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63.
Burroughs, Pélieu, Kaufman + 3 APS and 1 ALS from Mary Beach and Claude Pélieu.
Paris: Editions L’Herne, 1967. First edition. 4to. Wrps. (no h/c issued), 312pp. Illustrated. Issued as Cahiers de Herne no.9., with translations of texts into French by Mary Beach and Claude Pélieu. Front cover photograph by Harriet Crowder (misspelt ‘Crowther’); collage by Claude Pélieu to back cover. 3pp. introduction by Pierre Bernard, “Les Cow-Boys de l'Apocalypse”.
The first section (144pp.) is devoted to work by Burroughs and includes the first French language edition of “Nova Express”, several cut-up texts, and the first publication anywhere of two letters dating from 1965 and 1966.
Also includes “Notes Concerning Burroughs” by Pélieu, “Burroughs… Avant, Pendant Apres” by Jean-Jacques Lebel, and a bibliography. The following two sections feature cut-up texts by Claude Pélieu and poetry by Bob Kaufman. The volume also features five photographs of Burroughs, including two full-page stills from “Chappaqua” taken by David Larcher. There are further photographs of Allen Ginsberg (including one of him with Peter Orlovsky by Harold Chapman), Kaufman and Pélieu, and reproductions of collages by Pélieu.
Old tape residue to front and rear endpapers from bookseller’s added clear cellophane outer wrapper (a customary practice in French bookshops), o/w Very Good plus.
Together with: a group of three autograph postcards signed from Mary Beach and Claude Pélieu in San Francisco to Bill Levy in London, plus one autograph letter signed and one typed letter signed, dated between May 1967 and January 1968.
The three postcards all mention the “Burroughs, Pélieu, Kaufman” book, and in the typed letter (November 3, 1967), Beach writes: “A few dirty tricks are being perpetrated vs. Claude in France! Allen Ginsberg is miffed (to say the least because he’s not in the new Cahier de L'HERNE --- and is going around saying Claude is merely a ‘continuation of William Burroughs!’ and ‘What is he getting at?’ --- Oh well --- Fuck ‘em all as the nice little old lady would say!”. Further on, she adds: “BEACH BOOKS has to calm down for the present & wait for the moola to roll in!”.
In the short autograph letter, Beach asks Levy if he can put her son-in-law up (Charles Plymell, who married her daughter, Pam): “He’s a nice guy & very interesting if you can get him out of his shell.”
Some wear and tear, with contemporary scribbled notes by Levy to the two mailing envelopes. The three postcards are psychedelic Fillmore and Family Dog concert cards.