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274.
SCENES ALONG THE ROAD: PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE DESOLATION ANGELS 1944-1960.
Compiled by Ann Charters with three poems and comments by Allen Ginsberg. (NY): Portents/Gotham Book Mart, 1970. First edition, softcover issue. Large 8vo. 56pp. The first book of photographs of the Beats, described by Ann Charters in her introduction as a “collection of snapshots of a group of men before they became, as Jack Kerouac put it, ‘famous writers more or less’ ”. Includes captions by Ginsberg and longer quotations from Kerouac, Gregory Corso, William Burroughs, Gary Snyder and Neal Cassady.
Presentation copy, inscribed and SIGNED by Allen Ginsberg: “For Tom Clark Best wishes, from Allen Ginsberg 9/12/84”.
An interesting association between the two poets, since it follows their rift over the Merwin-Trungpa affair in 1975, as well as Clark’s co-authored contribution to Ed Dorn’s self-published magazine, Rolling Stock, “The 1983 AIDS AWARDS FOR POETRY - In recognition of the current EPIDEMIC OF IDIOCY on the poetry scene”. Ginsberg, along with Dennis Cooper, Clayton Eshleman and Robert Creeley, was one of the award’s recipients, supposedly for claiming he wrote lyrics for the Clash.
Since Clark had conducted one of the best interviews Ginsberg ever gave (for The Paris Review twenty years before) and recently written a sympathetic review of Ginsberg’s poetry collection, “White Shroud” (for the LA Times in 1984), it seems he may have been unduly and briefly influenced by Ed Dorn’s homophobia. In any case, judging from his warm inscription, it would appear that Ginsberg forgave him.
Wrappers lightly rubbed; tiny pinhole to lower wrapper; o/w Very Good plus. 1750 copies printed (from a total edition of 2000).
Price:
£135.00
