Tag Archives: Batman Gallery

Michael McClure: Books and Broadsides

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Section A:
This index includes books and broadsides, and focuses primarily on the entries found in the Clements bibliography.


1. McClure, Michael. PASSAGE
mcclure_passageFirst edition:
Big Sur: Jonathan Williams – Publisher, June 1956
Hand-sewn in printed wrappers, 7.25″ x 10.75″, 12 pages, 200 copies, letterpress printed by the Windhover Press. Cover by Jonathan Williams. Published as Jargon 20.
(Clements A1)

2. McClure, Michael. PEYOTE POEM
First edition:
(San Francisco): Wallace Berman, 1958.
Broadside folded and tipped into printed and  photo-illustrated folder, 9″ x 12″, (200 copies), printed by Wallace Berman. Published as Semina 3.
(Clements A2)

3. McClure, Michael. FOR ARTAUD
mcclure_forartaudFirst edition:
New York: Totem Press, June 1959
Saddle-stapled in printed and illustrated wrappers, 5.5″ x 8.5″, 12 pages, (750 copies). Published as Blue Plate #2.
(Clements A3)

4. McClure, Michael. WE’RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A DEEP CLOUD
First edition:
(San Francisco): (Wallace Berman), (1959)
Broadside, 3.5″ x 4.25″, letterpress printed by Wallace Berman. Laid into Semina 4.
(Clements C14)


5. McClure, Michael. HYMNS TO ST. GERYON AND OTHER POEMS
mcclure_hymnsFirst edition:
San Francisco: Auerhahn Press, October 1959
Perfect-bound in printed and illustrated wrappers, 7.25″ x 10″, 62 pages, (950 copies), letterpress printed by Dave Haselwood. Cover illustration by McClure.
(Clements A4, Auerhahn 4)

6. McClure, Michael. FUCK DEATH *
First edition:
(San Francisco): privately printed, (1959)
Folded card, 5″ x 3.5″.
(Clements A5)

7. McClure, Michael. !THE FEAST!
First edition:
San Francisco: The Batman Gallery, 1960
Side-stapled printed sheets, 8.5″ x 11″, 14 pages, mimeograph [?] printed. A working script of the play performed at The Batman Gallery on Thursday, December 22, 1960.
(Clements A6)

8. McClure. Michael. WE ARE IMPERVIOUS…
First edition:
(Los Angeles): (Wallace Berman), (1960)
Broadside, 4″ x 6.25″, letterpress printed by Wallace Berman. Laid into Semina 5.
(Clements C17)


9. McClure, Michael. THE NEW BOOK / A BOOK OF TORTURE
First edition:
New York: Grove Press, August 1961
Perfect-bound in printed and illustrated wrappers, 64 pages, (4,000 copies). Photo of McClure on rear wrapper by Wallace Berman.
(Clements A7)

10. McClure, Michael. PILLOW *
First edition:
New York: New York Poets Theatre, October 1961
Side-stapled in printed wrapper, 8.5″ x 11″, 7 pages, photocopy printed. A working script of the play produced by the New York Poets Theatre at the Off-Bowery Gallery in New York City in October and November 1961.
(Clements A8)

11. McClure, Michael. SPONTANEOUS HYMN TO KUNDALINI
First edition:
(New Orleans): (Loujon Press), (Fall 1961)
Broadside, 5.75″ x 9″, letterpress printed by Jon and Louise Webb. An offprint from The Outsider, Vol. 1, No.1.
(not in Clements)

12. McClure, Michael. DARK BROWN
mcclure_darkbrowna. First edition, regular copies:
San Francisco: Auerhahn Press, Winter 1961
Perfect-bound in printed wrappers, 6″x 9″, 56 pages, 725 copies, letterpress printed by Dave Haselwood and Andrew Hoyem.
(Clements A9, Auerhahn 13)

b. First edition, numbered and signed copies:
San Francisco: Auerhahn Press, Winter 1961
Hardcover in gilt-stamped cloth-bound boards, 6″ x 9″, 56 pages, 25 numbered and signed copies, letterpress printed by Dave Haselwood and Andrew Hoyem, bound by the Schuberth Bindery. (Clements A9, Auerhahn 13)

c. Prospectus:
San Francisco: Auerhahn Press,  (1961)
Postcard announcement, 6″ x 3.25″, letterpress printed.
(not in Clements)

13. McClure, Michael. MEAT SCIENCE ESSAYS
First edition:
San Francisco: City Lights Books, June 1963
Perfect-bound in printed and photo-illustrated wrappers, 84 pages, (3,000 copies).  Author photo by Ettore Sotsass.
(Clements A10, Cook 41)

14. McClure, Michael. GRAHHR SHEET
First edition:
(San Francisco): privately printed, (1963)
Broadside, 6.25″ x 2″, letterpress printed.
(Clements A11)

Note: according to Clements, copies were given away by the author as tickets at readings in San Francisco and at the University of California at Berkeley. [These were used as tickets for the performance of ¡The Feast! at the Batman Gallery in 1960.]

15. McClure, Michael. TWO FOR BRUCE CONNER
First edition:
(San Francisco): Oyez Press, 1964
Broadside, 12″ x 17.5″, 500 copies, letterpress printed by Dave Haselwood at the Auerhahn Press. Published as Oyez #1.
(Clements A12)

16. McClure, Michael. POETRY IS A MUSCULAR PRINCIPLE
First edition:
(Los Angeles): privately printed, 1964
Broadside, 8.5″ x 5.5″. Photograph of McClure by Wallace Berman; make-up by Robert LaVigne. Beneath the photo is a statement by McClure beginning “Poetry is a muscular principle…”
(Clements A13)

17. McClure, Michael. BLUE-BLACK... *
First edition:
(Los Angeles): privately printed, (Summer 1964)
Broadside, 7.5″ x 2.5″. Contains one-line poem: “BLUE-BLACK SPACE RAINBOW GRAHHR”.
(Clements A14)

18. McClure, Michael. THE BLOSSOM: OR BILLY THE KID
mcclure_blossomFirst edition:
New York: American Theatre for Poets, 1964
Side-stapled sheets in printed cover, 8.5″ x 11″, 26 pages, mimeograph printed. A working script of the play.
(Clements A15)

19. McClure, Michael. GHOST TANTRAS
a. First edition, regular copies:
San Francisco:  privately printed, 1964
Perfect-bound in printed and illustrated wrappers, 108 pages, 1480 copies, cover photo of McClure by Wallace Berman.
(Clements A16)

b. First edition, signed copies: 
Hardcover in gilt-stamped cloth-bound boards in illustrated dust jacket, 109 pages, 20 numbered and signed copies, cover photo of McClure by Wallace Berman.
(Clements A16)

20. McClure, Michael. DOUBLE MURDER! VAHROOOOOOOHR!
First edition:
(Los Angeles): (Wallace Berman), 1964
Broadside, 3″ x 4.75″, (200 copies). Contained in a small manila envelope bearing an altered photograph of Jack Ruby at the point of murdering Lee Harvey Oswald. Published as Semina 9.
(Clements A17)

21. McClure, Michael. LOVE LION, LIONESS *
a. First edition, poster:
(San Francisco):  privately printed, (1964)
Poster, 28″ x 22″, 350 copies printed in the style of a boxing poster.
(Clements A18)

b. First edition, flyer:
(San Francisco):  privately printed, (1964)
Flyer, 11″ x 8.5″, 70 copies printed in black in the style of a boxing poster.
(Clements A18)

c. First edition, tickets:
(San Francisco):  privately printed, (1964)
Tickets, 5.5″ x 2.25″, printed in the style of theater tickets for the fictitious event.
(Clements A18)

22. McClure, Michael. 13 MAD SONNETS
mcclure_13madFirst edition:
Milan: East 128, 1964
Saddle-stapled and tipped in to printed dust jacket, 8.5″ x 11″, 28 pages, 299 numbered copies (plus 16 for the author’s use). Author photo by Ettore Sotsass Jr.
(Clements A19)

23. McClure, Michael. THE BEARD
First edition:
(San Francisco):  privately printed, April 1965
Perfect-bound in printed and photo-illustrated wrappers, 8.5″ x 13″, 71 pages, 350 copies planned, 330 produced (only 75 for sale).
(Clements A20)

24. McClure, Michael. POISONED WHEAT
mcclure_poisoneda. First edition, regular copies:
(San Francisco):  (Oyez Press), April 1965
Saddle-stapled in printed and photo-illustrated wrappers, 5.75″ x 7.75″, 16 pages, 576 copies.
(Clements A21)

b. First edition, signed copies:
Hardcover in cloth-bound boards in photo-illustrated dust jacket, 5.75″ x 7.75″, 16 pages, 24 copies lettered alpha through omega and signed by the author. Bound by Dorothy Hawley.
(Clements A21)

25. McClure, Michael. UNTO CAESAR
mcclure_untoFirst edition:
(San Francisco): (Dave Haselwood), (1965)
Hand-sewn in printed and collaged wrappers, 6.5″ x 4″,  24 pages, (60 copies), letterpress printed by Dave Haselwood.
(Haselwood 1)

26. McClure, Michael. DREAM TABLE
First edition:
San Francisco: Dave Haselwood, 1965
Thirty double-sided printed and illustrated cards, 2.5″ x 3.5″, 200 sets (30 signed), letterpress printed. Each card is illustrated with a Lion and a Tree on one side and two words on the other.
(Haselwood 5)

27. McClure, Michael. LOBE KEY STILLED LIONMAN LACED WINGED APRIL RAPHAEL DANCE WIRY
First edition:
(San Francisco): (Dave Haselwood), (1966)
Twenty-four printed and illustrated cards in printed envelope, cards measure 2″ x 2″, envelope measures 4.5″ x 5.75″. Each card is printed with  four words one side and a “hallucinogram” by Bruce Conner on the other.
(Haselwood 10)

28. McClure, Michael and Bruce Conner. MANDALAS
First edition:
San Francisco: Dave Haselwood, 1966
Saddle-stapled in printed and illustrated wrappers, 10″ x 10″, 32 pages, 1200 copies. Illustrated by Bruce Conner. Printed announcement issued.
(Haselwood 11)

29. McClure, Michael. LOVE LION BOOK
a. First edition, regular copies:
San Francisco: Four Seasons Foundation, 1966
Saddle-stapled in printed wrappers, 5.5″ x 8.5″, 21 pages, 1000 copies. Published as Writing 11.

b. First edition, numbered and signed copies:
San Francisco: Four Seasons Foundation, 1966
Hardcover in printed paper-bound boards with gilt-stamped cloth backstrip, 6″ x 9″, 21 pages, 40 numbered and signed copies.
Published as Writing 11.

30. McClure, Michael. POISONED WHEAT
mcclure_poisonedFirst edition, second printing:
San Francisco:  Coyote, 1966
Saddle-stapled in illustrated wrappers. 5.75″ x 7.75″, 16 pages, 5000 copies. Distributed by City Lights Books.


31. McClure, Michael. MEAT SCIENCE ESSAYS
Second expanded edition:
San Francisco: City Lights Books, June 1966
Perfect-bound in printed and photo-illustrated wrappers, 120 pages.
(not in Cook)

Note: This expanded edition contains three essays not found in the 1963 publication: “Phi Upsilon Kappa”, “Defense of Jayne Mansfield”, and “Reason”.

32. McClure, Michael. THE BEARD *
a. First Coyote edition, regular copies:
San Francisco: Coyote, 1967
Perfect-bound in printed and photo-illustrated wrappers, 82 pages,  4960 copies, cover art by Wes Wilson, introduction by Norman Mailer.

b. First Coyote edition, numbered and signed copies:
Specially-bound, 82 pages,  40 numbered and signed copies, cover art by Wes Wilson, introduction by Norman Mailer.

33. McClure, Michael. THE BEARD *
First Grove Press edition:
New York: Grove Press/Black Cat, 1967
Perfect-bound in printed and photo-illustrated wrappers, 96 pages.

Note: two different covers were issued.

34. McClure, Michael. WAR IS DECOR IN MY CAVERN CAVE *
First edition:
San Francisco: Communication Company, 1967
Broadside, 8.5″ x 11″, mimeograph printed.




35. McClure, Michael. THE BLOSSOM, OR BILLY THE KID *
First edition:
Milwaukee: Great Lakes Books, 1967
Saddle-stapled in printed and illustrated wrappers, 32 pages, 500 numbered copies (the first 10 signed).


36. McClure, Michael. FREEWHEELIN FRANK
First edition:
New York: Grove Press, 1967
Hardcover in gilt-stamped cloth bound board in illustrated dust jacket, 7.75″ x 9.75″, 160 pages.

Note: First hand account of the Hell’s Angels as told by their secretary Frank Reynolds.

37. McClure, Michael. HAIL THEE WHO PLAY *
a. First edition, regular copies:
Los Angeles: Black Sparrow Press, August 1968
Perfect-bound in printed wrappers, 233 numbered and signed copies.

b. First edition, hardcover copies:
Los Angeles: Black Sparrow Press, August 1968
Hardcover in printed paper-bound boards with cloth backstrip with printed paper label, 75 numbered and signed copies, each with an original drawing by the author.

38. McClure, Michael. LITTLE ODES: Jan – March 1961 *
First edition:
New York: Poets Press, 1968
Hand-sewn in printed and illustrated wrappers, 150 numbered and signed copies.

39. McClure, Michael. THE SERMONS OF JEAN HARLOW AND THE CURSES OF BILLY THE KID
a. First edition, regular copies:
San Francisco: Four Seasons Foundation with Dave Haselwood Books, 1968
Saddle-stapled in printed wrappers, 6″ x 9.25″, 24 pages, 1200 copies, letterpress printed by Dave Haselwood.
(Haselwood 17)

b. First edition, numbered and signed copies:
San Francisco: Four Seasons Foundation with Dave Haselwood Hardcover in printed paper-bound boards, 6″ x 9.25″, 24 pages, 50 copies signed.
(Haselwood 17)

40. McClure, Michael. MUSCLED APPLE SWIFT
First edition:
Los Angeles: Love Press, 1968
Hand-sewn in illustrated wrappers, 16 pages, 150 copies (63 of which are numbered and signed), cover art by George Herms.

41. McClure, Michael. GRAHHR APRIL GRHARRR APRIL
First edition:
(Buffalo): (Gallery Upstairs Press), (1968)
Broadside, 28.5″ x 21.25″, offset lithography printed.

42. McClure, Michael. GREETINGS
First edition:
London: Cape Goliard Press, 1968
Broadside, 11″ x 12″.

43. McClure, Michael. HYMNS TO ST. GERYON & DARK BROWN
a. First edition, regular copies:
London: Cape Goliard, 1969
Perfect-bound in printed wrappers.

b. First edition, hardcover copies:
London: Cape Goliard, 1969
Hardcover in gilt-stamped cloth-bound boards in illustrated dust jacket.

Note: two titles previously published by Auerhahn Press, published here dos-a-dos. Illustrated and with cover art by Wallace Berman.

44. McClure, Michael. LITTLE ODES AND THE RAPTORS *
a. First edition, regular copies:
Los Angeles: Black Sparrow Press,  March 1969
Perfect-bound illustrated wrappers, 6.25″ x 9.25″, 43 pages, 1000 copies.

b. First edition, numbered copies:
Hardcover in paper-covered boards with cloth backstrip and paper label, 6.75″ x 9.5″, 43 pages, 200 copies numbered and signed.

c. First edition, lettered copies:
Hardcover in gold stamped leather-bound boards, 6.75″ x 9.5″, 43 pages, 26 copies lettered and signed with each with an original drawing by the author.

45. McClure, Michael. THE SURGE *
Columbus, OH: Frontier Press, 1969

46. McClure, Michael. LION FIGHT *
New York: Pierrepont Press, 1969

47. McClure, Michael. GHOST TANTRAS
San Francisco: Four Seasons Foundation, 1969

48. McClure, Michael. PLANE POMES *
New York: Phoenix Book Shop, 1969

49. McClure, Michael. THE SHELL *
London: Cape Goliard, 1969

50. McClure, Michael. MUSCLED APPLE SWIFT *
Sacramento: Runcible Spoon, 1969

51. McClure, Michael. TO JAMES B. RECTOR *
San Francisco: Privately Published, 1969

52. McClure, Michael. LIBERATION *
Oakland: Mills College Tape Music Center, 1969

[* not in archive]

Auerhahn Press: Commissioned Publications

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Section C:
This index collects commissioned publications printed by Auerhahn Press for various publishers and private parties from 1961 through 1965.


1. SAN FRANCISCO TRIBUTE TO KENNETH PATCHEN
patchen_tributeFirst edition:
San Francisco: (Auerhahn Press), 1961
Hand-sewn in printed wrappers, 5.5″ x 8″, 8 pages, printed at the Auerhahn Press. Program for memorial service, includes illustrated Patchen poem. (Auerhahn 9)

2. Pomeroy, Ralph. STILLS & MOVIES
pomeroy_stillsFirst edition:
San Francisco: Gesture Press, 1961
Perfect-bound in illustrated wrappers, 6.25″ x 9″, 41 pages, 500 copies printed at the Auerhahn Press. Cover art by Harold Bruder. (Auerhahn 11)

Note: Printed announcement issued.

3. Suffin, Arnold. RESURRECTION
suffin_resurrectionFirst edition:
San Francisco: Arnold Suffin, 1961
Saddle-stapled in printed wrappers, 5.25″ x 8″, 40 pages, 200 copies, printed at the Auerhan Press. (Auerhahn 12)


4. Racine, Jean. BRITTANICUS
racine_britannicusFirst edition:
San Francisco: Folio 1, 1962
Hardcover in cloth-covered boards, 6.25″ x 8.25″, 87 pages, 300 numbered copies, printed at the Auerhahn Press, bound by the Schuberth Bindery. Block prints by Tanya Lohman. (Auerhahn 16)

Note: Printed announcement issued.

5. Magistretti, Paul. NOTES OF WHAT I CAN’T BE, OF WHAT I AM
magistretti_notesFirst edition:
San Francisco: The New Gnu Press, 1962
Perfect-bound in printed wrappers, 4.25″ x 7″, 40 pages, 400 numbered copies, printed at the Auerhahn Press. (Auerhahn 25)

Note: Printed announcement issued.

6. Hillsborough Garden Club. PLANTS FOR PICKING
San Francisco: Auerhahn Press, 1963
(Auerhahn 26)

7. Magowan, Robin. VOYAGE NOIR
magowan_voyageFirst edition:
Seattle: Robin Magowan, 1962
Hand-sewn in printed wrappers, 6″ x 8.5″, 36 pages, 500 copies, printed at the Auerhahn Press. Cover illustration by Hervé Télémaque. (Auerhahn 27)

8. Powell, Roxie. DREAMS OF STRAW
powell_dreamsFirst edition:
San Francisco: Roxie Powell,1963
Hand-sewn printed wrappers, 4.5″ x 6.75″, 16 pages, 250 copies, printed by Dave Haselwood and Charles Plymell at the Auerhahn Press. (Auerhahn 28)

9. Black, M. Graham. M. GRAHAM BLACK SENDS HIS OWN VERSES…
First edition:
San Francisco: Auerhahn Press, 1963
Hand-sewn in printed wrappers, 4.75″ x 6.5″, 8 pages, 100 copies, printed at the Auerhahn Press. (Auerhahn 29)


10. Elvin, Steve. DRAWINGS OF A PEYOTE BOY
elvin_drawingsFirst edition:
San Francisco: Batman Gallery, (1963)
Printed envelope containing 8 sheets printed with line cuts (one tinted), 9″ x 11″, printed at the Auerhahn Press. (Auerhahn 30)


11. Blackley, R. John. BEYOND DUST
blackley_beyondFirst edition:
San Francisco: n.p., 1964
Perfect-bound in printed wrappers, 8″ x 10.25″, 64 pages, 175 numbered and signed copies, printed at the Auerhahn Press. (Auerhahn 31)


12. KOSHIRO ONCHI, 1891-1955: WOODCUTS
First edition:
San Francisco: Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts, 1964
Perfect-bound wrappers, 6.5″ x 8.5″, 42 pages, (750 copies), printed at the Auerhahn Press. (Auerhahn 32)

13. Corrington, John William. THE ANATOMY OF LOVE…
corrington_anatomya. First edition, regular copies:
Fort Lauderdale: Roman Books, 1964
Perfect-bound in printed wrappers, 6.5″ x 9″, 86 pages, 1000 copies, printed at the Auerhahn Press. Introduction by Richard Whittington. (Auerhahn 33)

b. First edition, hardcover, signed copies:
Fort Lauderdale: Roman Books, 1964
Hardcover in paper-covered boards with cloth spine, 6.5″ x 9″, 86 pages, 50 numbered and signed copies, printed at the Auerhahn Press, bound by the Schuberth Bindery. Introduction by Richard Whittington. (Auerhahn 33)

14. Williams, Jonathan. LINES ABOUT HILLS ABOVE LAKES
williams_linesa. First edition, regular copies:
Fort Lauderdale: Roman Books, 1964
Perfect-bound in printed wrappers, 6.25″ x 9″, 27 pages, 750 copies, printed at the Auerhahn Press. Illustrated by Barry Hall. Foreword by John Wain. (Auerhahn 34)

b. First edition, hardcover, signed copies:
Fort Lauderdale: Roman Books, 1964
Hardcover in paper-covered boards with cloth spine, 6.25″ x 9″, 27 pages, 50 numbered and signed copies, printed at the Auerhahn Press, bound by the Schuberth Bindery. Illustrated by Barry Hall. Foreword by John Wain. (Auerhahn 34)

15. Johnson, Ronald. A LINE OF POETRY, A ROW OF TREES
johnson_linea. First edition, regular copies:
Highlands: The Nantahala Foundation, 1964
Perfect-bound in illustrated french-fold wrappers in glassine dust jacket,  6.5″ x 10″, 80 pages, 500 copies, printed at the Auerhahn Press, errata slip noting the omitted dedication to Olson laid in. Illustrated by Thomas George. The author’s first book. Published as Jargon 42. (Auerhahn 35)

b. First edition, hardcover, signed copies:
Highlands: The Nantahala Foundation, 1964
Hardcover in cloth-covered boards in unprinted dust jacket, 6.5″ x 10″, 80 pages, 50 numbered and signed copies, printed at the Auerhahn Press, bound by the Schuberth Bindery. Illustrated by Thomas George. The author’s first book. Published as Jargon 42.
(Auerhahn 35)

16. THE NEXUS CATALOGUE
nexus_catalogFirst edition:
La Jolla: The Nexus, 1964-65
Saddle-stapled in printed wrappers, 4″ x 8.75″, 16 pages, printed at the Auerhahn Press. (Auerhahn 36)



Wallace Berman – Posters and Prints

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This index collects posters and prints reproducing Berman’s photographs and verifax images


Berman, Wallace. GEORGE HERMS EXHIBITION
georgehermsSan Francisco: Batman Gallery, 1961
First edition, poster, 20″x 15″, offset printed in red and black on beige stock, designed by Wallace Berman announcing an exhibition of works by George Herms at the Batman Gallery in San Francisco, This is Berman’s first poster.

Berman, Wallace. 2ND LOS ANGELES FILM MAKER’S FESTIVAL
Los Angeles: Cinema Theatre, February 1963
First edition, poster, 12.5″ x 18″, offset printed from collage and manuscript, designed by Wallace Berman.



Berman, Wallace. LOVEWEED
loveweedn.p.: Wallace Berman, 1963
First edition, poster, 14.5″ x 10″, offset printed in black and gray-scale, designed by Wallace Berman.



Berman, Wallace. THIRD LOS ANGELES FILM MAKER’S FESTIVAL
Los Angeles: Cinema Theatre, October 1964
First edition, poster, 21.5″ x 22.5″, offset printed from verifax prints, designed by Wallace Berman.


Berman, Wallace. CMN / DENOMINATOR MIC.W736
cmndenominatorLos Angeles: Wallace Berman, 1967
First edition, poster, 17″x21″, offset printed in black and yellow, designed by Wallace Berman.




Berman, Wallace. RETARD PARA. 33. SEC. 12. MM
retardparaLos Angeles: privately printed, 1967
First edition, poster, 17″ x 21″, offset printed in black and yellow, designed by Wallace Berman.




Berman, Wallace. POETRY IS A MUSCULAR PRINCIPLE
Los Angeles: Wallace Berman, 1966
First edition, broadside, 5.5″ x 8.5″, text by Michael McClure and photograph of McClure by Wallace Berman.

Berman, Wallace. OPT. 82. BOOSTER BNG. ANGUINEA/Y
opt82Los Angeles: Black Sparrow Press, 1967
First edition, poster, 25″ x 22″, 385 numbered copies (100 signed by Berman), offset printed in black, red and orange.
[Publishers printed announcement reproduces image]

Berman, Wallace. MICHAEL MCCLURE’S THE BEARD
Los Angeles: Warner Playhouse, 1968
First edition, poster, 8.5″ x 14.5″, offset printed in red and gray-scale. Poster for the 1968 Los Angeles premiere of McClure’s play, after the productions had been shut down in New York and San Francisco. Poster designed and with a photo by Wallace Berman.

Berman, Wallace. RADIO/AETHER SERIES
radioLos Angeles: Gemini G.E.L., 1974
First edition, 50 copies plus 10 artist’s proofs, printed cloth-covered box containing 13 2-color mounted lithographs [photographed from original verifax] and a signed title page/colophon. Each lithograph measures 12″x13″ and reproduces a grid of four of Berman’s iconic hand-held radios with different images in each.

Michael McClure

Photograph of McClure by Wallace Berman taken in 1964; make-up by Robert LaVigne. Beneath the photo is a statement by McClure beginning “Poetry is a muscular principle…”

Since his literary debut at the Six Gallery reading, Michael McClure has been one of the most enduring and influential writers of the Beat movement. As one of five poets who began his career on that night in 1955, he shares a long and rich history with Allen Ginsberg, Philip Whalen, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Gary Snyder, Philip Lamantia, and many other writers of San Francisco’s Beat period. As one of the youngest members of the Beat circle, McClure played an important role as a bridge between writers and artists of the Beat movement and the region’s youth counterculture of the 1960s and has been a close friend and collaborator with figures such as Jim Morrison, Richard Brautigan, Bob Dylan, and Janis Joplin.


Michael McClure checklist:

Section A: Books and Broadsides
Section B: Contributions to Books and Anthologies
Section C: Contributions to Periodicals


McClure was born October 20, 1932, in Marysville, Kansas. He began his university education in 1951 at the University of Wichita and later transferred to the University of Arizona before moving to San Francisco where he enrolled in a writing workshop with poet Robert Duncan at San Francisco State University. Through his friendship with Duncan and later with poet Kenneth Rexroth, he began to find his place in the city’s literary community in the early 1950s.

In fall 1955 McClure took part in the now famous Six Gallery reading — the foundation of what would soon be called the San Francisco Poetry Renaissance. Here, in his first public reading, McClure, along with Lamantia, Snyder, Whalen, and Ginsberg helped to launch the Beat movement, and his presence at the event helped to instill in the fledgling movement his lifelong fascination with the natural world.

In the months following the Six Gallery reading, McClure began in earnest to publish his work. In 1956 his first small collection of poems PASSAGE, was published by Jonathan Williams (Jargon). Other collections soon followed, including McClure’s first major collection, HYMNS TO ST. GERYON AND OTHER POEMS (Auerhahn Press, 1958), THE NEW BOOK / A BOOK OF TORTURE (Grove Press, 1961), his powerfully erotic long poem DARK BROWN (Auerhahn Press, 1961), the wildly experimental “beast language” poems contained in GHOST TANTRAS (1964), and his vitriolic condemnation of the Vietnam War, POISONED WHEAT (Oyez, 1965). During these early years, McClure also took an active role in seeing that the words and ideas of other writers of the Beat movement and the Black Mountain School made it into print; he co-edited two influential literary journals of the period: ARK II / MOBY I and JOURNAL FOR THE PROTECTION OF ALL BEINGS.

— Encyclopedia of Beat Literature


References consulted:

Clements, Marshall. A CATALOG OF WORKS BY MICHAEL MCCLURE, 1956-1965
New York: The Phoenix Book Shop, 1965

Cook, Ralph T. CITY LIGHTS BOOKS: A DESCRIPTIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY
Metuchen: Scarecrow Press, 1992

Cooney, Seamus. THE BLACK SPARROW PRESS, A CHECKLIST
Los Angeles: Black Sparrow Press, 1971

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


Online resources:

Empty Mirror  Books – bibliography

Light and Dust – biography and bibliography

Michael McClure – official site

Penn Sound – audio

Poetry Foundation – biography