Later Eyes
Bolinas, California: [No publisher stated] Printed by Mallette Dean, 1957. Limited Edition. Softcover. One of 150 copies, unnumbered, octavo size, unpaginated [126 pp.]. Near fine. Item #17100542
A deceptively simple book of poetry by three SF Bay Area poets and showing a decided beat-era influence (Ginsberg's "Howl" having been published just two years prior). With poems by William Benson ("Bill") Buck (1934-1970), an American writer born into a wealthy Marin County family; Jane Hamner Buck, who lived with Bill Buck "as husband and wife" in Bolinas, California, for six years; and Wallace Look, of whom we can only find mentioned that he was a friend of Jane's and a librarian at the CSU campus in Arcata.
Since the book is showing as having been published in Bolinas, where Bill and Jane lived for a time, we can only surmise this was a project by the three friends to have their poetry published (each of the three has their own section), and asked Mallette Dean, whom Bill may have known since they both lived in Marin, to print the book for them. (Harold) Mallette Dean (1907-1975) was a well-known and highly regarded San Francisco bay area printer and illustrator whose woodcuts delight and entrance. Beginning his career in 1935 with the illustrious Grabhorn Press (for whom he worked for fifteen years), and later on with the equally renowned Allen Press, Mallette eventually opened his own printing press in Fairfax, Marin County where he published his own books, most of which were adorned with his own illustrations.
___DESCRIPTION: Blue paper wraps, front pastedown cream label with black lettering and yellow decoration, fore-edge uncut, title page with a black and gold woodcut illustration (presumably by Mallette Dean, although not stated), the sectional title page for each poet has their name with another woodcut illustration in gold, colophone with the printer's device for Mallette Dean; octavo size (9.5" by 6.5"), unpaginated with sixty-three printed leaves, limited edition of 150 copies, unnumbered, printed by Mallett Dean in Fairfax, California.
___CONDITION: Near fine overall; the interior is clean and bright and the volume is free of prior owner markings; the wraps are mostly clean (one small spot on the spine) with minor overall edgewear, particularly at the head of the spine, one short closed tear at the upper front joint.
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Price: $75.00