exhibition index | introduction | a note on the collections | exhibition checklist

exhibition checklist

Unless otherwise noted, all materials are from the general holdings of the Rare Book Collection (RBC) and are first editions. Within each section, items are listed in chronological order. Authors’ names have been standardized to reflect their most common appearance.



Checklist no. 9.

    Black Mountain

  1. Origin, series 1, nos. 1–2 (Spring 1951 and Summer 1951). Issues featuring Charles Olson and Robert Creeley.
  2. Robert Duncan. Fragments of a Disorderd [sic] Devotion. [San Francisco: Privately printed,] 1952. Number 42 of 50 copies privately printed and given as Christmas presents by the author, who handcolored the cover. This copy is inscribed to Elsi and R. B. Kitaj.
  3. Charles Olson. The Maximus Poems / 1–10. Stuttgart: Jonathan Williams, 1953. Jargon 7. Edition of 50. This copy is signed by the author.
  4. The Black Mountain Review, vol. 1, no. 1 (Spring 1954).
  5. Robert Duncan. Caesar’s Gate: Poems 1949–1950. [Palma de Mallorca]: Divers Press, 1955. With collages by Jess Collins. This copy is inscribed to R. B. Kitaj.
  6. Denise Levertov. 5 Poems. [San Francisco:] White Rabbit Press, 1958. With drawings by Jess.
  7. Denise Levertov. Overland to the Islands. Highlands, NC: Jonathan Williams, 1958. Jargon 19.
  8. 14 poets, 1 artist: December 12–14, 1958, New York. [New York: Jargon Society, 1958?] Jargon 31.
  9. Charles Olson. Projective Verse. New York: Totem Press, 1959. Cover drawing by Matsumi Kanemitsu.
  10. Robert Creeley. For Love: Poems, 1950–1960. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1962.
  11. Robert Creeley. House Book. San[t] Feliu de Guíxols, Spain, 1977. Manuscript notebook inscribed to R. B. and Sandy Kitaj.

    12. New York School of Poets, First Generation

  12. Frank O’Hara. A City Winter and Other Poems. New York: Editions of the Tibor de Nagy Gallery, 1951 [i.e., 1952]. Two drawings by Larry Rivers. First edition. Number 5 of a limited edition of 150 copies. This is one of 20 copies bound with an original drawing by Larry Rivers as the frontispiece.
  13. Frank O’Hara. Amorous Nightmares of Delay: An Eclogue. Unpublished typescript, ca. 1953. This unproduced play was submitted by O’Hara to Julian Beck and Judith Malina’s Living Theatre.
  14. John Ashbery. Turandot and Other Poems. New York: Tibor de Nagy, 1953. With four drawings by Jane Freilicher.


    15. Checklist no. 15.
  15. Kenneth Koch and Nell Blaine. Poems; Prints. New York: Editions of the Tibor de Nagy Gallery, 1953. Number 32 of 300 copies. Inscribed by both poet and artist to Ted Berrigan.
  16. Locus Solus, no. 1 (Winter 1961).
  17. Frank O’Hara. Lunch Poems. San Francisco: City Lights Books, 1964. Pocket Poets Series, no. 19.
  18. James Schuyler. May 24th or So. New York: Tibor de Nagy Editions, 1966.
  19. John Ashbery. Three Madrigals. New York: Poets Press, 1968. Number 99 of 150 copies. This copy is signed by the author.
  20. Barbara Guest. The Blue Stairs: Poems. New York: Corinth Books, 1968. Number 8 of 100 numbered and signed copies.

    21. Beats

  21. Gregory Corso. The Vestal Lady on Brattle and Other Poems. Cambridge, MA: Richard Brukenfeld, 1955.
  22. Gregory Corso. Gasoline. San Francisco: City Lights Books, 1958. Introduction by Allen Ginsberg. Pocket Poets Series, no. 8.
  23. Gregory Corso. Bomb. San Francisco: City Lights Books, 1958. Broadside. Beat Literature Collection.
  24. Diane di Prima. This Kind of Bird Flies Backward. New York: Totem Press, 1958. Introduction by Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Drawings by Bret Rohmer. Beat Literature Collection. This unbound copy is signed by Lawrence Ferlinghetti.
  25. Jack Kerouac, Gregory Corso, and Allen Ginsberg. “The Sound of Beat: Three New Poems from Three Leading Beatnik Poets.” Playboy, vol. 6, no. 7 (July 1959): 44–45. Beat Literature Collection.


    26. Checklist no. 28.
  26. Jack Kerouac. Mexico City Blues. New York: Grove Press, 1959. Grove Press Collection.
  27. Bob Kaufman. Abomunist Manifesto. San Francisco: City Lights Books, 1959. Beat Literature Collection.
  28. Beatitude, no. 10 (October 1959). Beat Literature Collection.
  29. Gregory Corso. The Happy Birthday of Death. New York: New Directions, 1960. New Directions Paperbook, no. 86.
  30. Allen Ginsberg. Kaddish and Other Poems, 1958–1960. San Francisco: City Lights Books, 1961. Pocket Poets Series, no. 14. Beat Literature Collection.
  31. Allen Ginsberg. Typed filmscript based on “Kaddish,” with extensive holograph notes, ca. 1960s. This filmscript was never produced.
  32. Program and publicity materials related to the American Theatre for Poets, ca. mid-1960s.
  33. Allen Ginsberg. Planet News: 1961–1967. San Francisco: City Lights Books, 1968. Number 390 of 500 signed copies in the limited edition. Beat Literature Collection.
  34. Allen Ginsberg. Planet News: 1961–1967. San Francisco: City Lights Books, 1968. First trade edition. Pocket Poets Series, no. 23. Beat Literature Collection.
  35. Diane di Prima. Revolutionary Letters [1–15]. New York: Communications Company, 1968. Mimeo signed by the author.
  36. Ted Joans. Black Pow-Wow: Jazz Poems. New York: Hill and Wang, 1969. American Century series. First paperback edition. Signed by the author.
  37. Diane di Prima. San Francisco Notebook 1. The first of 82 volumes of multimedia journals dating from 1970 to 1990. This volume is dated December 9, 1970–August 29, 1971.
  38. Allen Ginsberg. The Fall of America: Poems of These States, 1965–1971. San Francisco: City Lights Books, 1972. Pocket Poets Series, no. 30. White-cover issue.
  39. Gregory Corso. Manuscript notebook of poems and drawings, 1974. Held by the Manuscripts Department.

    40. San Francisco Renaissance

  40. Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Pictures of the Gone World. San Francisco: City Lights Pocket Bookshop, 1955. Pocket Poets Series, no. 1. Signed by the author. Beat Literature Collection.
  41. Michael McClure. Passage. Big Sur: Jonathan Williams, 1956. Jargon 20. Beat Literature Collection.
  42. Lawrence Ferlinghetti. A Coney Island of the Mind. Norfolk, CT: New Directions, 1958. New Directions Paperbook, no. 74. Presentation copy to Allen Ginsberg. Signed by both Ferlinghetti and Ginsberg. Beat Literature Collection.
  43. Gary Snyder. Riprap. Ashland, MA: Origin Press, 1959.
  44. Gary Snyder. Myths and Texts. New York: Totem Press in association with Corinth Books, 1960. Cover and drawings by Will Petersen.


    45. Checklist no. 45.
  45. Robert Duncan. Faust Foutu: An Entertainment...in Four Parts. Stinson Beach, CA: Enkidu Surrogate, 1959. With decorations by the author. Third edition.
  46. Joanne Kyger. The Tapestry and the Web. San Francisco: Four Seasons Foundation, 1965. Writing, no. 5. Number 17 of 27 numbered, signed, and specially bound copies.
  47. Robert Duncan. Bending the Bow. New York: New Directions, 1968. First impression of the first edition.
  48. Richard Brautigan. Please Plant This Book. San Francisco; Santa Barbara: [Graham Mackintosh,] 1968. Folder containing eight seed packets printed with poems.
  49. Richard Brautigan. The San Francisco Weather Report. Goleta, CA: Unicorn Books, 1969. First edition, second printing.
  50. Michael McClure. Star. New York: Grove Press, 1970. Beat Literature Collection.
  51. Kenneth Rexroth. Sky Sea Birds Trees Earth House Beasts Flowers. Santa Barbara: Unicorn Press, 1971. Number 55 of an edition of 150 numbered copies.
  52. Joanne Kyger. I Don’t Want to Repeat the Same Mistakes Over Again. [Kent, Ohio: Kent State Arts Festival,] 1974. This copy is printed on pink paper. Signed by the author.

    53. New York School of Poets, Second Generation

  53. Fuck You: A Magazine of the Arts, no. 1 (February 1962).
  54. Ed Sanders. Poem from Jail. San Francisco: City Lights Books, 1963. This copy bears Denise Levertov’s ownership sticker.
  55. Ron Padgett. In Advance of the Broken Arm. [New York:] C Press, 1964. Number 111 of a limited edition of 200 signed copies. This copy is also inscribed by the author.
  56. The Fugs. New York: ESP-Disk’, [1966]. 33 rpm sound disc with notes by Allen Ginsberg on the album jacket. Beat Literature Collection.
  57. Angel Hair, no. 1 (Spring 1966).


    58. Checklist no. 60.
  58. Ted Berrigan. The Sonnets. New York: Grove Press, [1967]. Evergreen Original, no. E-442. Second edition. Grove Press Collection.
  59. Anne Waldman. On the Wing. [New York:] Boke Press, 1968. Cover by Joe Brainard. Bound dos à dos with Highjacking by Lewis Warsh.
  60. Anne Waldman. Fast Speaking Woman and Other Chants. San Francisco: City Lights, 1975. Second edition. Pocket Poet Series, no. 33. Beat Literature Collection.
  61. Bill Berkson. Shining Leaves. New York: Angel Hair Books, 1969. Cover by Alex Katz. Number 23 of 26 copies signed by both the author and the artist.
  62. Bill Berkson and Joe Brainard. Recent Visitors. [New York:] Best & Co./Boke Press, 1971.
  63. Ted Berrigan and Harris Schiff. The Original Mss for Old-Fashioned-Air (& other poems) by Ted Berrigan plus Writings by Harris Schiff. Holograph notebook given by Berrigan to Schiff for his birthday in 1979. The Berrigan poems date from the early 1970s; Schiff added a poem in 2004.

    64. Readings



    Checklist no. 65.
  64. Seventh Street: An Anthology of Poems from Les Deux Megots. New York: [Argentina Press?], 1961. Introduction by Denise Levertov.
  65. The Living Theatre Presents Robert Creeley Reading His Poems: Monday May 29 at 8:30. [New York: Living Theatre, 1967?]
  66. The Poetry Center. Winter Calendar, 1969–1970. New York: 92nd St. YM-YWHA, 1969. Lists joint poetry reading by Allen Ginsberg and Gary Snyder.
  67. Diane di Prima and Audre Lorde Read at Intersection. [San Francisco?: s.n., 1970s?].
  68. John Giorno, compiler. The Dial-A-Poem Poets. New York: Giorno Poetry Systems Records, 1972. Two 33 rpm sound discs of poems read by their authors in various locations between 1968 and 1972.


    69. One of the magazines listed in checklist no. 69.

    Little Magazines

  69. A selection of publications, including issues of Ark II, Moby I; Big Sky; Big Table; C Comics; Floating Bear; Folder; Kulchur; The Outsider; Semina; Yūgen; Unmuzzled Ox; and World.

    70. Censorship

  70. Allen Ginsberg. Howl for Carl Solomon. [San Francisco: s.n., 1956]. One of an estimated 25 mimeographed copies in the original edition of the poem. Beat Literature Collection.
  71. Allen Ginsberg. Howl, and Other Poems. San Francisco: City Lights Pocket Bookshop, 1956. Pocket Poets Series, no. 4. Beat Literature Collection.
  72. “Big Day for Bards at Bay.’ Life, vol. 43, no. 11 (September 9, 1957): 105–108. Beat Literature Collection.
  73. Michael McClure. The Beard. [S.l.: s.n.,] 1965. Beat Literature Collection.
  74. Lenore Kandel. The Love Book. [San Francisco]: Stolen Paper Review Editions, [1966?]


    75. Checklist no. 75.
  75. The Beard by Michael McClure: Sun. July 24, Fillmore Auditorium. San Francisco: American Theatre, [1966]. Handbill for a unique performance of McClure’s play. Beat Literature Collection.
  76. Michael McClure. The Beard. New York: Grove Press, 1967. Evergreen Black Cat Book Series, no. BC-142. Inscribed by the author to Bill Morgan. Beat Literature Collection.
  77. A Tribute to Jim Lowell. Cleveland: Ghost Press, 1967. Cover and silkscreens by T. L. Kryss. First edition, second issue.

    78. Black Nationalism and the Black Arts Movement

  78. LeRoi Jones [Amiri Baraka]. Preface to a Twenty-Volume Suicide Note.... New York: Totem Press in association with Corinth Books, 1961. Cover drawing by Basil King.
  79. Umbra, no. 2 (December 1963).
  80. A. B. Spellman. The Beautiful Days. New York City: Poets Press, 1965. Introduction by Frank O’Hara. One of ten copies specially bound and signed by the author.
  81. LeRoi Jones [Amiri Baraka]. Black Art. [Newark, NJ:] Jihad, 1966. This copy lacks the rear cover.
  82. Committee on Poetry (C.O.P.). Unpublished mimeographed letter protesting the arrest of LeRoi Jones [Amiri Baraka] by the Newark, NJ, police, 6 January 1968. Beat Literature Collection.
  83. Nikki Giovanni. Black Feeling, Black Talk, Black Judgement. New York: William Morrow, 1970.


    84. Checklist no. 84.
  84. Gwendolyn Brooks. Riot. Detroit: Broadside Press, 1970. Second printing of the first edition. Signed by the author.
  85. Audre Lorde. New York Head Shop and Museum. Detroit: Broadside Press, 1974.

    86. Feminism

  86. Adrienne Rich. Snapshots of a Daughter-in-Law: Poems, 1954–1962. New York: Harper & Row, 1963.
  87. Audre Lorde. The First Cities. New York: Poets Press, 1968. Introduction by Diane di Prima. Signed by the author.
  88. Audre Lorde. From a Land Where Other People Live. Detroit: Broadside Press, 1973. Review copy.
  89. Adrienne Rich. Diving into the Wreck: Poems, 1971–1972. New York: W.W. Norton, 1973. Fifth printing of the first paperback edition. Signed by the author.


    90. Checklist no. 90.
  90. Diane di Prima. Loba: Part I. Santa Barbara: Capra Press, 1973. Yes! Capra Chapbook Series, no. 10. Number 95 of 100 signed and numbered copies.
  91. Adrienne Rich. Statement to Be Read by Adrienne Rich at National Book Award Ceremony, Thursday, April 18, 1974. Photocopy included in a folder of publicity materials distributed by the National Book Committee. Beat Literature Collection.
  92. Diane di Prima. Loba as Eve. New York: Phoenix Book Shop, 1975. Cover drawing by Josie Grant. Phoenix Book Shop Oblong Octavo Series, no. 18. Number 87 of 100 numbered and signed copies.

    93. Vietnam War



    Checklist no. 93.
  93. Vietnam Blues. San Francisco: Bindweed Press, [1965?].
  94. Robert Duncan. Of the War: Passages 22–27. [Berkeley]: Oyez, [1966].
  95. Walter Lowenfels and Nan Braymer, editors. Where is Vietnam?: American Poets Respond. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, Anchor Books, 1967. Beat Literature Collection.
  96. Poets for Peace: Poems from the Fast. [New York: s.n., 1967.]
  97. Diane di Prima, editor. War Poems. New York: Poets Press, 1968. Beat Literature Collection.
  98. Gary Snyder. A Curse on the Men in Washington, Pentagon. [Santa Barbara, CA: Unicorn Press, 1970.] Unicorn Broadsheet 1. First letterpress edition. This broadside was printed in 1968, but not released until 1970.
  99. Denise Levertov. The Freeing of the Dust. New York: New Directions, 1975.


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