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WITH EYES AT THE BACK OF OUR HEADS.
(New York: New Directions, 1959). 235 x 155 mm. (9 1/4 x 6"). 3 p.l., 74 pp. FIRST EDITION.
Blue-green publisher's buckram, spine lettered in gilt, in original dust jacket. SPECIALLY SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR on the front flyleaf. Slight sunning and minor shelfwear to binding, otherwise fine in an excellent jacket (with tiny losses at spine ends). A very nice copy.
This is a very pleasing specially signed copy of Denise Levertov's third book of poems, meditating on topics ranging from the beauty of nature to the ancient Toltec Codex to the poet's experiences as a nurse in the Second World War. Raised in England and emigrating to the United States in 1948, Levertov (1923-97) produced a very large poetic corpus influenced by her friendships with William Carlos Williams and the Black Mountain Poets as well as by her own political and religious convictions. The Poetry Foundation tells us that "Levertov’s body of quietly passionate poems, attuned to mystic insights and mapping quests for harmony, became darker and more political in the 1960s as a result of personal loss and her political activism against the Vietnam War." Written at the cusp of this change in her work, "With Eyes at the Back of our Heads" covers a broad variety of topics, including those which predict her future political subject matter, all in the poet's distinctly dreamy, flowing style. Though without signs of provenance, our copy comes from the library of Laure-Anne Bosselaar (b. 1943) and her husband Kurt Brown (1944-2013). Bosselaar is a Belgian-American poet, translator, and editor who has published numerous works of poetry in multiple languages, including five collections of her own works. She has received various prizes and recognitions (Pushcart, Isabella Gardner, Breadloaf) and was named Poet Laureate of Santa Barbara in 2019. Sometimes publishing jointly with Bosselaar, Brown was also a prolific poet and editor of anthologies, as well as the founder and first director of the Aspen Writer's Conference, playing a pivotal role in shaping its early vision and establishing Aspen as a literary center. (ST20338-006)
Price: $150.00