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Jack Spicer – Books

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Section A:
This index collects books, chapbooks, and pamphlets

1. Spicer, Jack. AFTER LORCA
spicer_lorcaa. First edition, regular copies:
San Francisco: White Rabbit Press, November-December 1957
Saddle-stapled in illustrated wrappers, 6.5″ x 8.5″, 76 pages, 474 copies, multilith printed by Joe Dunn. Jack Spicer’s first book of poetry. Cover illustration by Jess Collins. Introduction by Federico Garcia Lorca.
(Johnston A2)

b. First edition, lettered and signed copies: 
San Francisco: White Rabbit Press, November-December 1957
Saddle-stapled in illustrated wrappers, 6.5″ x 8.5″, 76 pages, 26 copies lettered and signed with a drawing by the author, multilith printed by Joe Dunn. Jack Spicer’s first book of poetry. Cover illustration by Jess Collins. Introduction by Federico Garcia Lorca.
(Johnston A2)

c. First edition, second issue:
San Francisco: White Rabbit Press, November-December 1957
Unbound (but collated and folded) without wrappers issued in mailing envelope at a later date.
(Johnston A2)

d. First UK edition:
London: Aloes Books, 1969

e. Second edition:
n.p.: Marco Polio, 1974

2. Spicer, Jack. HOMAGE TO CREELEY 
spicer_homageFirst edition:
Annapolis: Harold and Dore Dull, Summer 1959
Side-stapled in printed covers, 8.5″ x 11″, 33 pages, 100 copies, spirit-mimeo printed. Incorporated into A4.


3. Spicer, Jack. BILLY THE KID
spicer_billya. First edition, first state:
Stinson Beach: Enkidu Surrogate, October 1959
Saddle-stapled in illustrated wrappers, 6.5″ x 8.5″, 16 pages, 750 copies, offset printed.  Illustrations by Jess Collins.

b. First edition, second state:
The second state includes holograph corrections to text on page 8; holograph addition of ‘Face’ at end of section VI.

c. Second edition:
Dublin: New Writers’ Press, 1969

d. Third edition
n.p.: Oyster Press, March 1975

4. Spicer, Jack. THE HEADS IF THE TOWN UP TO THE AETHER
spicer_headsa. First edition, regular copies:
San Francisco: Auerhahn Press, 1962
Perfect-bound in illustrated  and printed wrappers, 4.75″ x 6.75″, 109 pages, 750 copies, letterpress printed by Dave Haselwood. Illustrated by Fran Herndon.
(Auerhahn 21)

b. First edition, hardcover, signed copies:
San Francisco: Auerhahn Press, 1962
Hardcover in cloth-bound boards, 4.75″ x 7.25″, 109 pages, 50 copies signed by the author and artist, with an original drawing by Spicer, letterpress printed by Dave Haselwood, bound by the Schuberth Bindery. Illustrated by Fran Herndon.
(Auerhahn 21)

Note: Printed announcement issued.

5. Spicer, Jack. LAMENT FOR THE MAKERS
spicer_lamenta. First edition:
Oakland: White Rabbit Press, 1962
Hand-sewn in illustrated wrappers, 5.5″ x 8″, 16 pages, 100 copies, offset printed. Illustrated by Graham Mackintosh.
(Johnston A11)

Note: According to Johnston, “Back of title page has a fictitious acknowledgments list (by Graham Mackintosh) taken from Robert Duncan’s The Opening of the Field.”

b. First UK edition:
London: Aloes, 1971

6. Spicer, Jack. THE HOLY GRAIL
spicer_holya. First edition, regular copies:
San Francisco: White Rabbit Press, 1964
Saddle-stapled and glued into illustrated wrappers, 6.25″ x 8.5″, 80 pages, offset printed. Illustrated by Graham Mackintosh.
(Johnston A19)

b. First edition, hardcover copies:
San Francisco: White Rabbit Press, 1964
Hardcover, 6.25″ x 8.5″, 80 pages, 13 copies signed (4 were reportedly destroyed during signing), offset printed. Illustrated by Graham Mackintosh.
(Johnston A19)

spicer_holy2c. Second, Pirated edition:
Berkeley: Jolly Roger Press, February 1969
Side-stapled printed and illustrated sheets, 8.5″ x 11″, 20 pages, 500 copies. Published anonymously by Richard Krech and John Oliver Simon at the Undermine Press.

Pirate’s Note: “I only heard Jack Spicer read once, at the the Berkeley poetry conference in july 65. an hour after he read THE HOLY GRAIL, the last copy was gone from the avenue bookstores… this free pirate edition is distributed to make the poem available to those who need it.”

d. Third edition:
Watertown: Augtwofive, 1970





e. Fourth edition:
Portland: Timeworn (Poor Claudia at Revolution Publishing), 2014

7. Spicer, Jack. LANGUAGE
spicer_languagea. First edition:
San Francisco: White Rabbit Press, June 1965
Perfect-bound illustrated wrappers, 6.25″ x 10″, 72 pages, 950 copies, letterpress printed by Graham Mackintosh.
(Johnston A30)

Note: Most of these poems first appeared in OPEN SPACE.

b. First edition, second printing:
San Francisco: White Rabbit Press, 1970
Perfect-bound illustrated wrappers, 6.25″ x 10″, 72 pages, 950 copies, offset printed from the first edition. Text added to the colophon: “Second printing 1970”.
(Johnston A54)

8. Spicer, Jack. BOOK OF MAGAZINE VERSE
spicer_magazinea. First edition:
San Francisco: White Rabbit Press, 1966
Perfect-bound printed and illustrated wrappers, 5.5″ x 7.75″, 56 pages, 1500 copies, letterpress printed by Graham Mackintosh. Prepared for publication from the original manuscript by Stan Persky. Illustrated by Graham Mackintosh.
(Johnston A33)

According to Johnston, “The cover is a parody of the cover of Poetry (Chicago). The poems are arranged in groups intended for various little magazines and newspapers, each section printed on a stock appropriate to that publication, so that for example, the poems for Tish are on blue mimeo paper, those for the St. Louis Sporting News on newsprint.”

b. First edition, second printing
San Francisco: White Rabbit Press, 1970
Perfect-bound printed and illustrated wrappers, 5.5″ x 7.75″, 56 pages, 1500 copies, letterpress printed by Graham Mackintosh. Prepared for publication from the original manuscript by Stan Persky. Illustrated by Graham Mackintosh.
(Johnston A33)

9. Spicer, Jack. A BOOK OF MUSIC
spicer_musica. First edition, regular copies:
San Francisco: White Rabbit, 1969
Saddle-stapled illustrated wrappers, 6.25″ x 9.25″, 20 pages, 1800 copies designed and printed by Ron and Graham Mackintosh from a typescript made available by Peter Howard. The cover was one decided upon by the author. Illustrated by Graham Mackintosh.
(Johnston A48)

b. First edition, variant copies:
Variant copies include additional printed text on the front leaf: “150 copies printed Christmas, 1969 / for friends of White Rabbit, Oyez, / and the author”.
(Johnston A48a)

10. Spicer, Jack. THE RED WHEELBARROW
a. First edition, regular copies:
Berkeley: Arif Press, June 1971
Hand-sewn printed and illustrated wrappers, 5.5″ x 5.5″, 24 pages, 475 copies, letterpress printed. Illustrated by  Wesley Tanner. Printed by Wesley Tanner at Cranium Press.

b. First edition, numbered copies:
Berkeley: Arif Press, June 1971
Hand-sewn printed and illustrated wrappers, 5.5″ x 5.5″, 24 pages, 25 copies with hand-colored frontispiece, signed by the illustrator, letterpress printed. Illustrated by  Wesley Tanner. Printed by Wesley Tanner at Cranium Press.

Note: Printed announcement issued.

11. Spicer, Jack. SOME THINGS FROM JACK
First edition:
Verona: Plain Wrapper Press, 1972
Wrappers, 6.5″ x 10.25″, 11 pages, 91 numbered copies, printed letterpress. Introduction by Richard Rummonds. Linocut by Miroslav Zahradka.

12. Spicer, Jack. ADMONITIONS
First edition:
New York: Adventures in Poetry, 1974
Side-stapled printed wrappers, 8.5″ x 11″, 44 pages, mimeograph printed.



13. Spicer, Jack. QUARTUS 1: A LOST POEM
First edition:
Verona: Plain Wrapper Press, 1974
Hardcover in cloth-bound boards, 9.5″ x 11.5″, 8 pages, 114 numbered copies signed by the artist, letterpress printed. Postscript by Richard-Gabriel Rummonds. Illustrated with two etchings by Ariel Parkinson.

14. Spicer, Jack. FIFTEEN FALSE PROPOSITIONS ABOUT GOD
First edition:
South San Francisco: Manroot, September 1974
Saddle-stapled printed and illustrated wrappers, 6.5″ x 8.5″, 16 pages, offset printed.

Note: This poem first appeared in Beatitude, No. 3 (San Francisco, May 1959)

15. Spicer, Jack. THE COLLECTED BOOKS OF JACK SPICER
a. First edition, paperback copies:
Los Angeles: Black Sparrow Press, May 1975
Perfect-bound printed wrappers, 6.25″ x 8.75″, 382 pages including bibliography of first editions, 1000 copies. Edited and with commentary by Robin Blaser. Typography by Graham Mackintosh/White Rabbit.

b. First edition, hardcover copies: 
Los Angeles: Black Sparrow Press, May 1975
Hardcover in acetate dust jacket, 6.5″ x 9″, 382 pages including bibliography of first editions, 1000 copies. Edited and with commentary by Robin Blaser. Typography by Graham Mackintosh/White Rabbit.

c. First edition, hardcover, numbered and signed copies:
Los Angeles: Black Sparrow Press, May 1975
Hardcover in acetate dust jacket and slipcase, 6.5″ x 9″, 382 pages including bibliography of first editions, 100 copies, numbered and signed by Robin Blaser. Edited and with commentary by Robin Blaser. Typography by Graham Mackintosh/White Rabbit.

16. Spicer, Jack. ONE NIGHT STAND & OTHER POEMS
First edition:
San Francisco: Grey Fox Press, 1980
Hardcover in cloth-bound boards without dust jacket as issued, 98 pages. Edited by Donald Allen. Preface by Robert Duncan.

17. Spicer, Jack. COLLECTED POEMS, 1945-46
First edition:
Berkeley: Oyez/White Rabbit Press, 1981
Saddle-stapled printed wrappers, 7″ x 9″, 32 pages, lithographed from the author’s typescript.


18. Spicer, Jack. THE TOWER OF BABEL
First edition:
Hoboken, N.J: Talisman House, 1994
Perfect-bound photo-illustrated wrappers, 170 pages. Chapter one of Jack Spicer’s Detective Novel, edited by Ed Foster and Kevin Killian.

Described by Lewis Ellingham and Kevin Killian as “a satiric look at the private world of poetry gone public in the wake of the Six Gallery HOWL reading of October, 1955.”

19. Spicer, Jack. TRAIN OF THOUGHT
First edition:
Gran Canaria: Zasterle Press, 1994
Perfect-bound in illustrated wrappers, 62 pages, 300 numbered copies. Edited with an introduction by Lewis Ellingham and Kevin Killian.
Chapter three of Jack Spicer’s unpublished detective novel

20. Spicer, Jack. MAP POEMS
First edition:
Berkeley: The Bancroft Library Press, 2005
Thirty-five copies printed: bound in brown paper wrappers. Introduction by Kevin Killian and Peter Gizzi

—

Lew Welch

lew_haiku

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
lew_wobblySan 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
lew_onoutBerkeley: 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
lew_coursesSan 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
lew_thesongSan 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
lew_the song2Berkeley: 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
lew_redwoodSan 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