PERSONAE, The collected shorter poems of Ezra Pound
Hardcover, Publisher: New Directions, N.Y., 1971, tenth printing. First published in 1926. Blue cloth hardcover. Gilt lettering on front cover and spine, 281 pages. Frontispiece and one tipped in leaf from "Pound at Spoleto" by Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Front cover shows white scratches, lettering on spine is faded. illustrated, original blue cloth dust jacket. Binding edges show wear, few pages roughly opened. Pages browned. Previous owner's embossed name stamp on title page. Text is clean and tight. When I was leaving Albany for Santa Olaya, Gustavo gave me this copy of Pound's "Personae" and now I've just found time to read selections from the book. At the end, Appendix II, is "VERSE OF THE THIRTIES, FIRST PRINTED IN THE NEW ENGLISH WEEKLY, AND ADDED TO THE COLLECTION IN 1949" including 17 poems by Alfred Venison, beginning with THE CHARGE OF THE BREAD BRIGADE: Half a loaf, half a loaf, / Half a loaf? Um-hum? / Down through the valley of gloom / slouched the ten million. More interesting are the notes to the editor accompanying most of these poems: ALF'S SECOND BITSir, -- Your printing of my little piece about the Hunger Marchers has encouraged me to send you another. They come to me while I'm pushing my rabbit-barrow down Titchfield Street. I don't claime to be as educated as some of your other poets; but I attend night schools and pick up a bit of the dictionary that way. It would tickle the missus to see this new bit in print. A.V. ALF'S THIRD BIT
Sir, -- I was pleased, and so was the missus, to see my bit in your paper last week. Any luck this time? A.V. ALF'S FOURTH BIT
Sir, -- That looked to me all right last week, though I didn't think you'd print my letter as well. How's this? A.V. ALF'S FIFTH BIT
Sir, -- I've tried a bit of fancy-work this time; and I hope to see it in print like the rest. A.V. ALF'S SIXTH BIT
Sir, -- I've put the names in, but you can leave them out if they're friends of yours. It's what I think. A.V. ALF'S EIGHTH BIT
Sir, -- I've been reading some of the other fellers' poetry lately; and lemme if I don't think I can do it as well; and with real meat in mine, not just my own rabbits. What say you? A.V. ALF'S NINTH BIT
Sir, -- Here's another improvement on a worn-out model. I did it very nearly in my sleep. A bit of genius, what? A.V. ALF'S TENTH BIT
Sir, -- Seems to me that at this rate I shall have written enough to make a book before long... Is this what they call fame? A.V. ALF'S TWELFTH BIT
Sir, -- Can I bring rabbits out of the hat as well as off my barrow? Watch me! How's this for the rabbit in Mr. Montague's hat? Didn't know it was there, did he? A.V. ANOTHER BIT -- AND AN OFFER
Sir, -- I reckon the apparatus is punctured... With your kind permish, I'll make my tens of thousands of readers a sporting offer. The first that sends you 10 pounds shall have the twelve poems dedicated to him and printed in a book to sell off my barter with the rabbits. And you, kind Sir, will see fair play as between patron and poet. Now, then, who's going to be the lucky irst? A.V.
J.Galligan
75GRAND/SUR
Santa Olaya, PR
