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BEWITCHED.
(Llangynog, Powys, Wales: Embers Handpress, 1989). 307 x 205 mm. (12 x 8"). 4 p.l., 27, [1] pp., [1] leaf. No. 19 OF 20 COPIES on Barcham Green handmade paper (and 60 on Saunders paper).
Publisher's morocco-backed paper boards, covers with printed circular design, vellum corners, smooth spine lettered in gilt. In a buckram slipcase with similarly decorated paper panel. Frontispiece illustration by Laurie Smith. SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR on the limitation page. Photocopied James S. Jaffe invoice (for $450) dated 11/21/98 laid in at front. A hint of foxing at fore edge, otherwise as new.
This is an attractive private press edition of Tate's poetry, from the collection of a pair of noted 20th century poets. Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winning poet James Tate (1943-2015) wrote character-driven, often narrative poems that balanced the absurd with the heartbreaking. In a 2006 interview with Charles Simic for the "Paris Review," Tate reflected on his own work, saying: "There is nothing better than [to move the reader deeply]. I love my funny poems, but I'd rather break your heart. And if I can do both in the same poem, that's the best. If you laughed earlier in the poem, and I bring you close to tears in the end, that's the best." This collection of 26 poems features Tate's characteristic blend of goofiness and pathos. The poems squiggle and weave, taking the reader on a twisting journey. This is mirrored in the design of the binding: the covers and slipcase are printed with the motif of a circular maze, which is repeated more subtly in the frontispiece. The edition is the work of the Embers Handpress, a small Welsh private press run by Roy Watkins, which produced fine limited literary editions between 1974-90. The press is best known for its editions of Sylvia Plath's works, the result of Watkins' personal friendship with Ted Hughes and his sister Olwyn. The present volume is from the collection 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. (ST20338-029)
Price: $475.00