Man of Moderation by Michael McClure (1975)

 Man of Moderation 

Michael McClure

Frank Hallman

New York, NY

(c)1975

Unpaginated staple-bound chapbook. Two poems. Dedicated to Anne Waldman. Lovely item. 

We Know Better by James Aswell (1927)

We Know Better by James Aswell. 

Gordon Lewis Publisher 

Charlottesville, VA

(C) 1927

On 9/16/23 our family was in Philadelphia and went to the Italian Market in South Philly, and there was a bookstore there - Molly’s Books and Records - so we went into it. Our kids were interested in vinyl and ended up buying some 45s while I looked around, and looked around, and then looked up between the top of the bookshelf that hosted the poetry section there and the ceiling and there were a few larger books that didn’t fit on the shelves arranged just out of my reach - one of which caught my eye though. 

It was a black cover with what looked like woodcut letter pressed words but I couldn’t make it out from the distance I was from the book, so I got the employee’s attention and asked to see that book and it was We Know Better by James Aswell. Instantly I knew I was dealing with something unique because this book was published in Charlottesville, VA - in 1927. 

So, what makes it unique? Well, the “black cover” that first attracted my eye was a cardboard box, a clamshell cover, for a staple-bound book of poetry with woodcut images throughout by Don Millar. 

It’s 72 pages, but it’s staple bound. And I had never seen a book published in 1927 be presented like this before - so, yeah, unique. And it was signed by James Aswell. 

I haven’t found much about the author but of the publisher - Gordon Lewis was an owner of Charlottesville's landmark bookstore The New Dominion Bookshop from at least 1923 as well as a contributor the University of Virginia Magazine in the 1920s.

Perhaps he published other uniquely presented books as well. 

Sor Juana y otros monstruos by Luis Felipe Fabre (2015)

 Sor Juana y otros monstruos

Luis Felipe Fabre

Senal / BOMB magazine

(c) 2015

Senal is a chapbook series for contemporary poetry from Latin America in transition, published collectively by BOMB magazine, Libros Antena Books, and Ugly Duckling Presse. Translated by John Pluecker. This is the first book in that series. In Spanish and English. 

Poems of Osip Mandelstam - Translated by Peter France (2014)

 Poems of Osip Mandelstam

Translated by Peter France

New Directions Poetry Pamphlet #16

New Direction Books

(c) 2014

The book is not a pamphlet, for goodness sake it's 72 pages long. But it is staple-bound so..... and I didn't have anything by Osip Mandelstam before. Now I have this. 

Falling Backwards into the World by Stephen Dunn (2012)

 Falling Backwards into the World 

Stephen Dunn

Jane Street Press

New York City

(c) 2012

I am always intrigued when beginning to research a recently found book and realize that there are rabbit holes leading to rabbit holes leading to hours of possible reviewing and investigating when all I wanted to say was "small formatted staple-bound chapbook from a previously unknown press". 

And yet, that is no longer sufficient to say because I do know more. Jane Street Press began in the early aughts as the brainchild of poet Douglas Goetsch. Several of the first books published by this press were collections of his work. If you go the website for this press you will find a link to his personal website. Don't bother clicking, the link is no longer up. Dead end. 

But this is a fine small collection of Stephen Dunn's work. For a Dunn completist, it's worth getting.