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31.
Wholly Communion. The film by Peter Whitehead.
London: Lorrimer Films Ltd., (December) 1965. First edition. Wrps., 72pp.
SIGNED by Alexis Lykiard at his introduction to the book, which begins: “The Poetry Reading which packed the Albert Hall, London, on the sunny summer evening of June 11, 1965, if not quite the hoped-for Blakean jamboree and feast of illumination, was in many ways an undoubted success - the first genuine, large-scale Happening.”
Lykiard, together with Gustav Metzger, John Esam and others, assisted Peter Whitehead in editing the film of the event and provided its title, since commonly used when referring to the event, though it wasn’t used at the time. Whitehead first encountered Ginsberg at his ICA reading on June 2 after being successfully persuaded to attend by Lykiard, and it was Ginsberg’s performance that provided him with the inspiration to embark on his film documentary of the Albert Hall poetry reading nine days later.
Whitehead published the book (the first under the imprint of Lorrimer, his middle name) following the technical restrictions imposed during the making of the film and the difficulties in editing it: “It is in fairness to the poets whose poems were subjected to such a ruthless process, that this book is published” (from his “Notes on the Filming”, p.10). It prints stills from the film, David Larcher’s photographs from the reading, an extract from “Cain’s Book” by Alexander Trocchi, and poems (several of them appearing in print for the first time) by Allen Ginsberg, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Gregory Corso, Harry Fainlight, Adrian Mitchell, Michael Horovitz, Ernst Jandl, Christopher Logue, and Andrei Voznesensky.
Lower wrapper slightly soiled, o/w a tight, Near Fine copy.
Price:
£45.00
