (i) additional postage may apply as the standard does not always cover costs, please inquire for details; and (ii) any taxes, duty, or tariffs charged by your country will, of necessity, be your responsibility.

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