Composed on the Tongue

Bolinas: Gray Fox Press, 1980 First edition, first printing. Signed and inscribed by Ginsberg on title page: "Allen Ginsberg Cambridge 1982 March 5", with "Literary Essay 1967-1977" handwritten underneath the title. Publisher's gray and red wrappers, lettered in white. Near fine, with light toning to spine, and wrinkling to foot of spine. Overall, a clean and tight copy. Composed on the Tongue is a collection of journal entries, lectures, and recorded conversations by Allen Ginsberg, largely on the subject of writing poetry. The pieces, composed between 1967 and 1975, include "Encounters with Ezra Pound," "Improvised Poetics," "The New Consciousness," "A Conversation," "'First Thought, Best Thought,' "An Exposition of William Carlos Williams' Poetic Practice," and "Some Different Considerations in Mindful Arrangement of Open Verse Forms on the Page." . Inscribed by Author. First Edition. Original Wrappers. Near Fine.