Back to top
14.
The Ticket That Exploded.
Paris: Olympia Press, 1962. First edition. Wrps. No. 91 in the Traveller’s Companion Series. Dustwrapper photo-collage by Ian Sommerville.
The second book in the cut-up trilogy, originally titled “Word Falling - Photo Falling”, with Burroughs utilising the fold-in method (an extension of the cut-up method) and Brion Gysin’s system of permutations. Mikey Portman is acknowledged on page 4 for his collaboration in the sections “In A Strange Bed” and “The Black Fruit”.
Faint edge-spotting, o/w Fine in very Near Fine dw.
Together with: a TLS from the book’s publisher, Maurice Girodias, to Fred Hunter, written on Olympia Press stationery, dated May 6, 1963. Approx. 75 words. Girodias writes that “The news about our bankruptcy is, I hope, somewhat premature” (perennially on the brink of financial disaster, Olympia eventually went bankrupt in 1964 and again later in the decade), and laments the effects of censorship: “We cannot send books to England; we never do. But I can sell here copies of our books to any of your friends who would be willing to take the risk of eventual confiscation by Customs on the trip back to England.”
Olympia Press Spring 1963 price list and order form enclosed, referred to by Girodias in the letter: “It so happens that ‘The Naked Lunch’ and ‘The Black Book’ are out of print - but they will be reprinted before the end of June” (in fact, the former not until two years later), before closing: “Many thanks for your kind appreciation of our humble iconoclastic efforts.”
Hunter has indicated orders for several titles on the order form. Letter folded twice for mailing, with one lower corner crease. Accompanied by the original mailing envelope, addressed to Hunter, then employed at the now defunct Central Office of Information in Lambeth.
