Lew Welch was born August 16, 1926 in Phoenix, Arizona, and moved with his family to California in 1929. At Reed College in the late 1940s, Welch lived with Gary Snyder and Philip Whalen. In the fall of 1949 Welch was co-editor of the school’s literary magazine and was writing constantly; he wrote his senior thesis on Gertrude Stein and graduated in 1950.
Donald Allen included one of Welch’s poems in The New American Poetry anthology published in 1960. That same year Welch’s first book, Wobbly Rock, was published by Auerhahn Press. For a time he lived in Reno, Nevada, and then in a cabin in the Trinity Alps. He moved back to San Francisco in 1963, and in 1965 published three books.
In 1965, Welch began teaching a poetry workshop offered through the extension program of the University of California at Berkeley. In 1971 Welch returned to the mountains. On May 23, 1971, Gary Snyder went up to Welch’s campsite and found a suicide note in Welch’s truck. Despite an extensive search, Welch’s body was never recovered.
A. Books & Broadsides
1. Welch, Lew. WOBBLY ROCK
San Francisco: Auerhahn Press, 1960
First edition, saddle-stapled printed wrappers, 6″ x 8″, 12 pages, 500 copies, illustrated by Robert LaVigne. Dedication: for Gary Snyder / “I think I’ll be the Buddha of this place” / and sat himself / down
(Auerhahn 7)
2. Welch, Lew. EARLY SUMMER HERMIT SONG
(San Francisco: San Francisco Arts Commission, 1963)
First edition, broadside, 13” x 20”, 300 copies, signed by author and illustrator, illustrated by W. Weber. Laid into portfolio entitled San Francisco Arts Festival: A Poetry Folio: 1963, which included Robin Blaser, Helen Adam, Phillip Whalen, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Allan Ginsberg, Robert Duncan, And Lew Welch.
3. Welch, Lew. STEP OUT ONTO THE PLANET
(San Francisco: Four Seasons Foundation, 1964)
First edition, broadside, 9.5” x 12.5”, 300 copies, signed by the author. Printed for the occasion of a reading by Welch, Philip Whalen, and Gary Snyder at the Longshoremen’s Hall in San Francisco on June 12, 1964 known as the Free Way Reading.
4. Welch, Lew. RICHER THAN THE RICHEST FALCONER
(San Francisco): Auerhahn Press, (1965)
First edition, broadside, 9.5″ by 15.5″, 125 copies printed for Don Carpenter.
5. Welch, Lew. ON OUT
Berkeley: Oyez, 1965
First edition, stapled sheets bound into printed wrappers, 6″ x 9.25″, 36 pages, 500 copies. Printed by Graham Mackintosh, photograph of poet by Jim Hatch. Dedication: This book is for Magda.
6. Welch, Lew. HERMIT POEMS
San Francisco: Four Seasons Foundation, 1965
First edition, wrappers, 7″ x 9″, 14 pages, 974 trade copies and 26 copies numbered and signed by the author. Published as Writing 8.
7. Welch, Lew. “AT TIMES WE’RE ALMOST ABLE TO SEE…”
(San Francisco): Don Carpenter, December 1965
First edition, broadside, 7.5″ x 6.25″, 125 copies. Printed by Andrew Hoyem.
8. Welch, Lew. A MOVING TARGET IS HARD TO HIT
San Francisco: Communication Company, 1967
First edition, broadside, 8.5″ x 11″.
A long poem by Welch about dispersing to spread the countercultural message: “Disperse. Gather into smaller tribes. Use the beautiful public land your state and national governments have already set up for you, free. If you want to. Most Indians are nomads. The haight-ashbury is not where it’s at – it’s in your head and hands. Take it anywhere.”
9. Welch, Lew. THE BASIC CON
(Santa Barbara: Unicorn Press, 1967)
First edition, wrappers, 450 copies of the trade edition and 26 copies lettered and signed by the author, two variants printed in brown and black and red and black, printed by Nicolas Muska. Printed on the occasion of Welch’s reading on April 22, 1967 at the Unicorn Book Shop.
10. Welch, Lew. COURSES
San Francisco: Dave Haselwood, 1968
First edition, hand-sewn suede wrappers, 6.5″ x 4″, 28 pages, 50 copies, letterpress printed. (Haselwood 16)
11. Welch, Lew. COURSES
San Francisco: Cranium Press, 1968
Second “facsimile” edition, hand-sewn printed wrappers, 6.5″ x 4″, 28 pages, letterpress printed.
12. Welch, Lew. SAUSALITO TRASH PRAYER
(San Francisco): n.p., July 1969
First edition, broadside, 3.5” x 6”, letterpress. According to Lepper this was preceded by a photocopied edition of 40 done by Welch at the Public Library in Sausalito and given away.
13. Welch, Lew. THE SONG MT. TAMALPAIS SINGS
San Francisco: Maya, 1969
First edition, hand-sewn wrappers with printed label, 7.5″ x 10″, 16 pages, 250 trade copies and 50 copies numbered and signed by the author. Published as Maya Quarto Five. Designed and printed by Clifford Burke at Cranium Press.
14. Welch, Lew. FROM WOBBLY ROCK
(San Francisco: Cranium Press, 1969)
First edition, broadside
15. Welch, Lew. THE SONG MT. TAMALPAIS SINGS
Berkeley: Sand Dollar, December 1970
Second expanded edition, side-stapled printed wrappers, 6″ x 8″, 20 pages, 1000 copies. Published as Sand Dollar 3 and contains three additional poems not included in the first edition. Published by Jack Shoemaker and designed by Clifford Burke.
14. Welch, Lew. INFLATION FOR NEIL DAVIS, INNKEEPER
(Portland): Yes Press, 1970
First edition, broadside, 5” x 11”
15. Welch, Lew. GETTING BALD
(San Francisco): (Cranium Press), March 1970
First edition, postcard, 4” x 6”.
16. Welch, Lew. SOMETIMES I TALK TO KEROUAC…
Portland: Yes Press, 1971
First edition, broadside, 7″ x 6″.
17. Welch, Lew. SPRINGTIME IN THE ROCKIES, LICHEN
San Francisco: Cranium Press, 1971
First edition, broadside, 8.5” x 14”, variants on pink, grey, and green stock.
18. Welch, Lew. REDWOOD HAIKU & OTHER POEMS
San Francisco: Cranium Press, 1972
First edition, hand-sewn printed wrappers, 5.75″ x 5.75″, 20 pages, 250 copies. Printed by Clifford Burke and Nancy Lehman.
19. Welch, Lew. RING OF BONE: SELECTED POEMS 1950-1971
Bolinas: Grey Fox Press, 1973
First edition, wrappers and hardcover issued, 233 pages with index.
20. Welch, Lew. HOW I WORK AS A POET
Bolinas: Grey Fox Press, 1973
First edition, wrappers and hardcover issued, 139 pages.
21. Welch, Lew. A GREETING FOR THE SPRING SOLSTICE
Albany: Sand Dollar, 1976
First edition, Single sheet, folded to make 4 pages. Printed by Wesley Tanner and James Monday at the Arif Press.
22. Welch, Lew. SELECTED POEMS
Bolinas: Grey Fox Press, 1976
First edition, wrappers, 94 pages including index, preface by Gary Snyder.
23. Welch, Lew. I, LEO: AN UNFINISHED NOVEL
Bolinas: Grey Fox Press, 1977
First edition, wrappers, 82 pages.
24. Welch, Lew. INFLATION FOR NEIL DAVIS, INNKEEPER
(Buffalo): White Pine Press, 1979
Second edition, broadside, 4” x 6”.
25. Welch, Lew. I REMAIN – THE LETTERS OF LEW WELCH & THE CORRESPONDENCE OF HIS FRIENDS (Volume 1: 1949-1960)
Bolinas: Grey Fox Press, 1980
First edition, wrappers and hardcover issued, 200 pages.
26. Welch, Lew. I REMAIN – THE LETTERS OF LEW WELCH & THE CORRESPONDENCE OF HIS FRIENDS (Volume 2: 1960-1971)
Bolinas: Grey Fox Press, 1980
First edition, wrappers and hardcover issued, 200 pages.
27. Welch, Lew. HOW I READ GERTRUDE STEIN
Bolinas: Grey Fox Press, 1995
First edition, wrappers, originally written late-1940’s
28. Welch, Lew. LETTERS FROM LEW WELCH
Coventry: The Beat Scene Press, 2010
First edition, wrappers, 125 copies
References consulted:
Bohn, Dave. OYEZ: THE AUTHORIZED CHECKLIST
Berkeley: n.p., 1997
Hawley, Bob. CHECKLISTS OF SEPARATE PUBLICATIONS OF POETS AT THE FIRST BERKELEY POETRY CONFERENCE 1965
Berkeley: Oyez/Cody’s, 1965
Johnston, Alastair. A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THE AUERHAHN PRESS & ITS SUCCESSOR DAVE HASELWOOD BOOKS
Berkeley: Poltroon Press, 1976
Lepper, Gary M. A BIBLIOGRAPHICAL INTRODUCTION TO SEVENTY-FIVE MODERN AMERICAN AUTHORS
Berkeley: Serendipity Books, 1976