Description

“I SAW THE BEST MINDS OF MY GENERATION DESTROYED BY MADNESS?”: GINSBERG’S HOWL, VERY SCARCE ADVANCE REVIEW COPY SIGNED BY HIM

GINSBERG, Allen. Howl and Other Poems. San Francisco: City Lights Bookshop, (1956). Small octavo, black and white paper wrappers.

First edition, one of only 1000 first printing copies, this copy an advance review copy with printed slip tipped in, signed on the title page by Ginsberg. A lovely copy of a scarce and significant landmark in American poetry, most desirable signed.

Howl, published by poet and bookstore owner Lawrence Ferlinghetti at City Lights Bookshop, proved “extraordinarily popular… [with] its outrageous, Whitmanesque title poem a vers-libre anthem for the entire Beatnik revolt” (Hamilton, 187). “Ginsberg’s poetic method, so contrary to the formality of his peers, helped reshape modern poetry” (Chronology of American Literature). Morgan A3:a1.1. Printed advance review slip neatly tipped to inside front cover.

Spine slightly darkened. A fine signed copy. Rare.