Tag Archives: Robert Creeley

The Floating Bear

The subtitle “A Newsletter” is the key to The Floating Bear’s chief contribution to literature of the 1960’s; it was a newsletter, a speedy line of communication between experimental poets. Diane di Prima, in the introduction to the reprint edition of The Floating Bear, recalls Charles Olson’s tribute to the magazine: “The last time I saw Charles Olson in Gloucester, one of the things he talked about was how valuable the Bear had been to him in its early years because of the fact that he could get new work out that fast. He was very involved in speed, in communication. We got manuscripts from him pretty regularly in the early days of the Bear, and we’d usually get them into the very next issue. That meant that his work, his thoughts, would be in the hands of a few hundred writers within two or three weeks. It was like writing a letter to a bunch of friends.”

One is apt to think of a literary newsletter as a device for talking about poetry but not as a means for transmitting the poem itself; in Floating Bear most of the space was given over to primary work. The first twenty-five issues (up to the point when LeRoi Jones resigned as co-editor) were published over a two year period and comprised 284 pages of poetry, creative prose, and comment. Among the more frequent contributors to Floating Bear during those first two years were Charles Olson, Robert Creeley, Frank O’Hara, Joel Oppenheimer, William Burroughs, Ed Dorn, A.B. Spellman, and George Stanley, as well as editors Diane di Prima and LeRoi Jones.

After 1963, Floating Bear’s function as a swift communicator among poets seems to have diminished (Nos. 29 to 37 appeared over a period of five years). Size and frequency varied widely: No. 27 had 36 pages and included a 19-page section of poems by Philip Whalen; the following numbers had 16 pages and included work by eight authors. The range of contributors widened somewhat during this time, perhaps because a number of guest editors assumed partial responsibility for the magazine’s contents. Billy Linich, Alan Marlowe, Kirby Doyle, John Wieners, and Bill Berkson each appeared on the masthead as guest editor for one of the magazine’s last dozen issues. One last issue (No. 38) appeared in 1971 as a joint issue with Intrepid (its No. 20), and was edited entirely by Diane di Prima.

Floating Bear was supported solely by contributors; it was never offered for sale. Circulation ranged from 117 to 1250 copies over its eight-year span.

– Peter Martin, “An Annotated Bibliography of Selected Little Magazines”, Tri Quarterly 43, Fall 1976.


1. THE FLOATING BEAR: A NEWSLETTER, No. 1, edited by Diane di Prima and LeRoi Jones
New York City: The Floating Bear, February 1961
First edition, corner-stapled sheets, 8.5” x 11”, 8 pages, mimeograph printed.

  • Contents:
    1. Michael McClure – “The Smile Shall Not Be More Mutable than the Final Extinction of Meat. The Smile with Teeth Sunk in Lower Lip”
      Charles Olson – “All My Life I’ve Heard about Many”
      Charles Olson – “A Note on the Above”
      Max Finstein – “Regional Piece”
      Robin Blaser – “Ode for Museums, All of Them!”
      Robin Blaser – “The Flame”
      Robin Blaser – “A Story after Blake”

2. THE FLOATING BEAR: A NEWSLETTER, No. 2, edited by Diane di Prima and LeRoi Jones
New York City: The Floating Bear, February 1961
First edition, corner-stapled sheets, 8.5” x 11”, 8 pages, mimeograph printed.

  • Contents:
    1. Frank O’Hara – “Now That I Am in Madrid and Can Think”
      Frank O’Hara – “Song”
      Frank O’Hara – “Cohasset”
      Frank O’Hara – “Beer for Breakfast”
      Steve Jonas – “No Saints in Three Acts”
      Steve Jonas – “Quest”
      Robert Creeley – “A Quick Graph”
      LeRoi Jones – “Revue”
      The Editors – “Notice”

3. THE FLOATING BEAR: A NEWSLETTER, No. 3, edited by Diane di Prima and LeRoi Jones
New York City: The Floating Bear, March 1961
First edition, corner-stapled sheets, 8.5” x 11”, 12 pages, mimeograph printed.

  • Contents:
    1. Ed Dorn – “The Landscape Below”

4. THE FLOATING BEAR: A NEWSLETTER, No. 4, edited by Diane di Prima and LeRoi Jones
New York City: The Floating Bear, March 1961
First edition, corner-stapled sheets, 8.5” x 11”, 8 pages, mimeograph printed.

  • Contents:
    1. Fielding Dawson – “Oblivion Calling: Daily News”
      Fielding Dawson – “Oblivion Calling: The Dog People”
      Fielding Dawson – “Oblivion Calling: King of Crystal”
      Tony Weinberger – “For Sylvia”
      Tony Weinberger – “A Wildflower”
      Tony Weinberger – “My Beloved/ The Bee Tree/ The Whore”
      Joel Oppenheimer – “A Grace for Painters”
      Joel Oppenheimer – “Statement for Patterson Society”
      Barbara Guest – “What Am I Going to Do after the King and Queen of Nepal”
      William Mcnaughton – “Footnote to Creeley’s Graph”
      The Editors – “Notice”

According to Diane di Prima in notes to Laurence McGilvery’s facsimile edition of The Floating Bear, “Fielding Dawson went to Black Mountain College as a painter, but after he studied with Kline a few months he decided to give up painting, although he still drew a lot. He drew the original emblem for LeRoi’s Totem Press, and he became a prose writer.”

5. THE FLOATING BEAR: A NEWSLETTER, No. 5, edited by Diane di Prima and LeRoi Jones
New York City: The Floating Bear, April 1961
First edition, corner-stapled sheets, 8.5” x 11”, 8 pages, mimeograph printed.

  • Contents:
    1. John Thomas – “Nine Stages of a Journey from Caledonia to Harpers Ferry”
      John Thomas – “My Bird”
      LeRoi Jones – [Letter to Diane di Prima]
      William Burroughs – “Out Show Window and We’re Proud of It”
      William Burroughs – [Letter to Allen Ginsberg]
      Aquarian [Joel Oppenheimer] – “New Flick in Town”
      The Editors – “Notice”

According to Diane di Prima in notes to Laurence McGilvery’s facsimile edition of The Floating Bear, “‘Aquarian; is always Joel Oppenheimer.”

6. THE FLOATING BEAR: A NEWSLETTER, No. 6, edited by Diane di Prima and LeRoi Jones
New York City: The Floating Bear, April 1961
First edition, corner-stapled sheets, 8.5” x 11”, 12 pages, mimeograph printed.

  • Contents:
    1. George Stanley – “1” (“One bird called White…”)
      George Stanley – “2” (“I thought you were savage…”)
      George Stanley – “3” (“At dawn the mosquitoes…”)
      George Stanley – “4” (“What graceless guy…”)
      George Stanley – “5” (“The old train goes…”)
      George Stanley – “6” (“When he asked me…”)
      George Stanley – “7” (“A ball hurted…)
      George Stanley – “8” (“Flit in, little fairy…”)
      George Stanley – “9” (“That sense of indefinite longing…”)
      George Stanley – “10” (“I’m not satisfied with them…”)
      George Stanley – “White Matches”
      George Stanley – “12” (“Simple Simon…”)
      LeRoi Jones – “A Note on the 12 Poems”
      Stan Persky – “Larry Davis Cowboy Poem”
      Stan Persky – “Siege Poem”
      Koenig [LeRoi Jones] – “Note”
      Robert Creeley – “Edward Dorn in the News”
      [Diane] di Prima – [untitled] “arthur machen, what he has hold of…”
      Koenig [LeRoi Jones] – “Note”
      Robert Creeley – “’Statement’ for Patterson Society”
      The Editors – “Notice”

According to Diane di Prima in notes to Laurence McGilvery’s facsimile edition of The Floating Bear, “George Stanley was in New York for a while in 1961. He was a part of Jack Spicer’s very tight circle. Jack had printed a lot of books and a magazine called J, and no copies of his things were allowed to go East. Jack felt the East Coast was Babylon. When George returned to San Francisco he went through a very bad period because Jack and the whole circle ostracized him for having gone to New York and having been published there. They said it was prostitution.”

7. THE FLOATING BEAR: A NEWSLETTER, No. 7, edited by Diane di Prima and LeRoi Jones
New York City: The Floating Bear, May 1961
First edition, corner-stapled sheets, 8.5” x 11”, 12 pages, mimeograph printed.

  • Contents:
    1. Bill Berkson – “’……’ Times”
      Bill Berkson – “How It Goes”
      Bill Berkson – “Hinterland”
      Bill Berkson – “Never”
      Bill Berkson – “You and Me”
      Bill Berkson – “Saturday Afternoon”
      Charles Olson – “Grammar – ‘A Book’”
      The Editors – “Notices”

8. THE FLOATING BEAR: A NEWSLETTER, No. 8, edited by Diane di Prima and LeRoi Jones
New York City: The Floating Bear, May 1961
First edition, corner-stapled sheets, 8.5” x 11”, 12 pages, mimeograph printed.

  • Contents:
    1. A.B. Spellman – “Zapata and The Landlord, for Allen Dulles”
      A.B. Spellman – “The Joel Blues, After and For Him”
      anonymous – “Last Will and Testament of an Urban Herbalist and Agrostologist”
      Joel Oppenheimer – “17-18 April, 1961”
      Ed Dorn – “New York, New York”
      The Editors – “Notice”

According to Diane di Prima in notes to Laurence McGilvery’s facsimile edition of The Floating Bear, “April 17-18, 1961 was the Bay of Pigs fiasco.”

9. THE FLOATING BEAR: A NEWSLETTER, No. 9, edited by Diane di Prima and LeRoi Jones
New York: The Floating Bear, June 1961
First edition, corner-stapled sheets, 8.5” x 11”, 12 pages, mimeograph printed.

  • Contents:
    1. LeRoi Jones – “from The System of Dante’s Hell”
      William Burroughs – “Routine: Roosevelt after Inauguration”
      Philip Whalen – “Itchy”
      unattributed – “Slave Song, 18th Cent.”

According to Diane di Prima in notes to Laurence McGilvery’s facsimile edition of The Floating Bear, “This slave song and the prayer [in issue No. 15] both came from a book on the history of American Negro music that LeRoi was reading then.”

10. THE FLOATING BEAR: A NEWSLETTER, No. 10, edited by Diane di Prima and LeRoi Jones
New York: The Floating Bear, June 1961
First edition, corner-stapled sheets, 8.5” x 11”, 16 pages, mimeograph printed.

  • Contents:
    1. John Wieners – “On January 20th the Snows Began to Melt”
      John Wieners – “You Can’t Kill These Machines”
      John Wieners – “Long Nook”
      John Wieners – [untitled] “And it would be good to stop…”
      John Wieners – “Ode to the Instrument” [Black Mountain, Spring 1955]
      John Wieners – “Ode to the Instrument”
      John Wieners – “Exchange of the Lady’s Handmaids”
      John Wieners – “Objects from Route 70”
      John Wieners – “Message”
      John Wieners – “Play Land’s Aftermath”
      John Wieners – “Second Flight Across Country”
      John Wieners – “After Meditations, for F O’H”
      John Wieners – “That Old Gang of Mine”

11. THE FLOATING BEAR: A NEWSLETTER, No. 11, edited by Diane di Prima and LeRoi Jones
New York: The Floating Bear, July 1961
First edition, corner-stapled sheets, 8.5” x 11”, 10 pages, mimeograph printed.

  • Contents:
    1. Charles Olson – “A Plausible Entry for, like, Man”
      Gil [Sorrentino] – [Letter to LeRoi Jones]
      Peter Hartman – “The Masai ***”
      James VI [King of England] – “from Reulis and Cautelis to be Observit and Eschewit in Scottis Poesie”
      Robert Kelly – “Letter to the Bear. Re: Rome”
      Denise Levertov – “An Argument. (In response to Trobar #2 and Kelly’s ‘Notes on the Poetry of the Deep Image’)”
      Larry Eigner – “Blabbermouth”
      Fred Herko – [Theater Reviews]
      The Editors – “Notices”

12. THE FLOATING BEAR: A NEWSLETTER, No. 12, edited by Diane di Prima and LeRoi Jones
New York: The Floating Bear, August 1961
First edition, corner-stapled sheets, 8.5” x 11”, 12 pages, mimeograph printed.

  • Contents:
    1. John Ashbery – “The Lozenges”
      John Ashbery – “The Suspended Life”
      John Ashbery – “To the Same Degree”
      John Ashbery – “The Ascetic Sensualists”
      A.B. Spellman – “Nocturne for Eric”
      Carl Solomon – “The Bughouse”
      Carl Solomon – “I Was a Communist Youth”
      Carl Solomon – “The Entrance of the Grand Gladiola”
      The Editors – “Notices”

According to Diane di Prima in notes to Laurence McGilvery’s facsimile edition of The Floating Bear, “Allen Ginsberg dedicated ‘Howl’ to Carl Solomon.”

13. THE FLOATING BEAR: A NEWSLETTER, No. 13, edited by Diane di Prima and LeRoi Jones
New York: The Floating Bear, September 1961
First edition, corner-stapled sheets, 8.5” x 11”, 12 pages, mimeograph printed.

  • Contents:
    1. A.B. Spellman – “The Beautiful Day”
      A.B. Spellman – “The Second Beautiful Day”
      A.B. Spellman – “The Beautiful Day, III”
      A.B. Spellman – “The Beautiful Day, IV”
      A.B. Spellman – “The Beautiful Day, V”
      A.B. Spellman – “The Beautiful Day VI”
      A.B. Spellman – “The Beautiful Day VII”
      Joe Early – “Les Enfants du Paradis”
      David Ossman – “Comments on Montage”
      Steve Jonas – “Altar”
      John Thomas – “Alba”
      John Thomas – “Memo for Coffeehouse Psychologists”
      Fielding Dawson – “The Turn of the Wheel”
      The Editors – “Notices”

14. THE FLOATING BEAR: A NEWSLETTER, No. 14, edited by Diane di Prima and LeRoi Jones
New York: The Floating Bear, October 1961
First edition, corner-stapled sheets, 8.5” x 11”, 14 pages, mimeograph printed.

  • Contents:
    1. Michael McClure – “!The Feast!, for Ornette Coleman”
      Philip Whalen – “Goodbye & Hello, Again 6:II:60”

Note: an announcement concerning the arrest of the editors was sent out separately and with some copies of No. 14.

15. THE FLOATING BEAR: A NEWSLETTER, No. 15, edited by Diane di Prima and LeRoi Jones
New York: The Floating Bear, November 1961
First edition, corner-stapled sheets, 8.5” x 11”, 12 pages, mimeograph printed.

  • Contents:
    1. Bruce Boyd – “Canticles for the Hours: Prime”
      Bruce Boyd – “Thread”
      Bruce Boyd – “1.” (“because it wasn’t sugar…”)
      Bruce Boyd – “2.” (“well, old honey, back to the hard sound…”)
      Bruce Boyd – “3.” (“or say that it is not love…”)
      Allen Ginsberg – “History of the Jewish Socialist Party in America”
      author unknown – “Early South Carolina Gullah Prayer”
      Frank O’Hara – “For the Chinese New Year & for Bill Berkson”
      Joseph Lesueur – [Theater Reviews]
      The Editors – “Notices”

16. THE FLOATING BEAR: A NEWSLETTER, No. 16, edited by Diane di Prima and LeRoi Jones
New York: The Floating Bear, December 1961
First edition, corner-stapled sheets, 8.5” x 11”, 12 pages, mimeograph printed.

  • Contents:
    1. George Stanley – [untitled] “They would force scrunched…”
      George Stanley – [untitled] “The sailors in their ship…”
      George Stanley – [untitled] “Myriads now fly down…”
      Dave Ossman and Martin Green – “A Film Form: Outline for a Filmscript”
      Charles Olson – “To Empty the Mind”
      Ron Loewinsohn – “The World of the Lie”
      Ron Loewinsohn – “The Mendacity of Windows”
      Ron Loewinsohn – “The Mendacity of Radio”
      Ron Loewinsohn – “The Mendacity of Sculpture”
      Ron Loewinsohn – “Coda: As Far as the Pass”
      Ron Loewinsohn – [untitled] “On the way back from Chicago (September, ’56)…”
      Marian Zazeela – “The Guggenheim Exhibition of Abstract Expressionists and Imagists (to Dec. 31)”
      Alan Marlowe – “Review”
      G. Sorrentino – “Rollins’ Return”

According to Diane di Prima in notes to Laurence McGilvery’s facsimile edition of The Floating Bear, “Marian Zazeela’s review of the Guggenheim exhibit caused a lot of commotion. After that point a lot of the New York painters who had been helping us with the Bear wouldn’t give us any more money because she suggested that Robert Motherwell was copying from his wife Helen Frankenthaler. Motherwell got very mad at us and wrote me a very nasty postcard.”

17. THE FLOATING BEAR: A NEWSLETTER, No. 17, edited by Diane di Prima and LeRoi Jones
New York: The Floating Bear, January 1962
First edition, corner-stapled sheets, 8.5” x 11”, 12 pages, mimeograph printed.

  • Contents:
    1. Joel Oppenheimer – “A Treatise”
      Hubert Selby, Jr. – “September 24, 1961, A Floating Bear Special”
      Charles Olson – “The Americans”
      Paul Metcalf – “Darlington, South Carolina”
      Max Finstein – “Song”
      Max Finstein – “The Trial”
      Max Finstein – “The Merger”
      Jerry Benjamin – [Theatre Review]
      Fred Herko – “Paul Taylor–A History”
      The Editors – “Notices”

18. THE FLOATING BEAR: A NEWSLETTER, No. 18, edited by Diane di Prima and LeRoi Jones
New York: The Floating Bear, February 1962
First edition, corner-stapled sheets, 8.5” x 11”, 12 pages, mimeograph printed.

  • Contents:
    1. David Meltzer – “Poem to H.P. Lovecraft”
      David Meltzer – “The Struggle / Poems for the Muse”
      David Meltzer – “Heroes: 7 / The Comics”
      Mike Strong – “After”
      Mike Strong – “Overture”
      Mike Strong – “Mornings”
      LeRoi Jones – “Footnote to a Pretentious Book”
      Charles Olson – “In the Face of the Chinese View of the City”
      Joseph Lesueur – “Random Thoughts about Recent Plays, On and Off Broadway”
      George Brecht – “Statement for James Goldsworthy”
      John King [LeRoi Jones] – “Rejoinder: Concerning the Reviews by Miss Zazeela and Mr. Marlowe in FB 16”
      Frank Buck [pseud.; not Identified] – “Consumer’s Guide”

19. THE FLOATING BEAR: A NEWSLETTER, No. 19, edited by Diane di Prima and LeRoi Jones
New York: The Floating Bear, March 1962
First edition, corner-stapled sheets, 8.5” x 11”, 12 pages, mimeograph printed.

  • Contents:
    1. Robert Duncan – “Night Scenes”
      Jonathan Williams – “We Take the Golden Road, to Samar, Kansas…”
      Stuart Perkoff – [untitled] “the Christian philo…”
      Stuart Perkoff – “2.” (“we step & and do not step…”)
      Stuart Perkoff – “3.” (“the river was warm, but not warm enough…”)
      Stuart Perkoff – “Three Prayers”
      Stuart Perkoff – “The Swing”
      Gertrude “Ma” Rainey – “Sissy Blues”
      Diane di Prima – “December, 1961”
      LeRoi Jones – “James Waring and Dance Company”
      Edwin Denby – [Letter to the Editors]
      The Editors – “Notices”

20. THE FLOATING BEAR: A NEWSLETTER, No. 20, edited by Diane di Prima and LeRoi Jones
New York: The Floating Bear, May 1962
First edition, corner-stapled sheets, 8.5” x 11”, 12 pages, mimeograph printed.

  • Contents:
    1. The Editors [LeRoi Jones] – “Hello, Ma I Glad I Win!”
      Bertolt Brecht – “A Letter to His Fascist Friend Arnolt Bronnen in the Summer of 1923”
      Paul Blackburn – “The Cronopios in America–1.”
      J. Williams – “Best Reading List”
      Ed Dorn – “A Wild Blue, Yonder”
      Ed Dorn – “Time Blonde”
      Ed Dorn – “In My Youth I Was a Tireless Dancer”
      Ed Dorn – “The Song Is Ended”
      Ed Dorn – “The Poet Lectures Famous Potatoes”
      Ed Dorn – “Nose from Newswhere”
      Diane di Prima – “from Whale Honey”

21. THE FLOATING BEAR: A NEWSLETTER, No. 21, edited by Diane di Prima and LeRoi Jones
New York: The Floating Bear, August 1962
First edition, corner-stapled sheets, 8.5” x 11”, 12 pages, mimeograph printed.

  • Contents:
    1. Frank O’Hara – “Mary Desti’s Ass”
      Frank O’Hara – “St. Paul and All That”
      Charles Olson – “A Work”
      Norman Solomon – “A Passion Play. 1.”
      Norman Solomon – “962”
      Peter Orlovsky and Allen Ginsberg – “Our Dear Friend Charles”
      Aquarian [Joel Oppenheimer] – “Best Reading List”
      Diane di Prima – “A Concert of Dance–Judson Memorial Church, Friday, 6 July 1962”
      The Editors – “Notices”

22. THE FLOATING BEAR: A NEWSLETTER, No. 22, edited by Diane di Prima and LeRoi Jones
New York: The Floating Bear, August 1962
First edition, corner-stapled sheets, 8.5” x 11”, 12 pages, mimeograph printed.

  • Contents:
    1. David Shapiro – “Lament”
      David Shapiro – “The Bluebird”
      David Shapiro – “The Storm”
      David Shapiro – “Canticle as Grieving”
      David Shapiro – “Poem”
      Yu Suwa – “A Poem, 1961-1962”
      LeRoi Jones – “The Politics of Rich Painters”
      Gary Snyder – “The Curse”
      Joseph Lesueur – “Rotten Apple”
      Steve Jonas – “Green”
      Steve Jonas – “Sub Voce”
      George Stanley – “The Italian”
      Abe Harvard [Peter Hartman] – “In Quest of Ugendun”
      Diane Wakoski – [Letter to the Editors]
      The Editors – “Notices”

According to Diane di Prima in notes to Laurence McGilvery’s facsimile edition of The Floating Bear, “David Shapiro was 16 years old. For his age his stuff was brilliant, and people in Frank O’Hara’s crowd were interested in him. He was a very funny person when I met him because all his 16-year-old, adolescent, New Jersey personality was there on the surface, in spite of the fact that he could make these very far-out images. He kept calling me Miss di Prima and Frank Mr. O’Hara, and Frank finally got very embarrassed about it.”

23. THE FLOATING BEAR: A NEWSLETTER, No. 23, edited by Diane di Prima and LeRoi Jones
New York: The Floating Bear, September 1962
First edition, corner-stapled sheets, 8.5” x 11”, 12 pages, mimeograph printed.

  • Contents:
    1. Kirby Doyle – “from The Happiness Bastard”
      Diane di Prima – “Careers: A Naturalistic Tragedy”
      Frank Lima – “Pudgy”
      James Waring – [Letter to The Floating Bear]
      Anton Webern [Peter Hartman?] – [Letter to the Editors]
      Miles Campion [LeRoi Jones?] – [Letter to the Editors]
      The Editors – “Notices”

24. THE FLOATING BEAR: A NEWSLETTER, No. 24, edited by Diane di Prima and LeRoi Jones
New York: The Floating Bear, September-October 1962
First edition, corner-stapled sheets, 8.5” x 11”, 12 pages, mimeograph printed.

  • Contents:
    1. William S. Burroughs – “Spain & 42 St.”
      William S. Burroughs – “Dead Whistle Stop Already End”
      William S. Burroughs – “Where Flesh Circulates”
      Paul C. Metcalf – “In This Corner: Charles Olson”
      Soren Agenoux – “A Movie Review”
      Johannes Koenig [LeRoi Jones] – “Names & Bodies (Notes)”
      Soren Agenoux – “12 Leçons de Ténèbres”
      George Montgomery – [untitled] “Lemons on barber poles…”
      The Editors – “Notices”

25. THE FLOATING BEAR: A NEWSLETTER, No. 25, edited by Diane di Prima and LeRoi Jones
Topanga: The Floating Bear, November 1962-March 1963
First edition, corner-stapled sheets, 8.5” x 11”, 8 pages plus Auerhahn advertisement flyer, mimeograph printed.

  • Contents:
    1. Lew Welch – “Voice from Rat Flat!”
      Richard Baker – “Struggle”
      Richard Baker – “Beer”
      Dale Landers – “III Of a Growth Of”
      Robert Creeley – “The Skeleton”
      A.B. Spellman – “Baltimore Oriole, for M.R.”
      A.B. Spellman – “A Home Brew”
      The Editors – “Thank Yous”
      [Advertisement for Auerhahn Press]

26. THE FLOATING BEAR: A NEWSLETTER, No. 26, guest-edited by Billy Linich
New York: The Floating Bear, October 1963
First edition, corner-stapled sheets, 8.5” x 11”, 10 pages, mimeograph printed.

  • Contents:
    1. [George Herms] – [untitled] “Wet floor feet faster than wine…”
      [George Herms] – “Tap City Easter Circus Report”
      Michael Katz – “4 Short Stories for Passover”
      John [Wieners] – [untitled] “Mary Butts, inhabit her Ashe family of Rings…”
      Mary Butts – [untitled] “Until they came to the world’s end…”
      John [Daley?] – [Letter to Billy Linich]
      George Brecht – [Note to Billy Linich]
      Kirby Doyle – “Moon Poem, for Jarry Heiserman”
      Ray Johnson – [Letters to Various Persons]
      Ray Johnson – “Where Is the Palace? Iodine.”
      Duke Mantee [LeRoi Jones] – “Voices from the Art World (or, Bright Sayings)”
      The Editors – “Notices”
      [Diane di Prima] – “This Is a Very Strong Appeal for Funds”

27. THE FLOATING BEAR: A NEWSLETTER, No. 27, edited by Diane di Prima
New York: The Floating Bear, November 1963
First edition, corner-stapled sheets, 8.5” x 11”, 34 pages, mimeograph printed.

  • Contents:
    1. Philip Whalen – “The Art of Literature”
      Philip Whalen – “The Saturday Visitations”
      Philip Whalen – “Sunday Afternoon Dinner Fung Loy Restaurant San Francisco”
      Philip Whalen – “Hello to All the Folks Back Home”
      Philip Whalen – “The Art of Literature, 2nd Part”
      Philip Whalen – “Heigho, Nobody’s at Home”
      Philip Whalen – “Ignorantaccio”
      Philip Whalen – “The Art of Literature, #3, A Total Explanation, for Dr. A.”
      Philip Whalen – [untitled] “without gills or lungs or brain…”
      Philip Whalen – “Saturday 15:IX:62”
      Philip Whalen – “Fillmore Hob Nob Carburetor”
      Philip Whalen – “The Art of Literature, Part 4th”
      Philip Whalen – “The Gallery, Mill Valley”
      Philip Whalen – “Applegravy”
      Philip Whalen – “The Professor Comes to Call”
      Philip Whalen – “The Art of Literature, Concluded”
      Philip Whalen – “How We Live the More Abundant Life in America”
      Aquarian [Joel Oppenheimer] – “R I P”
      Ray Johnson – “Review by Ray Johnson (in the Style of Floating Bear)”
      Alan Marlowe – [Theatre Review]
      [Michael Rumaker?] – “Wieners & Stein at Judson”
      Michael Rumaker – “The Island, by Robert Creeley” [book review]
      John Wieners – “The Reporters, A Review by John Wieners”
      John Daley – “Billy Linich’s Party”
      [Author Unknown] – “Mss. Found in the Debris at the Living Theatre: The Journal of an IRS Agent”
      Alan Marlowe and Diane di Prima – [Announcement for the New Choreographers Company]
      The Editors – [Notices]
      Ray Johnson – [Letter to the Floating Bear]

28. THE FLOATING BEAR: A NEWSLETTER, No. 28, edited by Diane di Prima
New York: The Floating Bear, December 1963
First edition, corner-stapled sheets, 8.5” x 11”, 16 pages, mimeograph printed. Cover art by Al Leslie.

  • Contents:
    1. Mary Caroline Richards – “Christmas Sonnet”
      Mary Caroline Richards – “To My New Goat”
      Gregory Corso – “I Dream in Daytime”
      Jack Smith – “Normal Love”
      LeRoi Jones – “In Wyoming Territory (a Title)”
      LeRoi Jones – “In Wyoming Territory (a Veil)”
      LeRoi Jones – “In Wyoming Territory (a Story.”
      LeRoi Jones – “In Wyoming Territory (Music of”
      LeRoi Jones – “In Wyoming Territory (Dance/Like/”
      Edward Field – “Chopin”
      John Wieners – “Journal of the First Night”
      Frank O’Hara – “Pistachio Tree at Château Noir”

29. THE FLOATING BEAR: A NEWSLETTER, No. 29, edited by Diane di Prima
New York: The Floating Bear, March 1964
First edition, corner-stapled sheets, 8.5” x 11”, 20 pages, mimeograph printed. Cover art by George Herms.

  • Contents:
    1. Robert Grosseteste – “On Light or the Beginning of Forms”
      James Waring – [untitled] “Seen anywhere can art avalanche…”
      Julian Beck – “Acrostic for the Community of Poets and Joel Oppenheimer”
      John Thomas – “Some Books”
      Frank O’Hara – “Adventures in Living”
      Gerard Malanga – “Rollerskate”
      Gerard Malanga – “A Magic Realist Painting, for Alan Marlowe”
      John Herbert Mcdowell – “Special to the Floating Bear”
      Morton Feldman – [Letter to the Floating Bear]
      [Gilbert] Sorrentino – “Signal: A New Magazine”
      Fielding Dawson – “I Confess”
      James Waring – “Art Chronicle”
      The Editors – “Notices”

According to Diane di Prima in notes to Laurence McGilvery’s facsimile edition of The Floating Bear, “Jerry Malanga wrote ‘Rollerskate’ as a tribute to Freddie Herko after Freddie’s death. I don’t know if the film it refers to was ever made.”

30. THE FLOATING BEAR: A NEWSLETTER, No. 30, edited by Diane di Prima
New York: The Floating Bear, November 1964
First edition, corner-stapled sheets, 8.5” x 11”, 20 pages, mimeograph printed. Cover art by Jeanne Marlowe.

  • Contents:
    1. Ruth Krauss – “As I Passed the Andy Auto Body Works”
      Alan Marlowe – “A Play”
      author unknown [Peter Abelard?] – “Medieval Latin Song” (trans. Diane di Prima)
      Ferencz Mcnaughton [pseud.?] – “May Meeting with C. Goy”
      Carl Solomon – “Pilgrim State Hospital”
      anon., As Told To Hubert Selby, Jr. – “My Return to Pilgrim State”
      Herbert Huncke – [untitled] “I could not believe we had anything…”
      Gilbert Sorrentino – “For the Floating Bear: Prose of Our Time”
      Allan Kaprow – “from the Construction of Boston”
      James Waring – [Letter to the Floating Bear]
      Alex Katz – [Letter to the Editors]
      Howard Schulman – “Jan Muller (1922-58) at the Guggenheim thru 2/25/62”
      Anne Wilson – “October ‘26 Rauschenberg”

According to Diane di Prima in notes to Laurence McGilvery’s facsimile edition of The Floating Bear, “The cover of Number 30 was done by my daughter Jeannie who was six and a half years old at that time.”

31. THE FLOATING BEAR: A NEWSLETTER, No. 31, guest-edited by Alan Marlowe
New York City: The Floating Bear, June 1965
First edition, corner-stapled sheets, 8.5” x 11”, 16 pages, mimeograph printed. Cover art by Jess Collins.

  • Contents:
    1. author unknown – “Great Prajna Paramita Sutra” (trans. by Shenryu Suzuki)
      John Wieners – “Procrastination”
      John Wieners – “Procrastination”
      John Wieners – “Procrastination”
      John Wieners – “Night Boat to Cairo”
      John Wieners – “The Mole Proposes Solitude”
      John Wieners – “Song Lyric for ‘Shoot the President’”
      Robert Duncan – “Notes from A Reading at the Poetry Center, San Francisco, March 1, 1959”
      The Editors – “Editors Notes”

32. THE FLOATING BEAR: A NEWSLETTER, No. 32, guest-edited by Kirby Doyle
Kerhonkson: The Floating Bear, February 1966
First edition, corner-stapled sheets, 8.5” x 11”, 16 pages, mimeograph printed. Cover art by Robert Branaman.

  • Contents:
    1. Michael McClure – “Cupid’s Grin”
      John Keats – “A Fragment to Fanny”
      Thomas Chatterton – “Last Verses”
      Sharon Morrill – [untitled] “Body dying of chemical injecto…”
      Thomas Traherne – “from The Centuries”
      Yvonne Rainer – “Some Thoughts on Improvisation”
      Kirby Doyle – “Some Notes Toward a Text for the Unyielding Kings of the New Undead”
      Allen Ginsberg – “Psalm IV”
      Diane di Prima – “Buddhist New Year Song”
      Sheri Martinelli – “Duties of a Lady Female”
      Clive Matson – “The Good-Bye Scene”
      The Editors – “Notes”
      The Editors – [Advertisement for the Poets Press]

33. THE FLOATING BEAR: A NEWSLETTER, No. 33, guest-edited by John Wieners
Brooklyn: The Floating Bear, February 1967
First edition, corner-stapled sheets, 8.5” x 11”, 36 pages, mimeograph printed. Cover art by Paolo Lionni.

  • Contents:
    1. [John Wieners] – “Our Unborn Child”
      John Broderick – “My Flowers…” [illustration]
      Jack Spicer – “The Bridge Game”
      Jack Spicer – “Lives of the Philosophers: Diogenes”
      Deedee Doyle [Sharon Morill] – [untitled illustration]
      B. O’Driscoll [Bobby Driscoll] – “Sunday”
      John Wieners – “The Drug Addict’s Dilemma: An Answer to America”
      Sanders Russell – “Two Poems”
      Philip Lamantia – “For Real”
      John Reed – “Three Poems”
      Kirby Doyle – “A Valo Poem”
      David Rattray – [untitled] “If only I could…”
      Edward Freeman – “Prints and Prisons”
      David Posner – “In Memory of a Friend”
      Allen De Loach – “The A Train”
      Bob Hartman – “This is the Flip Side of the Record”
      Robert Grenier – “A Race”
      Charles Doria – “from Christine’s Version”
      Stephen Jonas – “Subway Haiku”
      Alan Marlowe – [untitled] “Lady cat is missing…”
      Irving Rosenthal – “The Mouse King”
      Lewis Lipschitz – [untitled] “When I See the small fish…”
      Howard Schulman – [untitled] “When you breathe on me…”
      Elizabeth Sutherland – “B’s Blues”
      Joan Gilbert – [untitled] “this is the beginning of our end…”
      Jeanne Phillips – [untitled] “today we have the good witch…”
      Jeanne Phillips – “Observations”
      Jan Balas – [untitled] “I know its Thursday…”
      Jan Balas – “Meth Madness after Many Days”
      Diane di Prima – “Song for My Spooks”
      Diane di Prima – “First Snow, Kerhonkson, for Alan”
      Shreela Ray – [untitled] “I saw myself in abyss-green…”
      Shiela Plant – “Term Paper for 8 Year Old”
      Shiela Plant – “Autobiography”
      Shiela Plant – “Adamancy”
      Madeline Davis – “To Ronny”
      Janine Pommey – “On Train to Holland, 12-29-65”
      Janine Pommey – “October, 65, Ibiza Spain”
      Janine Pommey – “Paris 9-64, to Alex:”
      Janine Pommey – “Spring, Paris 65, to Fernando:”
      Janine Pommey – “Two Line Poems Written in Paris ‘65”
      The Editors – “Notices”

34. THE FLOATING BEAR: A NEWSLETTER, No. 34, edited by Diane di Prima
Brooklyn: The Floating Bear, October 1967
First edition, corner-stapled sheets, 8.5” x 11”, 28 pages, mimeograph printed. Cover art by Michael Bowen.

  • Contents:
    1. Jack Spicer – “The Day Five Thousand Fish Died in the Charles River”
      Jack Spicer – “Poem, by a Computer at Mit, Which Was Fed the Elements of English Grammar, and Directed to Produce Sentences”
      Keith Wilson – “Graves Registry XII, Body at Sea”
      Keith Wilson – “Graves Registry XIV, Sea Songs for Women”
      Gary Snyder – [untitled] “Could she see the whole real world…”
      Gary Snyder – “The Coyote Breath”
      Emily Bronte – “Cold in the Earth”
      Stuart Perkoff – [untitled] “what a city is…”
      Rajkamal Chowdhury – “The Cycle or the Yoni-chakra (a Tantric Song)”
      Lorenzo Thomas – “Poem in Lieu of the Marriage of Andrew Zolem”
      Arcane School, N.Y.C. – “Zodiac”
      George Stanley – [untitled] “I thought and thought…”
      George Stanley – [untitled] “the past (as if in parenthesis)…”
      Bertolt Brecht – “Of Poor B. B.” (trans. Jack Collom)
      Frank O’Hara – “Dérangé sur un Pont de l’Adour”
      Frank O’Hara – “Hôtel Particulier”
      Johannes Koenig [LeRoi Jones] – “The Structure of the Academy Is: Against, the Street, or, Versus.”
      Yukio Matsuda – “The Landing” (trans. Syunichi Niikura)
      Yu Suwa – “Jacob’s Ladder” (trans. Syunichi Niikura)
      Atsushi Sekiguci – “New Year Greeting” (trans. Syunichi Niikura)
      Philip Lamantia – “Rest in Peace”
      Jack Kerouac – “How to Meditate”
      Jack Kerouac – “Hitch Hiker”
      David W. Mckain – “Street Corner Song”
      David W. Mckain – “Special Eye”
      David W. Mckain – “Newark Black Survival Committee Press Conference”
      The Editors – “Notices”

35. THE FLOATING BEAR: A NEWSLETTER, No. 35, edited by Diane di Prima
New York: The Floating Bear, April 1968
First edition, corner-stapled sheets, 8.5” x 11”, 26 pages, mimeograph printed. Cover art by John Reed.

  • Contents:
    1. Philip Lamantia – “Inscription for the Vanishing Republic”
      Philip Lamantia – “Orphic Poem”
      Philip Lamantia – “The Call”
      Philip Lamantia – “Politics Poem”
      Philip Lamantia – “Lava”
      Philip Lamantia – “Cool Apocalypse”
      Philip Lamantia – “Visions”
      Philip Lamantia – [untitled] “That I burned by the screech owl castle…”
      Steve Jonas – “A Poem for Tony Sherrod”
      John Thomas – “The Empty Blues”
      Lenore Kandel – “Junk/Angel”
      LeRoi Jones – “Indians”
      LeRoi Jones – “A Traffic of Love”
      LeRoi Jones – “Old Men’s Feet”
      LeRoi Jones – “Nick Charles Meets the Wolf-Man”
      LeRoi Jones – “West of Dodge”
      Michael Rumaker – “The Island, by Robert Creeley” [book review]
      Michael Rumaker – “WFME Interview with Night Editor of Newark Evening News”
      The Editors – “Notices of All Kinds”

36. THE FLOATING BEAR: A NEWSLETTER, No. 36, guest-edited by Bill Berkson
New York City: The Floating Bear, January-July 1969
First edition, corner-stapled sheets, 8.5” x 11”, 40 pages, mimeograph printed. Cover art by Ray Johnson.

  • Contents:
    1. Larry Fagin, Bill Berkson, and Ron Padgett – “Beautiful Music”
      Larry Fagin, Bill Berkson, and Ron Padgett – “Dog Salt”
      Larry Fagin, Bill Berkson, and Ron Padgett – “The Secret of Jane Bowles”
      Max Ernst – “From”
      Michael Brownstein – “Driving Through Belgium”
      Michael Brownstein – “The Shining Hand”
      Michael Brownstein – “Woman Walking Slowly Downstairs and Waving”
      Anne Waldman – “Be Happy O Sad World Be Happy”
      Anne Waldman – “Bright Side”
      Tom Clark – “Where I Live”
      Clark Coolidge – “Nothing at Newbegins”
      Clark Coolidge – “Noun Adder”
      Blaise Cendrars – “Dorypha” (trans. Ron Padgett)
      Bill Berkson – “Forked Dah”
      Bill Berkson – “Stanky”
      David Shapiro – “For the Princess Hello”
      Diane di Prima – “Stone Take”
      Kenneth Koch – “I Am from Argentina”
      John Thorpe – “Shaman’s Pain”
      John Thorpe – “When”
      John Thorpe – “Dust Eater”
      Ron Padgett – “Movable Basketballs”
      Lewis Warsh – “Opening the Day”
      John Ashbery – “Upper Silesia”
      The Editors – “Readables”

37. THE FLOATING BEAR: A NEWSLETTER, No. 37, edited by Diane di Prima
New York City: The Floating Bear, March-July 1969
First edition, corner-stapled sheets, 8.5” x 11”, 24 pages, mimeograph printed. Cover art by Wallace Berman.

  • Contents:
    1. Lenore Kandel – “Hymn to Maitreya in America”
      LeRoi Jones – “What the Arts Need Now”
      Kirby Doyle – “An Unfinished Letter, Amir id-Emaid”
      Kirby Doyle – [untitled] “The belly of the moon…”
      Kirby Doyle – [untitled] “Again the butterfly visits me…”
      Kirby Doyle – [untitled] “I came to the top of this…”
      Kirby Doyle – “Upon Jail”
      Kirby Doyle – “-1- the Alchemist”
      Kirby Doyle – “-2- the Angel”
      Kirby Doyle – “-3- the Singer”
      Kirby Doyle – “-4- the Fallen”
      Kirby Doyle – “-5- the Risen”
      Gary Snyder – “Buddhism & The Coming Revolution”
      Victor Hernandez Cruz – “Poem for the Empire”
      Victor Hernandez Cruz – “Third World”
      Diane di Prima – “Canticle of St. Joan, for Robert Duncan”
      Michael McClure – “Tear Gas”
      Janine Pommy-Vega – “Poem for David”
      Janine Pommy-Vega – “Poem to Pitt/ If That Is Your Name…..”
      Tao Te Ching – “from Tao Te Ching” (trans. Paul Carus)
      Dave Cunliffe and Tina Morris – “Invocation”
      Freewheelin’ Frank [Frank Reynolds] – “’The Hymn’ to ‘Lucifer’”

According to Diane di Prima in notes to Laurence McGilvery’s facsimile edition of The Floating Bear, “The poem by Freewheelin’ Frank [Frank Reynolds] came out of a book that was done here in San Francisco. It was issued as a portfolio and ws the last printing effort of the Free City people; they had been doing a free publishing thing. They did Brautigan’s Please Plant This Book, poems printed on packets of seeds. They also did a dittoed version of Kirby Doyle’s Angelfaint, which he wouldn’t let them release because it had too many typographical errors in it. One thousand copies of it are probably still in Irving Rosenthal’s basement, without covers. Frank’s book was beautifully printed, all on separate sheets in about four colors. Freewheelin’ Frank’s name somehow didn’t get on this poem, so we had to write it in by hand on all the copies.”


References Consulted:

Clay, Steven and Rodney Phillips. A SECRET LOCATION ON THE LOWER EAST SIDE: ADVENTURES IN WRITING, 1960-1980
New York: New York Public Library / Granary Books, 1998

di Prima, Diane and LeRoi Jones. editors. THE FLOATING BEAR: A NEWSLETTER. Numbers 1-37, 1961-1969
La Jolla: Laurence McGilvery, 1973


Online Resources:

· Beat Visions and the Counterculture – Floating Bear
· From a Secret Location – The Floating Bear
· Reality Studio – Floating Bear Archive

The Divers Press Checklist

>> return to THE DIVERS PRESS main page >>

A. Books published by The Divers Press:

1. Blackburn, Paul. PROENSA
First edition:
Palma de Mallorca: The Divers Press, June 1953
Hand-sewn and bound into illustrated wrappers, 56 pages, 7.25″ x 11″, hand-set and printed by Mossén Alcover. (Woodward A18)

In the Divers Press Prospectus, Robert Creeley writes, “Proensa is a bilingual edition of the work of seven Troubadours (including Piere Vidal, Sordello, and Bertran de Born). So far as we know, it is the only book of its kind now available. The re-creation of a past time is never very simple, or as Blackburn wrote: ‘Pride, interest, self-love were all sins then. Today they have been transformed into virtues… All this means a problem in poetic craft, if one is so perverse as to attempt translation of medieval languages.’ Blackburn’s attempt succeeds in giving us poetry, not a trot.”

2. Creeley, Robert. THE KIND OF ACT OF
First edition:
Palma de Mallorca: The Divers Press, May 1953
Hand-sewn and bound into illustrated wrappers, 6.25” x 7.25”, 24 pages, 250 copies, hand-set and printed by Mossén Alcover. Cover by René Laubiès. (Novik A2)

In the Divers Press Prospectus, Robert Creeley writes, “The Kind of Act of is a collection of those poems written since the publication of Le Fou. I don’t know that they are better or worse, etc., but they came out of a time which was difficult, and needed statement of a kind which could hold both myself and them. The forms are, for the most part, tighter, i.e., more condensed.”

3. Eigner, Larry. FROM THE SUSTAINING AIR
First edition:
Palma de Mallorca: The Divers Press, July 1953
Hand-sewn and bound into illustrated wrappers, 6.75” x 9”, 16 pages, 250 copies, hand-set and printed by Mossén Alcover. Cover by René Laubiès. (Wyatt A2)

An excerpt from a letter to Robert Creeley from William Carlos Williams upon receiving Eigner’s FROM THE SUSTAINING AIR: “Eigner’s book is charming. I haven’t got such a relaxed feeling from anything in years. There is no tension whatever, but a feeling of eternity. It is hard to say how he achieved this in the world today. As far as I can see it comes from a perfect ear… Let me see anything he writes, it is contagious…”

4. Olson, Charles. MAYAN LETTERS
First edition:
Palma de Mallorca: The Divers Press, January 1954
Sewn and perfect-bound in illustrated wrappers, 92 pages, 6.5″ x 8.5″, hand-set and printed by Mossén Alcover. Preface by Robert Creeley. Contains 17 letters from Charles Olson to Robert Creeley written between February 18 and July 1, 1951. (Butterick & Glover A9)

In the Divers Press Prospectus, Robert Creeley writes, “Mayan Letters… is an altogether rare instance of culture morphology at work. It insists on the full complex of attentions involved, and proves no art can sustain itself free of a basic human contact. Which comments belie, perhaps, the intensely human character of the letters themselves.”

5. Layton, Irving. IN THE MIDST OF MY FEVER
Palma de Mallorca: The Divers Press, February 1954
(Bennett & Polson A6)

6. Creeley, Robert. THE GOLD DIGGERS
First edition:
Palma de Mallorca: The Divers Press, February 1954
Sewn and perfect-bound in illustrated wrappers, 144 pages, 5” x 6.75”, 500 copies, hand-set and printed by Mossén Alcover. Cover by René Laubiès. (Novik A4)

7. Seymour-Smith, Martin. ALL DEVILS FADING
Palma de Mallorca: The Divers Press, Spring 1954

8. Macklin, H.P. A HANDBOOK OF FANCY PIGEONS
Palma de Mallorca: The Divers Press, May 1954

9. Kitasono, Katsué. BLACK RAIN: POEMS & DRAWINGS
First edition:
Palma de Mallorca: The Divers Press, August 1954


10. Creeley, Robert. A SNARLING GARLAND OF XMAS VERSES
First edition:
Palma de Mallorca: The Divers Press, 1954
100 copies, published anonymously (Novik A5)

11. Woolf, Douglas. THE HYPOCRITIC DAYS
Palma de Mallorca: The Divers Press, January 1955

12. Blackburn, Paul. THE DISSOLVING FABRIC
First edition:
Palma de Mallorca: The Divers Press, March 1955
Sewn and perfect-bound in illustrated wrappers, 24 pages, 6.5” x 8”, hand-set and printed by Mossén Alcover. Cover by Dan Rice with silkscreen reporduction by Arthur Okamura. (Woodward A1)

13. Duncan, Robert. CAESAR’S GATE: POEMS 1949–1950
a. First edition, regular copies:
Palma de Mallorca: Divers Press, September 1955
Sewn and perfect-bound in illustrated wrappers, 24 pages, 6.75” x 8.75”, 200 copies, hand-set and printed by Mossén Alcover. Illustrated by Jess Collins. (Bertholf A8a)

b. First edition, numbered copies:
Palma de Mallorca: Divers Press, September 1955
Sewn and perfect-bound in illustrated wrappers, 24 pages, 6.75” x 8.75”, 10 copies, hand-set and printed by Mossén Alcover. Illustrated by Jess Collins. (Bertholf A8b)

c. First edition, lettered copies:
Palma de Mallorca: Divers Press, September 1955
Sewn and perfect-bound in illustrated wrappers, 24 pages, 6.75” x 8.75”, 3 copies, hand-set and printed by Mossén Alcover. Illustrated by Jess Collins. (Bertholf A8c)


B. Books designed and printed by The Divers Press:

1. Olson, Charles. IN COLD HELL, IN THICKET
Palma de Mallorca: The Divers Press, February 1953
Sewn and perfect-bound in illustrated wrappers, 62 pages, 7” x 8.5”, 500 copies, hand-set and printed by Mossén Alcover. Published as Origin 8 (Winter 1953) as part of the first series of Cid Corman’s long-running magazine. (Butterick & Glover A7)

2. Corman, Cid. THE PRECISIONS
New York: Sparrow Press, March 1955

3. Layton, Irving. THE BLUE PROPELLER
Montreal: Contact Press, 1955


C. The Divers Press ephemera:

1. PROSPECTUS OF THE DIVERS PRESS
Palma de Mallorca: The Divers Press, 1953
Single sheet measuring 13.75″ x 6″ folded twice to make a 6-page booklet, letterpress printed by Mossén Alcover. (Novik 101)

Note by Creeley: “Printing is cheap in Mallorca, and for a small press like our own it means freedom from commercial pressures. It means, too, that we can design our books in a way that we want, since they are handset and made with an almost forgotten sense of craft. Above all, it is our chance to print what we actually like and believe in.” Creeley goes on to list several titles, the first four from the press, noting prices and distributors.

2. NEW BOOKS CATALOG
Palma de Mallorca: The Divers Press, Spring 1954
Single sheet measuring 4.75″ x 11.5″ folded twice to make a 6-page booklet, letterpress printed by Mossén Alcover.

Lists multiple forthcoming and previously published books by The Divers Press and includes names and addresses of distributors including Black Mountain College and Raymond Souster in Toronto.

3. CAESAR’S GATE PROSPECTUS
Black Mountain: Black Mountain College, 1955
Single sheet measuring 4.25″ x 6.25″, letterpress printed.

Text from Robert Duncan and Jess Collins holograph noting the various issues, limitations, and prices of the forthcoming book.


References consulted:

Bennett, Joy and James Polson. IRVING LAYTON: A BIBLIOGRAPHY 1935-1977
Montreal: Concordia University Libraries, 1979

Bertholf, Robert J. ROBERT DUNCAN: A DESCRIPTIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY
Santa Rosa: Black Sparrow Press, 1986

Butterick, George F. and Albert Glover. A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF WORKS BY CHARLES OLSON
New York: The Phoenix Book Shop, 1967

Clay, Steven and Rodney Phillips. A SECRET LOCATION ON THE LOWER EAST SIDE: Adventures in Writing, 1960-1980
New York: New York Public Library / Granary Books, 1998

Novik, Mary. ROBERT CREELEY, AN INVENTORY 1945-1970
Kent: The Kent State University Press, 1973

Woodward, Kathleet. DOCUMENTS FOR NEW POERTY II: PAUL BLACKBURN: A CHECKLIST
San Diego: Archive for New Poetry, 1980

Wyatt, Andrea. A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF WORKS BY LARRY EIGNER, 1937-1969
Berkeley: Oyez, 1970

Robert Creeley: Books & Broadsides

>> return to ROBERT CREELEY main page >>

Section A:
Books & Broadsides

1. LE FOU
First edition:
Columbus: Golden Goose Press, October 1952
Saddle-stapled and bound into printed and illustrated wrappers with rear french-fold in opalescent tissue dust jacket, 6” x 7.5”, 32 pages, 500 copies. Frontispiece drawing by Ashley Bryan. Creeley’s first book. Designed and printed by Richard Wirtz Emerson from type set by Frederick Eckman at the Golden Goose Press. (Novik A1)

2. THE KIND OF ACT OF
First edition:
Palma de Mallorca: The Divers Press, May 1953
Hand-sewn and bound into illustrated wrappers, 6.25” x 7.25”, 24 pages, 250 copies, hand-set and printed by Mossén Alcover. Cover by René Laubiès. (Novik A2)

3. THE IMMORAL PROPOSITION
First edition:
Karlsruhe-Durlach: Jonathan Williams, Autumn 1953
String-bound in illustrated wrappers, 9″ x 6.5″, 16 pages, 200 copies. Illustrated by René Laubiès. Printed by Verlagsdruckerei Gebr. Tron KG. Published as Jargon 8. (Novik A3)

4. THE GOLD DIGGERS
First edition:
Palma de Mallorca: The Divers Press, February 1954
Sewn and perfect-bound in illustrated wrappers, 144 pages, 5” x 6.75”, 500 copies, hand-set and printed by Mossén Alcover. Cover by René Laubiès. (Novik A4)

Second edition:
expanded edition published as The Gold Diggers and Other Stories, J. Calder, 1965.

5. A SNARLING GARLAND OF XMAS VERSE
First edition:
Palma de Mallorca: The Divers Press, 1954
100 copies, published anonymously (Novik A5)

6. ALL THAT IS LOVELY IN MEN
First edition:
Asheville: Jonathan Williams, 1955
Perfect bound in printed and illustrated wrappers, 6″ x 8″, 44 pages, 200 copies. Drawings by Dan Rice, photograph by Jonathan Williams. Signed by Creeley and Rice on the colophon page. Printed by the Biltmore Press in Asheville. Published as Jargon 10. (Novik A6)

7. IF YOU
First edition:
San Francisco: Porpoise Bookshop, 1956
Loose leaves measuring 9.5” x 12.5” in printed portfolio, 200 copies, printed by Henry Evans at the Peregrine Press. Illustrated by Fielding Dawson. Published as Poems & Pictures 8. (Novik A7)

8. THE WHIP
a. First edition, regular copies:
Worchester: Migrant Books, Summer 1957
Perfect-bound in printed and illustrated wrappers, 5″ x 6.75″, 49 pages, 500 copies. Cover design by René Laubiès. Printed by Mossén Alcover in Palma de Mallorca. Published as Jargon 26 (Novik A8)

b. First edition, hardcover copies:
Worchester: Migrant Books, Summer 1957
Cloth-covered boards with printed spine, 5″ x 6.75″, 49 pages, 100 copies. Printed by Mossén Alcover in Palma de Mallorca. Illustrated by Kirsten Hoeck. Published as Jargon 26 (Novik A8)

9. A FORM OF WOMEN
First edition:
New York: Jargon Books|Corinth Books, 1959
Perfect-bound in printed and illustrated wrappers, 5.5″ x 8″, 64 pages, 2000 copies. Cover photograph by Robert Schiller. Printed by Heritage Printers in Charlotte. Published as Jargon 33. (Novik A9)

10. FOUR POEMS FROM A FORM OF WOMEN
First edition:
New York: Eighth Street Bookshop, 1959
Saddle-stapled in printed wrappers, 4.25” x 6.25”, 4 pages, 300 copies. Privately printed for the friends of the Eighth Street Bookshop to celebrate the New Year, December 1959. Designed by Jonathan Williams. (Novik 10)

[n.b. notes have not been made about inclusion of items in archive]

Joel Oppenheimer

Portrait of Joel Oppenheimer by Jonathan Williams

Joel Oppenheimer Checklist:

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


Having been a student at Black Mountain College from 1950 to 1953, taking courses with Charles Olson and publishing in The Black Mountain Review edited by Robert Creeley, Joel Oppenheimer is one of those writers most legitimately a part of the group known in recent literary history as the Black Mountain Poets, and is included as such in Donald Allen’s famous anthology, The New American Poetry. Oppenheimer’s writing is hardly restricted to representing a literary movement, however, and his subsequent reputation is as much a result of his life and literary activities in New York as it is due to his Black Mountain connections — especially, since 1972, his regular column in the Village Voice. He has also been project director for the St. Mark’s Poetry Project as well as director of New York City’s Teachers and Writers Collaborative, and served as Poet in Residence at the City College of New York. Oppenheimer was born in 1930 in Yonkers, N.Y. [and died at 58 of lung cancer in Henniker, New Hampshire on October 11, 1988.] His papers are among the literary archives in the Special Collection of The University of Connecticut Library.

—George F. Butterick, Joel Oppenheimer, A Checklist of his Writings


References Consulted:

Butterick, George F. JOEL OPPENHEIMER: A CHECKLIST OF HIS WRITINGS
Storrs: University of Connecticut Library, 1975

Gilmore, Lyman. DON’T TOUCH THE POET: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JOEL OPPENHEIMER
New Jersey: Talisman House, 1998

The Divers Press

Prospectus of The Divers Press. Palma de Mallorca, 1953

Divers Press Checklist


[excerpt from Steve Clay and Rodney Phillips’ A SECRET LOCATION ON THE LOWER EAST SIDE. Granary Books, 1998]

Raising pigeons and chickens on a farm in Littleton, New Hampshire, Robert Creeley heard, through “a fluke of airwaves,” poet Cid Corman’s weekly radio program from Boston, “This Is Poetry.” Inspired, Creeley read on the program during a weekend in 1950 when he was showing chickens at the Boston poultry show. And so began a network of literary friendships that inspired a generation of poets (“A knows B, B knows C, and there begins to be increasing focus. And I think that we were curiously lucky that that focus was not literally a question of whether we were all living together or not.”). Galvanized, Creeley tried unsuccessfully to start his own little magazine, but ended up giving Cid Corman at Origin much of the material he had collected, including work by Denise Levertov, Paul Blackburn, and Charles Olson, to whom the first issue of Origin was devoted.

Against this background it is not surprising that Creeley, called “The Figure of Outward” by Olson, whom he met through Corman, would himself venture forth as a publisher in 1953 with Martin Seymour-Smith’s All Devils Fading. In addition to two volumes by Paul Blackburn and one each by Larry Eigner and Robert Duncan, in 1954 Creeley issued a volume of poems by Canadian poet Irving Layton and Japanese poet Katué Kitasono’s self-translated poems, Black Rain. The last volume he published, in 1955, was American novelist Douglas Woolf’s “painful rite of passage,” The Hypocritic Days. Creeley published his own The Kind of Act of in 1953 and A Snarling Garland of Xmas Verses and The Gold Diggers, both in 1954. In 1982, Creeley wistfully remembered the serious, edgy nature of the press: “I don’t recall that the Divers Press paid anybody anything—it was my first wife’s modest income that kept any of it going—and so our choices had to be limited to writers as existentially defined as ourselves.”

“What I felt was the purpose of the press has much to do with my initial sense of [The Black Mountain Review] also. For me, and the other writers who came to be involved, it was a place defined by our own activity and accomplished altogether by ourselves—a place wherein we might make evident what we, as writers, had found to be significant, both for ourselves and for that world—no doubt often vague to us indeed—we hoped our writing might enter… there had to be both a press and a magazine absolutely specific to one’s own commitments and possibilities. Nothing short of that was good enough.”

— Robert Creeley, Introduction to the AMS Press reprint (1969) of The Black Mountain Review

— Steve Clay and Rodney Phillips in A SECRET LOCATION ON THE LOWER EAST SIDE (Granary Books, 1998)

 

Gryphon

Born on January 2, 1922, Richard Rubenstein began his literary career in a local prep school when he won a poetry contest. Associated with the Beat Poets in the San Francisco Bay Area, Rubenstein worked to found and edit several small press poetry journals – Neurotica, first published in spring of 1948; Inferno, in late 1949; and Gryphon, in spring of 1950. In Gryphon he published early works of Robert Creeley and Denise Levertov, as well as the established authors Henry Treece, D.H. Emblem, e.e. cummings, and Cid Corman. He himself published a small chapbook, Beer and Angels, and produced a long manuscript of collected poems which went unpublished. Rubenstein’s health deteriorated because of his long-standing nervous condition and the alcohol he drank to combat it. He died on Yom Kippur in 1958.

1. GRYPHON, No. 1, edited by Richard Rubinstein
San Francisco: Gryphon, Spring 1950

2. GRYPHON, No. 2, edited by Richard Rubinstein
San Francisco: Gryphon, Fall 1950

3. GRYPHON, No. 3, edited by Richard Rubinstein
San Francisco: Gryphon, Spring 1951

HEARSE, A VEHICLE USED TO CONVEY THE DEAD

Starting with the publication of HEARSE 1 in 1957, E. V. Griffith’s HEARSE PRESS would go on to publish 17 issues of the little magazine, a series of 18 chapbooks including Charles Bukowski’s mags_hearse01first, and COFFIN, a portfolio of broadsides. Among those published by HEARSE PRESS are Richard Brautigan, Charles Bukowski, Judson Crews, Russell Atkins, Mason Jordan Mason, Larry Eigner, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Allen Ginsberg, Joel Oppenheimer, Paul Blackburn, Robert Creeley, LeRoi Jones, and many more.

According to Griffith in SHEAF, HEARSE, COFFIN, POETRY NOW: A HISTORY (Hearse Press, 1996):
“In format, HEARSE was a center-stapled booklet 5.5″ x 8.5″ page size; the wire staples which held the propensity for rusting. The Rhino Bristol cover stock ran through several different colors — blue, gray, green, yellow, and (much later) pink — with the name in buk_flowerblack ink. (A few issues varied this by using white cover stock, and a colored ink.) Its appearance owed much to — in fact, almost copied — Larsen’s EXISTARIA.” (more…)

Fuck You/ a magazine of the arts

Fuck You/ a magazine of the arts, published by Ed Sanders from a “secret location on the Lower East Side” of New York City,  was a deliberately provocative mimeographed periodical that ran for 13 issues from 1962 to 1965. Each issue featured line drawings by Sanders and included contributions from such writers and artists as Tuli Kupferberg, Carol Bergé, John Wieners, Andy Warhol, Ray Bremser, Lenore Kandel, Charles Olson, Joel Oppenheimer, Peter Orlovsky, Philip Whalen, Allen Ginsberg, Herbert Huncke, Julian Beck, Frank O’Hara, Leroi Jones, Diane Di Prima, William Burroughs, Gary Snyder, Robert Kelly, Judith Malina, Carl Solomon, Gregory Corso, Robert Duncan, Robert Creeley, Michael McClure, Ted Berrigan, Joe Brainard, Gilbert Sorrentino, and many others.


1. FUCK YOU/ A MAGAZINE OF THE ARTS, No. 1, edited by Ed Sanders
New York: Ed Sanders, February 1962
First edition, side-stapled in printed and illustrated cover, 8.5″ x 11″, 26 pages, mimeograph printed. Cover art and illustrations by Ed Sanders.

From the Editors Note: “Send me your banned manuscripts, your peace-grams, your cosmic data, your huddled masses yearning to be free, your collections of freak-beams, plans for the pacifist holocaust, I lift my speedoprint mimeo beside the golden door…”

Contents:
Jean Morton – “To Us”
Jean Morton – “Prayer”
Ed Sanders – “Soft-Man I”
Ed Sanders – “Soft-Man II”
Ed Sanders – “Soft-Man IIII”
Ed Sanders – “Soft-Man V”
Ed Sanders – “Soft-Man VI”
Allen Hoffman – “Hymn to Amun-Ra-Sanders, The Sun Disc”
Paul Berner – “Freak-Gram: Some Notes on Nonviolent Suicide”
Nelon Barr – “A Bouquet of Fuck Yous”

2. FUCK YOU/ A MAGAZINE OF THE ARTS, No. 2, edited by Ed Sanders
New York: Ed Sanders, April 1962
First edition, side-stapled in printed and illustrated cover, 8.5″ x 11″, 34 pages, mimeograph printed. Cover art and illustrations by Ed Sanders.

From the Editors Note: “Send me yr goddamn manuscripts. Cut me in on yr freak-beams. I’ll print anything.”

Contents:
Margaret X – “Ronnie: An Unapproved Litany”
Eric Weinberger – “Brownsville Jail — Mar. 12, 1962”
Ed Sanders – “Cemetery Hill”
Ed Sanders – “Soft Man VII”
Ed Sanders – “Soft Man VIII”
Ed Sanders – “Soft Man IX”
Robert Brookings Gore – “Fishy”
Robert Brookings Gore – “What?”
Jim Forest – “Notes Written in the Night”
Nelson Barr – “Ash Wednesday Revisited”
Nelson Barr – “A Bouquet of Fuckyous, offering #2”

3. FUCK YOU/ A MAGAZINE OF THE ARTS, No. 3, edited by Ed Sanders
New York: Ed Sanders, June 1962
First edition, side-stapled in printed and illustrated cover, 8.5″ x 11″, 38 pages, mimeograph printed. Cover art and illustrations by Ed Sanders.

From the Editors Note: “Send me yr banned manuscripts, fire me yr cosmic data, visions of the incomprehensible, arcanics, outpukes from the jack-batty, notes from the all, I’ll print anything.”

Contents:
Penny X – “Crotch Poem”
Al Fowler – “Poems, Wargasms, Hymns to Young Men & Women”
Ed Sanders – “Poems”
Ed Sanders – “Soft Man X”
Bob K – “Canticle”
John Harriman – “Two Poems While High”
Nelson Barr – “A Bouquet of Fuckyous”
Tuli Kupferberg – “Pacifist Primer”
Tuli Kupferberg – “6996th Psalm”
Tuli Kupferberg – “Cool”

4. FUCK YOU/ A MAGAZINE OF THE ARTS, No. 4, edited by Ed Sanders
New York: Ed Sanders, August 1962
First edition, side-stapled in printed and illustrated cover, 8.5″ x 11″, 54 pages, mimeograph printed. Cover art and illustrations by Ed Sanders.

From the Editor’s Note: “Send me yr bloody manuscripts! I’ll print anything”

Contents:
Eric Weinberger – [untitled] “For me/ even for me…”
Carol Berge – “Lovesong”
Michael McClure – [untitled] “The mind pain comes over me…”
Taylor Mead – [untitled] “I can’t write…”
C.V.J. Anderson – “August Sixth for Reiko”
John Wieners – “Cocaine”
Ray Bremser – “Lacerations Manuscript”
Ed Sanders – “from On Guerilla Lovefare”
Tuli Kupferberg – “The Man with the Scissors”
John C. Harriman – “3 for Diane Wakoski”
Elin Paulson – [untitled] “in a forever eternity…”
John Keys – “Poem” [“what has made us…”]
John Keys – “New Age of Arm Lifting”
John Keys – “Remembrances of Things Past”
Steve Wever – [untitled] “Your Azzole is…”
Mary E. Mayo – “The Highlanders”
Jackson Mac Low – “Observations in My Neighborhood”
Nelson Barr – “Darkangelgirl”
Nelson Barr – “A Bouquet of Fuckyous, offering #4”

5. FUCK YOU/ A MAGAZINE OF THE ARTS, No. 5, Vol. 1, edited by Ed Sanders
New York: Ed Sanders, December 1962
First edition, side-stapled in printed and illustrated cover, 8.5″ x 11″, 62 pages, mimeograph printed. Cover art and illustrations by Ed Sanders.

From the Editor’s Note: “Barf me your frick data. Retch me in on your bable vectors, your arcanics, your spew, I’ll print anything.”

Contents:
Ed Sanders – “Fuck You, The Talk of the Town”
Charles Olson – “Three Poems from The Maximus Poems”
Lenore Kandel – [untitled] “to fuck with love…”
Al Fowler – “Heroin”
Al Fowler – “Takeoff”
Al Fowler – “Larson O.D.’s; Fowler Scare Shitless”
Al Fowler – “The Hip Lady Pacifist…”
Al Fowler – “Cock City”
Al Fowler – “Caroline”
Al Fowler – “Vision”
Barbara Moraff – [untitled] “Spaniel luz…”
Mark Samara – “Camping Out with Ed Sanders”
Ed Marshall – “Steps of Entering the Skin”
Bonnie Bremser – “Fowl-Play”
Millard Friedman – “Opening”
Ron Rice – [untitled] “Creation from zero…”
Charles Polandik – “Thru Service from New York to Chicago”
Joel Oppenheimer – “A Little Mayan Head”
John Keys – “Revision”
Kirby Congdon – [untitled] “I stagger under the boat…”
John Thomas – “Fat Dr. Bonelli”
Ed Sanders – “Blow Job Poem”
Mary Mayo – “Canticle”
Nelson Barr – “A Bouquet of Fuckyous”

6. FUCK YOU/ A MAGAZINE OF THE ARTS, No. 5, Vol. 2, edited by Ed Sanders
New York: Ed Sanders, December 1962
First edition, side-stapled in printed and illustrated cover, 8.5″ x 11″, 68 pages, mimeograph printed. Cover art and illustrations by Ed Sanders.

From the Editor’s Note: “Skin me with your poetry, your banned manuscripts, your babble, plans for the pacifist holocaust, I’ll print anything.”

Contents:
John Wieners – [untitled] “You talk of going…”
Tuli Kupferberg – “I Say”
Carol Berge – “How to Screw a Bear and Find God”
Taylor Mead – “from His Diary”
Paul Blackburn – “The One-Night Stand”
Barry Wallenstein – “Times of Our Time”
Ray Bremser – “Eternity Grinding Allen’s Giant Beyonds”
Ray Bremser – “Rolling with the Wind”
David Rattray – “In God We Trust”
John Keys – “Poem for Charles Olson come Summer”
Hank Dixon – “Billie the Kid Revisited”
Elin Paulson – “With Love Still”
Pasquale Cocco – [untitled] “I’d love to…”
Bob K. – “from Carolcurla”
Nelson Barr – “Call Me not Back”
Nelson Barr – “Another Bouquet of Fuckyous”
Al Fowler – “Babble”
Al Fowler – “I Want You”
Al Fowler – “Musee de Beaux Enfant”
Al Fowler – “Child”
Al Fowler – “Democracy”
Al Fowler – “Telephone Conversation”
Al Fowler – “The Room. Junk Withdrawal”

7. FUCK YOU/ A MAGAZINE OF THE ARTS, No. 5, Vol. 3, edited by Ed Sanders
New York: Ed Sanders, May 1963
First edition, side-stapled in printed and illustrated cover, 8.5″ x 11″, 80 pages, mimeograph printed. Cover art and illustrations by Ed Sanders.

Contents:
Ed Sanders – “Spurt Spurt”
Lenore Kandel – “Hero the Rider”
Rochelle Owens – “To an Arrogant Fart”
Peter Orlovsky – “Second Sex Experiment”
Jean Forest – “Queen #3”
Carol Berge – “The Love Hang”
Marc Samara – “Camping Out with Taylor Mead”
Joel Oppenheimer – “A Long Testament”
Ray Bremser – “The Cup of Sex”
Robert Kaye – “Mawdroogle”
John Thomas – “Okay Okay”
John Thomas – “For Basho”
Jay Socin – “Graffiti in a Public John”
Al Katzman – “Lament”
Barbara Moraff – “The Abdominal Snowman”
Barbara Moraff – [untitled] “during the past few months…”
Nancy Ellison – “Caca Caca”
John Keys – “Poem for the Aircraft”
Martin Segal – [untitled] “Here I have come…”
Taylor Mead – “Taylor Mead on Dope”
Jackson Mac Low – “19th Light Poem”
Szabo – “Poem for Marilyn”
Nelson Barr – “Bouquet of Fuckyous”

8. FUCK YOU/ A MAGAZINE OF THE ARTS, No. 5, Vol. 4, edited by Ed Sanders
New York: Ed Sanders, Summer 1963
First edition, side-stapled in printed and illustrated cover, 8.5″ x 11″, 74 pages, mimeograph printed. Cover art and illustrations by Ed Sanders.

Contents:
Ed Sanders – “Defiance”
Szabo – “Poem for Hustlers”
Lenore Kandel – “Grant Avenue”
Philip Whalen – “Duerden says: ‘Life is Therapy'”
Paul Blackburn – “Here They Go”
Joel Oppenheimer – “Public Affairs”
Joel Oppenheimer – “Poem in Praise of Perseverance”
John Harriman – “Antoninous Paper Number Two”
Barbara Moraff – [untitled] “im a hip song mistress…”
Barbara Moraff – [untitled] “ground like barren…”
Barbara Moraff – [untitled] “hiking out of sight…”
Barbara Moraff – [untitled] “the reactions…”
George Economou – “Carmen Mentulae”
Carol Berge – “An Answer to one of the Other Women”
Harry Fainlight – “42nd Street”
Rochelle Owens – “Manananimal”
George Montgomery – “Cockman”
Andrew Hoyem – “An Invocation to the Muse in her Low Haunts”
Al Fowler – “Junky II – Speedball”
Al Fowler – “Statutory Rape – (the plea)”
Al Fowler – “Junky”
Ed Sanders – “Three Poems from The Gobble Gang Poems”
Michael McClure – “Fuck Essay”
Nelson Barr – “A Bouquet of Fuckyous, offering #8”

9. FUCK YOU/ A MAGAZINE OF THE ARTS, Number 5, Volume 5, edited by Ed Sanders
New York: Ed Sanders, December 1963
First edition, side-stapled in printed and illustrated cover, 8.5″ x 11″, 90 pages, mimeograph printed. Cover art and illustrations by Ed Sanders.

From the Editor’s Note: “Manuscripts! Manuscripts! puke us your spew, magic, music, loves, logoi, and vapours! Onward in the Re-vectors, all you blazing m.f.’s”

Contents:
Ed Sanders – “Total Assault on the Culture”
Allen Ginsberg – “The Change: Kyoto-Tokyo Express July 18, 1963”
Isis – “Incantation for the REvival of the Dead Osiris”
Robert Kaye – “8th & 42nd”
Robert Kaye – “for Quang Duc”
Robert Kaye – [untitled] “under falling water…”
Robert Kaye – [untitled] “i’m dead…”
Lenore Kandel – “Love Fuck Poem”
Tuli Kupferberg – “A Black & White Manifesto”
Peter Orlovsky – “Allen Jerking Off on Bed”
Mary Mayo – “The Dream of the Starving Birds”
Robert Nichols – “Message”
Robert Nichols – “Bakhunin”
Diane Wakowski – “Ordinary Poem, to Bob”
Julian Beck – [untitled] “horse pimples…”
Julian Beck – “Anarchy”
Julian Beck – [untitled] “that the collective not be…”
John Keys – “Impressions Taken from the Same Canteen”
John Keys – “Erikson”
John Keys – “Lesson 2”
Jim Standish – “Three Poems from the Mushroom Poems”
Harry Fainlight – “O London”
Herbert Huncke – “The Party”
Nelson Barr – “Love Poem”
Nelson Barr – “A Bouquet of Fuck Yous, offering #9”

10. FUCK YOU/ A MAGAZINE OF THE ARTS, Number 5, Volume 6, edited by Ed Sanders
New York: Ed Sanders, April/May 1963
First edition, side-stapled in printed and illustrated cover, 8.5″ x 11″, 108 pages, mimeograph printed. Cover art and illustrations by Ed Sanders.

From the Editor’s Note: “Manuscripts!! we need high level poetic data, music, criticism, reviews, surveys, stories, magic, etc…. while we exist we should like to puke forth some totally mind-stomping issues…”

Contents:
Ed Sanders – “A Call to Action”
Harry Fainlight – “For the Ghost of Hart Crane”
Allen Ginsberg – “Walt Whitman”
Harry Fainlight – “Le Poete a Quatorze Ans”
Harry Fainlight – “Mescaline Notes”
Frank O’Hara – “Un Chant d’Amor”
Frank O’Hara – “In the Movies”
Peter Orlovsky – “Thank God….”
Ray Bremser – “Three Small Prater to the Genii”
Ray Bremser – “Frontal Phrenal Fit”
Al Fowler – [untitled] “are you going to the…”
Al Fowler – “Soup Poem”
Al Fowler – “My Last Shot of Stuff”
Szabo – “The Szabo Poems”
Diane Di Prima – “An Anniversary Poem, for Alan”
Diane Di Prima – “Take 3/16/61”
Diane Di Prima – “Take 3/15/61”
LeRoi Jones – “Houdini”
LeRoi Jones – “Letter to Elijah Muhammed”
LeRoi Jones – “Political Poem”
LeRoi Jones – “Double Feel”
Joel Oppenheimer – “Fragments of a Letter from New York to San Francisco”
Joel Oppenheimer – “For Our Cousins”
Joel Oppenheimer – “Where are My Glasses”
Joel Oppenheimer – “Balso’s Blues”
Carol Berge – “Chant for Half the World”
John Keys – “Star: Saskatchewan Two”
Nancy Ellison – [untitled] “i lie long mornings…”
Nancy Ellison – [untitled] “weed that hides rock…”
Nancy Ellison – [untitled] “i feel my body covered with dust…”
Nelson Barr – [untitled] “wingdlass, stingsalt skald’s brow hornhelmed…”
Nelson Barr – “A Bouquet of Fuckyou’s, offering #10”

11. FUCK YOU/ A MAGAZINE OF THE ARTS, Number 5, Volume 7, edited by Ed Sanders
New York: Ed Sanders, September 1964
First edition, side-stapled in printed and illustrated cover, 8.5″ x 11″, 172 pages, mimeograph printed. Cover art by Robert LaVigne and illustrations by Ed Sanders.

Contents:
Ed Sanders – “Resistance against Goon Squads”
Charles Olson – “West Gloucester”
John Wieners – “The Imperatrice”
John Wieners – “Confession”
John Wieners – “Le Chariot”
John Wieners – [untitled] “And if to die…”
Robert Creeley – “Something”
Robert Creeley – “Two Times”
Allen Ginsberg – “from Long Unfinished Poem”
Robert Duncan – “Old Testament”
Robert Duncan – “New Testament”
William Burroughs – “Fluck you fluck you fluck you”
Norman Mailer – “The Executioner’s Song”
Gary Snyder – “Hymn to the Goddess San Francisco in Paradise”
Gregory Corso – “God is a Masturbator”
Philip Whalen – “Statement of Condition”
Philip Whalen – “The Great Beyond Denver”
Philip Whalen – “Papyrus Catalogue”
Philip Whalen – “Vector Analysis”
Philip Whalen – “Against the Magic War: An Open Letter to Robert Duncan”
Michael McClure – “Airs from a Forgotten Book”
Judith Malina – “On the Day of the Death…”
Harry Fainlight – “The Spider”
Robert Kelly – “In Commentary on the Gospel…”
Robery Kelly – “Poem for Ed Sanders”
Carl Solomon – “Nobody Tells Me the Truth Any More”
Carl Solomon – “Stringing Them Along”
Carl Solomon – “Relationships”
Carl Solomon – “The Delinquents”
Carl Solomon – “The Lunatic and Modern Art”
Arnaut Daniel – “Sirventes”
Arnaut Daniel – “Sirventes” (trans. Paul Blackburn)
Al Fowler – “Junky”
Al Fowler – “Larson O.D.’s; Fowler Scared Shitless”
Al Fowler – “Heroin”
Al Fowler – “Takeoff”
Al Fowler – “The Room. Junk Withdrawal”
Al Fowler – “Junky II – Speedball”
Antonin Artaud – [untitled] “The message of…” (trans. Robert Cordier)
Philip Lamantia – “Blue Grace”
Alden Van Buskirk – “The Ivory Bastard”
Alden Van Buskirk – “Kitchen”
Alden Van Buskirk – “Last Will And”
Alden Van Buskirk – “from Forest Park Fragments”
Alden Van Buskirk – “Lami, Leather Nightingale”

12. FUCK YOU/ A MAGAZINE OF THE ARTS, Volume 5, Number 8, edited by Ed Sanders
New York: Fug Press, March 1965
First edition, side-stapled in printed and illustrated cover, 8.5″ x 11″, 154 pages, mimeograph printed. Cover art by Andy Warhol and illustrations by Ed Sanders.

Contents:
Ed Sanders – “Fuck You – The Talk of the Town”
Lawrence Ferlinghetti – “To Fuck is to Love Again”
Michael McClure – “Poisoned Wheat”
Michael McClure – “Poem Cards”
Ed Sanders – “from the Gobble Gang Poems”
LeRoi Jones – “Word from the Right Wing”
LeRoi Jones – “Western Front”
Allen Ginsberg – “from Journals”
Allen Ginsberg – “Dream”
Ted Berrigan – “Sonnet III”
Ted Berrigan – “Sonnet LXVII”
Ted Berrigan – “Sonnet LXXVI”
Ted Berrigan – “Sonnet LXXVIII”
W.H. Auden -“A Gobble Poem”
Gerard Malanga – “Friends”
Vincent Ferrini – “IHS”
Peter Orlovsky – “Three Pages of Drawings with Notes…”
Harry Fainlight – “Street”
Gergory Corso – “At the Big A”
Claude Pelieu – “Four Shriek Pages…”
Al Fowler – [untitled] “man is the disconnected beast…”
Elise Cowan – [untitled] “A cockroach…”
Elsie Cowan – [untitled] “The first eye opens…”
Elsie Cowan – [untitled] “Easy to love…”
Elsie Cowan – [untitled] “I took the skin of corpses…”
John Keys – “The Relationships”
Robert Kaye – [untitled] “suffering cannot be merited…”
John Francis Putman – “Mythology”
John Francis Putman – “Freebie Peek at Remaindered Girlie Mags”
John Francis Putman – “All Saints Day”
Carol Berge – “Thank You”
Bill Fritsch – [untitled] “I stared into your…”
Al Katzman – “Directions I (for John Keys)”
Al Katzman – “The Bloodletting”
Gerard Malanga – “In the pores of his forehead…”
Gerard Malanga – “Some Thoughts of Jean Shrimpton”
Gerard Malanga – “Charles Olson among the White Trees”
Nancy Ellison – [untitled] “I sing the grave…”
Nelson Barr – “Guernica”

13. FUCK YOU/ A MAGAZINE OF THE ARTS, Volume 5, Number 9
New York: Ed Sanders, June 1965
First edition, side-stapled in printed and illustrated cover, 8.5″ x 11″, 100 pages, mimeograph printed. Cover art and illustrations by Ed Sanders.

Contents:
Ed Sanders – “Notes from the Editor”
Joe Brainard – untitled illustration
Pindar – “The First Olympian Ode”
Tom Veitch – “You Got a Point There, Pop”
Harry Fainlight – “Interregnum”
Harry Fainlight – “Image for Fowler”
Harry Fainlight – “The Question”
Harry Fainlight – “Cruising”
Harry Fainlight – “To Noreen”
Harry Fainlight – “Magic Song”
Gilbert Sorrentino – “from The Perfect Fiction”
John Wieners – “Memories of You”
Alden Van Buskirk – “The Pimple”
Szabo – [untitled] “Billy the Kid, the criminal…”
Taylor Mead – “My Monthly”
Robert Kelly – “Sporting News”
Lenore Kandel – “In the Comics”
David Henderson – [untitled] “David A. Wood…”
Al Fowler – [untitled] “night. in the orchards…”
Janine Pommey – “On Train From Living Theatre Heist to Paris”
Ted Berrigan – “Book Review”


References Consulted:

Clay, Steven and Rodney Phillips. A SECRET LOCATION ON THE LOWER EAST SIDE: ADVENTURES IN WRITING, 1960-1980
New York: New York Public Library / Granary Books, 1998

Marx, Jake. “Index to Fuck You / A Magazine of the Arts” in THE SERIF: QUARTERLY OF THE KENT STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES, Volume VIII, Number 3
Kent: The Kent State University Libraries, September 1971


Online Resources:

· Boo-Hooray – Ed Sanders: Fuck You / A Magazine of the Arts

· From a Secret Location – Fuck You/ a magazine of the arts

· Reality Studio – Fuck You Press Archive

· Ubu Web – Fuck You: A Magazine of the Arts (1962-1965)

Measure

wieners

“The three simple, almost starkly working-class issues of Measure followed glorious and overlooked “underground” poet John Wieners from Black Mountain College home to Boston, across country to San Francisco, and back to Boston again. In his years in San Francisco, from 1958 to 1960, Wieners attended (sometimes serving as host at his Scott Street apartment) the legendary Sunday afternoon poetry workshops of the charismatic poets Robert Duncan and Jack Spicer. Also present at the workshops were George Stanley, Harold Dull, Robin Blaser (The Pacific Nation), and many others…”
from A Secret Location on the Lower East Side (Granary Books, 1998)

1. MEASURE, No. 1, edited by John Wieners
mags_measure01Boston: Measure, Summer 1957
First edition, saddle-stapled in printed wrappers, 5.5″ x 8.5″, 48 pages, letterpress printed at the Press of Villiers Publications.

“Measure is edited by John Wieners. It will be issued with the four seasons only through your support… Please understand that the opinions expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect those of the city.”

  • Contents:
    1. Tom Balas – “Le Fou”
      Charles Olson – “Le Bonheur!”
      Charles Olson – “The Charge”
      Charles Olson – “Spring”
      Edward Marshall – “One:”
      Edward Marshall – “Two:”
      Robin Blaser – “Poem”
      Robin Blaser – “Letters to Freud”
      Robin Blaser – “Poem by the Charles River”
      Edward Dorn – “The Rick of Green Wood”
      Larry Eigner – “Millionem”
      Larry Eigner – “Brink”
      Frank O’Hara – “Section 9 from Second Avenue”
      Fielding Dawson – “Two Drawings”
      Stephen Jonas – “Word on Measure”
      Stephen Jonas – “Expanded Word on Measure”
      Michael Rumaker – “Father”
      Gavin Douglas – “The Blanket”
      Jack Spicer – “Song for Bird and Myself”
      Jonathan Williams – “Two Poems for Whitman, the Husbandman”
      Robert Duncan – “The Propositions”

2. MEASURE, No. 2, edited by John Wieners
mags_measure2San Francisco: Measure, Winter 1958
First edition, saddle-stapled in printed wrappers, 5.5″ x 8.5″, 64 pages, letterpress printed at the Press of Villiers Publications.

“Magick is for the ones who ball, i.e. throw across”

  • Contents:
    1. Michael Rumaker – “The Use of the Unconscious”
      Robin Blaser – “The Hunger of Sound”
      Robert Creeley – “Juggler’s Thot”
      Michael Rumaker – “8 Dreams”
      Jack Kerouac – “4 Choruses”
      Charles Olson – “Descensus Spiritus No. 1”
      Robert Duncan – “The Maiden”
      Robert Creeley – “They Say”
      Robert Creeley – “She Went to Say”
      Jack Kerouac – “235th Chorus”
      Edward Dorn – “Notes from the Fields”
      Robert Duncan – “The Dance”
      Stuart Z. Perkoff – “Feats of Death, Feasts of Love”
      V. R. Lang – “The Recidivists”
      Gregory Corso – “Yaaaah”
      James Broughton – “Feathers or Lead”
      Michael McClure – “The Magazine Cover”
      Michael McClure – “One & Two”
      Robert Creeley – “The Tunnel”
      Robert Creeley – “Just Friends”
      Richard Duerden – “Musica No. 3”
      Stephen Jonas – “Books 3 & 4 from a Long Poem”

3. MEASURE, No. 3, edited by John Wieners
mags_measure03Milton: Measure, Winter 1962
First edition, saddle-stapled in printed wrappers, 5.5″ x 8.5″, 36 pages, letterpress printed at the Press of Villiers Publications.

“THE CITY / 1 AM – Unreasonable fear, of the shadows of Harry Lime, of the dead reappearing”

  • Contents:
    1. James Schuyler – “Shed Market”
      James Schuyler – “Joint”
      Gerrit Lansing – “Explorers”
      Barbara Guest – “Safe Flights”
      Barbara Guest – [untitled] “Once when he was a small boy…”
      Barbara Guest – “Abruptly, as if a Forest Might Say”
      Helen Adam – “Anaid si Taerg (Great is Diana)”
      Madeline Gleason – “Wind Said, Marry”
      Robert Duncan – “What do I Know of the Old Lore?”
      Jack Spicer – “Central Park West”
      Larry Eigner – “Poem”
      Tom Field – [untitled] “Form is never more than the extension…”
      Edward Marshall – “Times Square”
      Edward Marshall – “2”
      Edward Marshall – “3”
      John Wieners – “The Imperatrice”
      Philip Lamantia – “Opus Magnum”
      Sheri Martinelli – “Ruth Gildenberg”
      Michael Rumaker – “The River at Night”
      Charles Olson – “The Year is a Great Circle…”
      Charles Olson – “The Post Virginal”
      Charles Olson – [untitled] “Descartes, age 34…”
      John Haines – “Poem”
      John Haines – “Pawnee Dust”

Oyez Press

Oyez Press was founded in 1964 by Robert Hawley and Stevens van Strum in Berkeley, California. Its inaugural run was a series of 10 broadsides featuring poems by Michael McClure, Brother Antoninus, Josephine Miles, Robert Duncan, Robert Creeley, David Meltzer, Denise Levertov, Charles Olson, Gary Snyder and William Bronk. These broadsides were printed by Dave Haselwood’s Auerhahn Press based in San Francisco.

Oyez would continue to publish books for over 20 years by poets primarily from the Black Mountain school and the Bay Area “Renaissance”; publishing over 80 books in addition to numerous keepsakes and broadsides, featuring authors such as David Meltzer, Josephine Miles, Lew Welch, Philip Lamantia, and many others.

The first Oyez book was a collection of poetry by David Meltzer. It was during this period that Hawley began his business relationship with printer Graham Mackintosh. The Oyez poetry editions were well regarded for the simplicity and elegance of their designs. Although not all Oyez books were designed by Mackintosh, several of his designs did receive awards, including an edition of William Everson’s Single Source that was selected as one of the 50 books of the year by the American Institute of Graphic Arts.

A note on this index: the sequence of publication for Oyez items has been difficult to establish. The Oyez bibliography lists items alphabetically rather than chronologically. Items here are listed chronologically but alphabetically within years where no further sequential information is available.


Section A:
Books and Broadsides

A1. McClure, Michael. TWO FOR BRUCE CONNOR
First edition:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1964
Broadside, 12″ x 17″, 500 copies, letterpress printed at the Auerhahn Press. Published as Oyez 1.

A2. Everson, William. THE ROSE OF SOLITUDE
First edition:
Berkeley: Oyez 1964
Broadside, 13″ x 17.5″, letterpress printed at the Auerhahn Press. Published as Oyez 2.

A3. Miles, Josephine. IN IDENTITY
First edition:
San Francisco: Oyez, 1964
Broadside, 11.5″ x 17″, letterpress printed at the Auerhahn Press. Published as Oyez 3.

A4. Duncan, Robert. WINE
First edition:
San Francisco: Oyez, 1964
Broadside, 11.5″ x 17″, letterpress printed at the Auerhahn Press. Published as Oyez 4.

A5. Creeley, Robert. TWO POEMS
First edition:
San Francisco: Oyez, 1964
Broadside, 11.25″ x 16.5″, 423 copies, letterpress printed at the Auerhahn Press. Published as Oyez 5.

A6. Meltzer, David. THE BLACKEST ROSE
First edition:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1964
Broadside, 10.75″ x 17.5″, letterpress printed at the Auerhahn Press. Published as Oyez 6.

A7. Levertov, Denise. CITY PSALM
First edition:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1964
Broadside, 11.5″ x 17.5″, 300 copies, letterpress printed at the Auerhahn Press. Published as Oyez 7.

A8. Olson, Charles. SIGNATURE TO PETITION
First edition:
San Francisco: Oyez 1964.
Broadside, 11″ x 17.25″, letterpress printed at the Auerhahn Press. Published as Oyez 8.

A9. Snyder, Gary. HOP, SKIP, AND JUMP
First edition:
San Francisco: Oyez, 1964
Broadside, 11″ x 17.5″, 350 copies, letterpress printed at the Auerhahn Press. Published as Oyez 9.

A10. Bronk, William. THE CIPHER
First edition:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1965
Broadside, 10.75″ x 17.5″, letterpress printed at the Auerhahn Press. Published as Oyez 10.

A11. Meltzer, David. THE PROCESS
a. First edition, regular copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1965
Perfect-bound printed and illustrated wrappers, 37 pages, 475 copies. Designed by Dave Haselwood and printed by Graham Mackintosh. Cover illustration by Peter Le Blanc.

b. First edition, hardcover, numbered and signed copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1965
Hardcover in printed and illustrated dust jacket, 37 pages, 25 numbered and signed copies. Designed by Dave Haselwood and printed by Graham Mackintosh. Cover illustration by Peter Le Blanc.

items are alphabetized by author within years from this point on

A12. Dijkstra, Bram. FACES IN SKIN
First edition:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1965
Saddle-stapled in plain wrappers in printed and illustrated dust jacket, 32 pages, 500 copies.

A13. Duncan, Robert. MEDEA AT KOLCHIS: THE MAIDEN HEAD
a. First edition, regular copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1965
Saddle-stapled in illustrated wrappers, 44 pages, 500 copies.

b. First edition, hardcover, numbered and signed copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1965
Hardcover, 44 pages, 28 copies, numbered and signed.

A14. Kherdian, David. DAVID MELTZER: A SKETCH AND CHECKLIST
First edition:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1965
Saddle-stapled printed wrappers, 9 pages, 500 copies

A15. Kherdian, David. GARY SNYDER: A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH AND DESCRIPTIVE CHECKLIST
First edition:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1965
Saddle-stapled printed wrappers, 30 pages, 500 copies

A16. McClure, Michael. THE BEARD
First edition:
(San Francisco):  (Oyez Press), April 1965
First edition, perfect-bound wrappers, 71 pages, 350 copies planned, 330 produced. (Clements A20)


A17. McClure, Michael. POISONED WHEAT
mcclure_poisoneda. First edition, regular copies:
(San Francisco):  (Oyez Press), April 1965
Saddle-stapled illustrated wrappers. 5.75″ x 7.75″, 16 pages, 576 copies. (Clements A21)

b. First edition, hardcover, numbered and signed copies:
(San Francisco):  (Oyez Press), April 1965

Hardcover in printed dust wrapper, 5.75″ x 7.75″, 16 pages, 24 copies lettered alpha through omega and signed by the author. Bound by Dorothy Hawley.
(Clements A21)

A18. McGaugh, Lawrence. A FIFTH SUNDAY
First edition:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1965
Paperback, 26 pages, 500 copies

A19. Welch, Lew. ON OUT
lew_onoutFirst edition:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1965
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”

A20. Alexander, D. NOT A WORD
First edition:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1966
Stapled wrappers, 58 pages, 500 copies.

A21. Duncan, Robert. THE YEAR AS CATCHES
a. First edition, regular copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1966
Paperback, 93 pages, 1800 copies.

b. First edition, hardcover, numbered and  signed copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1966
Hardcover, 93 pages, 30 copies, numbered and signed.

A22. Duncan, Robert. OF THE WAR PASSAGES, 22-27
a. First edition, regular copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1966
Paperback, 11 pages, 500 copies.

b. First edition, numbered and signed copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1966
Paperback, 11 pages, 100 copies, numbered and signed.

c. First edition, hardcover, numbered and signed copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1966
Hardcover, 11 pages, 6 copies, numbered and signed.

A23. Everson, William. SINGLE SOURCE: THE EARLY POEMS OF WILLIAM EVERSON (1934-1940)
a. First edition, regular hardcover copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1966
Hardcover, 105 pages, 1000 copies

b. First edition, hardcover, numbered and signed copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1966
Hardcover, 105 pages, 25 copies, numbered and signed

A24. Fabilli, Mary. THE OLD ONES
a. First edition, regular copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1966
Paperback, 28 pages, 500 copies

b. First edition, hardcover copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1966
Hardcover, 28 pages, 3 copies

A25. Hogg, Robert. THE CONNEXIONS
First edition:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1966
Paperback, 40 pages, 500 copies

A26. Lamantia, Philip. TOUCH OF THE MARVELOUS
a. First edition, regular copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1966
Paperback, 65 pages, 1450 copies

b. First edition, hardcover, numbered and signed copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1966
Hardcover, 65 pages, 50 copies, numbered and signed.

A27. Miles, Josephine. CIVIL POEMS
First edition :
Berkeley: Oyez, 1966
First edition, paperback, 16 pages, 500 copies

A28. Miles, Josephine. FIELDS OF LEARNING
First edition:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1966
Paperback, 25 pages, 500 copies

A29. Dusenbery, Gail. THE MARK
a. First edition, regular copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1967
Paperback, 68 pages, 1200 copies.

b. First edition, hardcover, numbered and signed copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1967
Hardcover, 68 pages, 26 copies, numbered and signed.

A30. Everson, William. IN THE FICTIVE WISH
First edition:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1967
Hardcover, 22 pages, 200 copies, numbered and signed.

A31. Korte, Mary Norbert. HYMN TO THE GENTLE SUN
a. First edition, regular copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1967
Paperback, 45 pages, 900 copies

b. First edition, hardcover, numbered and signed copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1967
Hardcover, 45 pages, 26 copies, numbered and signed

A32. Meltzer, David. JOURNAL OF THE BIRTH
First edition:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1967
Paperback, 19 pages, 1000 copies

A33. Meltzer, David. THE DARK CONTINENT
a. First edition, regular copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1967
Paperback, 94 pages, 1000 copies

b. First edition, hardcover copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1967
Hardcover, 94 pages, 26 copies

A34. Antoninus, Brother (William Everson). ROBINSON JEFFERS: FRAGMENTS OF AN OLDER FURY
First edition:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1968
Hardcover, 173 pages, 2600 copies

A35. Charters, Ann. OLSON/MELVILLE: A STUDY IN AFFINITY
a. First edition, regular copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1968
Paperback, 90 pages, 1000 copies

b. First edition, hardcover copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1968
Hardcover, 90 pages, 500 copies

A36. Fabilli, Mary. AURORA BLIGH & EARLY POEMS
a. First edition, regular copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1968
Paperback, 108 pages, 500 copies

b. First edition, hardcover copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1968
B. First edition, hardcover, 108 pages, 250 copies

A37. Korte, Mary Norbert. BEGINNING OF LINES
a. First edition, regular copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1968
Paperback, 37 pages, 500 copies

b. First edition, hardcover, numbered and signed copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1968
Hardcover, 37 pages, 200 copies, numbered and signed

A38. Antoninus, Brother. THE LAST CRUSADE
First edition:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1969
Hardcover, 18 pages, 165 numbered and signed copies

A39. Boar, Gerard (Ebbe Borregaard). SKETCHES FOR 13 SONNETS
First edition:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1969
Paperback, (12 pages), 1600 copies

A40. Charters, Samuel. TO THIS PLACE
a. First edition, regular copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1969
Saddle-stapled wrappers, 50 pages, 750 copies

b. First edition, hardcover copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1969
Hardcover, 50 pages, 250 copies

A41. McGaugh, Lawrence. VACUUM CANTOS
a. First edition, regular copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1969
Paperback, 30 pages, 500 copies

b. First edition, hardcover copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1969
Hardcover, 30 pages, 30 copies

A42. Blazek, Douglas. FLUX & REFLUX
First edition:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1970
Paperback, 57 pages, 1000 copies

A43. Chiarrello, Gail (Gail Dusenbery). THE BHANGRA DANCE
First edition:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1970
Paperback, 34 pages, 485 copies.

A44. Edelman, Richard Wayne. THE WEDDING FEAST
First edition:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1970
Paperback, 37 pages, 1000 copies. Introduction by Denise Levertov.

A45. Hottel, Christopher. THE KNIVES OF DAWN
First edition:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1970
Paperback, 37 pages, 1000 copies

A46. Korte, Mary Norbert. THE MIDNIGHT BRIDGE
First edition:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1970
Paperback, 44 pages, 1000 copies

A47. Levertov, Denise. SUMMER POEMS, 1969
a. First edition, regular copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1970
Paperback, 10 pages, 300 copies

b. First edition, hardcover copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1970
Hardcover, 10 pages, 50 copies

A48. Olson, Charles. THE SPECIAL VIEW OF HISTORY
a. First edition, regular copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1970
Paperback, 61 pages, 1000 copies

b. First edition, hardcover copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1970
Hardcover, 61 pages, 500 copies

A49. Charters, Samuel. SOME POEMS POETS
a. First edition, regular copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1971
Paperback, 118 pages, 1000 copies

b. First edition, hardcover copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1971
Hardcover, 118 pages, 500 copies

A50. Di Prima, Dianne. KERHONKSON JOURNAL, 1966
First edition:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1971
Paperback, 39 pages, 1000 copies

A51. Everson, William. EARTH POETRY
First edition:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1971
Paperback, 4 pages

A52. Brugnola, Orlanda. KING OF THORNBUSHES
a. First edition, regular copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1972
Paperback, 39 pages, 500 copies

b. First edition, hardcover, numbered and signed copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1972
Hardcover, 39 pages, 20 copies, numbered and signed

A53. Charters, Samuel. FROM A SWEDISH NOTEBOOK
a. First edition, regular copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1972
Paperback, 60 pages, 500 copies

b. First edition, hardcover copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1972
Hardcover, 60 pages, 500 copies

A54. Eigner, Larry. SELECTED POEMS
a. First edition, regular copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1972
Paperback, 125 pages, 1000 copies

b. First edition, hardcover copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1972
Hardcover in dust jacket, 125 pages, 500 copies

A55. Horsley, James. GOD’S NAKED DAUGHTER
a. First edition, regular copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1972
Paperback, 38 pages, 850 copies

b. First edition, hardcover, numbered and signed copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1972
Hardcover, 38 pages, 150 copies, numbered and signed.

A56. Hooker, Craig Michael. HONOR AWAKENS AGAIN
First edition:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1973
Paperback, 34 pages, 500 copies

A57. Palmer, Doug.  IN QUIRE
First edition:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1973
Paperback, 56 pages, 650 copies

A58. Cebulski, F.J. CORM
a. First edition, regular copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1974
Paperback, 59 pages, 750 copies

b. First edition, hardcover copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1974
Hardcover, 59 pages, 250 copies

A59. Hill, Lindsay. AVELAVAL
a. First edition, regular copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1974
Paperback, 59 pages, 500 copies

b. First edition, hardcover copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1974
Hardcover, 59 pages, 250 copies

A60. Meltzer, David. BLUE RAGS
a. First edition, regular copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1974
Paperback, 25 pages, 1000 copies

b. First edition, hardcover copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1974
Hardcover, 25 pages, 250 copies

A61. Everson, William. ARCHETYPE WEST: THE PACIFIC COAST AS A LITERARY REGION
a. First edition, regular copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1975
Paperback, 181 pages, 1000 copies

b. First edition, hardcover copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1975
Hardcover, 181 pages, 500 copies

A62. Fabilli, Mary. THE ANIMAL KINGDOM: POEMS & DRAWINGS
First edition:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1975
Paperback, 69 pages, 500 copies

A63. Meltzer, David. HARPS
a. First edition, regular copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1975
Paperback, 28 pages, 500 copies

b. First edition, hardcover copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1975
Hardcover, 28 pages, 500 copies

A64. Alvarado de Ricord, Elsie; Lucha Corpi, and Concha Michel. FIREFLIGHT
First edition:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1976
Paperback, 109 pages, 1000 copies. Translated by Catherine Rodriguez-Nieto.

A65. Charters, Samuel. IN LAGOS
First edition:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1976
Paperback, 15 pages, 600 copies.

A66. Everson, William. RIVER-ROOT
a. First edition, regular copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1976
Paperback, 45 pages, 1000 copies

b. First edition, hardcover, numbered and signed copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1976
Hardcover, 45 pages 250 copies, numbered and signed

A67. Garcia, Luis. BEANS
First edition:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1976
Paperback, 67 pages, 1000 copies

A68. Morrison, Rusane. SUMMER PATCHWORK
First edition:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1976
Paperback, 24 pages, 500 copies

A69. Meltzer, David. TWO-WAY MIRROR
a. First edition, regular copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1977
Paperback, 149 pages, 1000 copies

b. First edition, hardcover copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1977
Hardcover, 149 pages, 500 copies

A70. Canan, Janine. OF YOUR SEED
First edition:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1977
Paperback, 60 pages, 500 copies.

A71. Clark, Naomi. BURGLARIES AND CELEBRATIONS
a. First edition, regular copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1977
Paperback, 80 pages, 750 copies.

b. First edition, hardcover copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1977
Hardcover, 80 pages, 250 copies. Foreword by William Everson.

A72. Dean, Robert. DINNER AT MME
a. First edition, regular copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1977
Paperback, 40 pages, 1000 copies.

b. First edition, hardcover, numbered and signed copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1977
Hardcover, 40 pages, 50 copies, numbered and signed

A73. Gitin, David. LEGWORK
a. First edition, regular copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1977
Paperback, 59 pages, 950 copies

b. First edition, hardcover, numbered and signed copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1977
Hardcover, 59 pages, 50 copies, numbered and signed

A74. Lummis, Dayton. CLOSETS OF MERCY
First edition:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1977
Paperback, 33 pages, 500 copies

A75. Korn, Richard. THE JUDGMENT OF THE CONDOR
a. First edition, regular copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1978
Paperback, 80 pages, 500 copies

b. First edition, hardcover copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1978
Hardcover, 80 pages, 250 copies

A76. Korte, Mary Norbert. MAMMALS OF DELIGHT
a. First edition, regular copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1978
Paperback, 37 pages, 550 copies

b. First edition, hardcover, numbered and signed copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1978
Hardcover, 37 pages, 50 copies, numbered and signed

A77. Charters, Samuel. OF THOSE WHO DIED
First edition:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1980
Paperback, 22 pages, 1000 copies.

A78. Everson, William. EARTH POETRY
a. First edition, regular copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1980
Paperback, 251 pages, 1000 copies

b. First edition, hardcover copies:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1980
Hardcover, 251 pages, 500 copies

A79. Hiller, Tobey. CROSSINGS
First edition:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1980
Paperback, 17 pages, 600 copies

A80. Korn, Richard and Brugnola Orlanda. JOB
First edition:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1981
Paperback, 22 pages, 1000 copies

A81. Hiller, Tobey. CERTAIN WEATHERS
First edition:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1987
Paperback, 62 pages, 500 copies

A82. Charters, Samuel. A COUNTRY YEAR
First edition:
Berkeley: Oyez, 1992
Paperback, 140 pages, 1000 copies.