Sylvia and Ted Collection

Poetry at the Mermaid

2011-01-11T14:44:00.001-08:00

Well, there is going to be a learning curve to getting this stuff posted with some proficiency. Anyways, this is the programme booklet from the "Poetry at the Mermaid" event. I had to research the year to be sure, since I couldn't find a year anywhere in the pages. It is July, 1961.

Plath's bio says she is married with one daughter. Her poem included here is, "Tulips."

Hughes' poem is, "My Uncle's Wound."

It is apx. 5x8. My reading through the pages is hampered by the fact I don't want to actually fully open this rather delicate booklet. I was able to read that there were twelve poets "commissioned" to share/write pieces for this event. Ted and Sylvia were among the twelve and according to the event schedule they both read their poems. The commissioned pieces are printed on a medium blue coloured paper, whereas the rest of the contents are all on regular type paper. I wonder if anyone has any insight as to 'why' they would have done this. For some reason I think it sort of odd. Some discolorization has occurred on the edges of the blue paper.

Familiar names are here. Richard Murphy was also a commissioned poet and would have read. A. Alvarez is cited as the photographer of the picture of John Wain, whose name stands out for me as being on the Hughes vinyl recording I have listed on this blog.

sticking my toe in these waters....

2011-01-10T13:51:00.000-08:00

Been too long since I posted here. Just got done testing my new camera's software and it works like a dream compared to the fiasco of my previous camera in conjuction with my very squirrely desktop. New camera. New laptop. Hopefully this recipe will make for an angst-free posting of pics....

I'll be bock...

2009-05-16T17:04:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the long hiatus. The collection is not completed...The last few weeks have been a bit hectic and also sad (my doggy died). I'll get around to posting more stuff soon.
Cheers,
Laurie

Contemporary Fiction "The Bell Jar"

2009-04-25T15:01:00.000-07:00

This is the Contemporary Fiction version of The Bell Jar. I think it is the last of the moniker publications before it was revealed Sylvia Plath was the author. From what I can tell, CF is a sort of book club. I was surprised at how nice a version this one is. Other than a tiny bit of scruffing on the back, it seems pristine and the hardcover lettering is mirror-like with its bright aluminum shine.

To the left we have it canoodling with a naked Colossus!

The Colossus

2009-04-22T16:51:00.000-07:00

I pulled this out to shoot it and realized I really NEED a better copy. The jacket is pretty sad. This middle-aged lady looks better with her coat off. The skin underneath is near pristine, sharp green, no dings or age spots. Somehow I have drifting off into Anthropomorphic land. I'll stop.

I did shoot the heck out of it, with an all time (so far) high number of thirteen photos. And I realized that in the beginning of this blog I failed to take the jackets off my earlier hardbacks. I'll probably go back an re-visit those items.

So here you go, everything you wanted to know about the Knopf, First edition of 'The Colossus.' It has also given me the idea that maybe someone should put together a bibliography with photos, now that technology has made something like that easier to pull together.

Unaccomodated Universe

2009-04-22T16:18:00.000-07:00

It's funny how 'dated' this book seems, judging it specifically by the cover design. 1980. It is the book cover version of NBA players wearing short, shorts and long socks.

The orange burlap is a bland burnt orange colour in real life. In these photos it looks all coppery and exciting. Not the case. The book comes with a very stiff and clear jacket that I took off to avoid flashbacks when shooting it.

I read online that there a 294 of these signed by both Ted and Ekbert.

back cover

Letter Home Uncorrected Proof

2009-04-17T16:09:00.000-07:00

As they say in Baw-stun, this is a wicked-tall green thing. Proof's aren't pretty, but they can be very interesting to compare with what got into the final book and what did not. This proof has at least three different spots where there is really thick 'white-out' applied. There are handwrit notes throughout, which are not original but part of the copied text.

Comics.

2009-04-17T15:39:00.000-07:00

This is a cute little book with an illustrated Ted Hughes poem. It is signed by Hughes and the illustrator. According to the blurb, 149 of these were signed by both.

Proof copy of original "Journals" publication

2009-04-09T18:22:00.000-07:00

This is an uncorrected proof of the 1982, highly abridged version of Sylvia's journals. Thankfully we have the real deal now to focus on. However, this version is historical Exhibit A of the editing that went on, with, I'm sure, the best of intentions all around.

Among the Narcissi poster

2009-04-09T18:10:00.000-07:00

I love the colours and design of this poster. It was created in 1971 and was limited to 300 (re: Tabor). The orange you see in the two, far corners is part of my 'creative' matting when a poster doesn't exactly fit a frame--and not part of the poster itself.

Two Poems

2009-04-09T17:55:00.001-07:00

Well, this is a self-explanatory item. It contains two poems:
Incommunicado
&
Firesong

My Tabor says there were only 200 of these for sale, with Ted and Olwyn Hughes taking a chunk of them for personal use.

Million Dollar Month

2009-04-09T17:41:00.000-07:00

A small, single poem limited publication. Addendum: the number page. Thought this looked a bit sparse!

A little Otto booklet...

2009-04-09T15:46:00.000-07:00

A rather boring little booklet authored by Otto Plath, regarding some insect. The paper cover is in fine condition with with some browning to the edges. It is an odd, mottled colour I don't even know how to describe and doesn't translate well digitally.

POEMS. Fainlight / Hughes / Sillitoe

2009-04-05T18:28:00.000-07:00

This book has poems from each of the three authors and is signed by all three. The outer case is leather as is the book itself...which is soft as buttah. A real feelix. The cover lining paper is stunning as you can see from the picture--what the picture doesn't show is there is a 'texture' to the paper too. The book and case are in excellent shape and it is one of the 'prettiest' books I've ever seen.

Back cover

Beautiful hand-printed Japanese paper lines
the inside front and back of this book

All three author's signatures

Damn hedgehog snuck in...

Leather slip case

The Magic Mirror

2009-04-05T11:33:00.000-07:00

I wish that a 'reading copy' had come with this book. This is one (#31) of 50 specially bound copies, with the other 150 being 'not specially' bound, I suppose :) There were also 26 copies reserved by the Press (A-Z). The paper is of exceptional grade with fibrous edges so soft you want to pet them...but shouldn't. The leather binding is tight, so you don't want to force it open for a 'read' and you don't want to smudge the paper either. So it is a pretty thing, but not for actual reading.

NICE (furry) paper.

Book's front cover

Book's back cover

front of book's case

back of book's case

In her hand...

2009-04-04T14:25:00.000-07:00

Well, this is obviously something that was cut out of a of book. It is that sort of paper--book, as opposed to writing tablet type paper. I'd read there was a lot of this going on after Sylvia's death. Visitors would pocket items or would simply clip out her name with scissors. Maybe this is from a textbook she once used? I got it from Ebay several years ago. It was in a small hand-formed wax paper envelope that had aged. The paper is obviously aged. Bottom-line is that I have never doubted this is legit. Of course it could be fake, but I don't think so and that's what matters. I've got it in a small piece of mylar for support and did some doodles around it trying to incorporate it into something similar to 'art.'

To Eva Descending the Stair

2009-04-04T09:58:00.000-07:00

This is one of fify copies of "To Eva Descending the Stair" (1974). The body of the piece is housed (loosely) inside a shiny black cover. The artwork is by Ralph Steadman and is signed by him. Also, this copy has a handwrit note by Ted. Given the sloppy nature of the writing, I have always imaged this being at a launch party with liquor flowing and handwriting getting a bit sloppy. If anyone has insight into what exacly this says or who "Keith" could be, I'd love to hear it. The black cover is a little bit dinged up, but the tri-fold poem/artwork inside is pristine.

Notation in pencil from the seller

The top flap opens up and the bottom, down

Back of cover

Bumblebees and Their Ways

2009-04-04T08:59:00.000-07:00

Another duo of books. I had an unsigned copy of 'Bumblebees...' when a signed copy came available while I was paying attention. I know that I paid nowhere near what I see these things are selling for now, signed and unsigned. Underneath the very sad paper cover, the signed version has a pristine hard cover. There are several colour book plates in this book. I am showing the one that was used as the cover and is inside the start of the book.

Signed cover is by far the nicest.

Signed version cover. It is sad.

The better (left) cover is the signed version

Sylvia's mother, Aurelia was integral in putting this book together

front flap

back flap

Poets Reading No. 5

2009-03-30T20:18:00.000-07:00

My posting of these items is pretty much random. I did specifically chose to pop this in next because when I was shooting it the other day, I noticed this record cover uses the same picture of Ted that was used in my ARC picture insert (see: "The Hawk in the Rain" below). I was surprised the back cover looks kind of scrappy in the photo, since it is in near pristine condition; still stiff and the record's wax paper insert is still crisp and clean. This record has never been played.

Another discovery (besides the 'Hawk' picture connection) is that it contains one of my favorite Hughes poems, "Pibroch."

A Tale of Two Hawks...

2009-03-28T08:43:00.000-07:00

Part of the reason I am putting together this display is because I knew I needed to memorialize these things for insurance purposes, if gawd forbid something terrible happened. I did have a minor disaster recently that has required my insurance co. to step in and it is part of the kick in the butt for me to make this happen.
I state the above to explain the minutia that probably seems like over-kill (to even me) when it comes to documenting these things, but it seems best to be precise. And that precision has lead me to a discovery about my two copies of "Hawk in the Rain."
I thought I had two first editions. I knew I had a signed copy. I thought it was a first edition, but discovered today that it is not. When I laid the two books next to each other to photograph both their 'edition' pages, the first thing I noticed was that the front flaps were not consistent; the ARC w/pic copy had much more yellow showing on the front flap. A closer look showed me the ARC copy with the much better cover was a First and the signed is not. I'm no expert, but have a few things with Hughes' signature and I'm sure this is an old signature, most likely around the time this book was released, but it is not a First edition. My reasoning on the sig. is that it is really tight, whereas it seems his later sigs are more elongated. And you can tell when ink is old.
Another 'discovery' of my "Hawks" was re-finding the ARC (advance reading copy) card with the amazing picture of Ted. I had forgotten about it. The picture has Kodak on the back so it is a realio-trulio picture and not some mimeographed thing. And the 'dreamy' factor speaks for itself. He would have made a great James Bond.
So here are a whole bunch of pics showing the two "Hawks." The signed version's cover has some browning to the edges that I show in one picture.

ARC / First Edition

(as above, back cover)

Signed copy cover example

The SIG

ARC / 1st ed. (no sig)

You can see the 'flap' difference

Front flap First ed.

Back flap First ed.

Heinemann, "Bell Jar" First Edition. Sigh...

2009-03-27T17:33:00.000-07:00

My favorite thing. Fortunately, I bought it several years ago when I was spending money like a crazy woman. If I 'needed' it for my collection now, it would never happen, since my credit card debt spree is long over and laying out cash for this would not be feasible.

It is not in perfect shape, but it is pretty fine. The book itself is very solid and the few scruffs and dings on the cover speak for themselves. I don't know if a number has ever been given for how many of these were printed up by Heinemann. My Tabor (An analytical bibliography) says they preferred not to disclose it. Tabor quotes the publisher: "we only did a token quanity." So, it's probably pretty damned rare. And I am still so delighted to have it on my bookshelf after all these years.

Harper & Row "The Bell Jar"

2009-03-26T14:59:00.000-07:00

This is the Harper & Row, First edition of the U.S. printing of "The Bell Jar." My first copy was a bruised up hardback I picked up in a used bookstore. This one is one of my first purchases from ebay (circa 1998) and the cover is in such good shape I initially thought it might be 'copy.' But that thought passed and I'm pretty sure it is all legit and an excellently preserved book and cover. I'd not wanted to have to comment on my digital pic taking abilities, but short of removing the mylar cover, I could not prevent a flash-back. What looks like it could be damage is merely the photographer's lack of skill

Easton "Bell Jar" (25th Anniversary)

2009-03-26T14:30:00.000-07:00

This is a blue, leather-bound Easton Press, 25th Anniversary edition of "The Bell Jar." It has bright gold guilding on the page edges and a gold ribbon place keeper. Fancy.

La Campana di Vetro

2009-03-26T10:34:00.000-07:00

"The Bell Jar" First edition, Italian version. I bought this years ago via an online bookseller and have never come across another one. I don't know if that is indicative of rarity or not. It is in excellent shape and most interestingly (to me), was published years before the U.S. edition.

A Bright and Shiny New Blog with that New Blog Smell

2009-03-26T09:38:00.000-07:00

Well, I decided yesterday to memorialize my little collection of Plath and Hughes items. It is mostly books, but there are few miscellaneous items, too.

Turning 5.0. last November has me looking at the big picture (getting smaller and smaller!) of a life (specifically, mine) and putting together something like this has been a notion for some time and I'm not getting any younger. Plus, I've become much more proficient with my digital camera this past month. What used to take me jumping through 19 hoops and tripping over six of them when it comes to getting pics off the camera and delivered where they need to go has become a smooth operation. So the frustration level is much reduced. Whew.

With Beethoven's Fifth soaring in the background (you'll have to take my word for it) I will start pulling this thing together...