Flight Among the Tombs: Poems
Knopf, November 1996. First Edition. Cloth. Used - Very Good / Very Good. Item #286628
ISBN: 0679450955
The first half of this volume, "The Presumptions of Death, " accompanied by Leonard Baskin's wood engravings, is composed of two parts. In the first, Death speaks in his own person, though in differing moods and attitudes. In the second - in a variation from the medieval tradition of The Dance of Death in which he invites various members of society to dance with him, here he adopts the very identities of those - whore, society lady, scholar, film director - he means to embrace. The poet's hope has been to attain as wide a variety of tone and character as possible, from top to bottom of the social scale, from levity to pathos, contempt to sympathy. The second part of the book, "Proust on Skates, " expands on the themes and tones of the first part, and includes elegies for two admired contemporary poets (James Merrill and Joseph Brodsky) and a variety of other poems that resonate with notes of frailty and mortality, though an undertone of humor is rarely far away.
{6' x 8 & 3/4'} In dustjacket with slight stress to edges. Front flap is not clipped. Black cloth covered boards with dust staining and grey arched streak across front panel. Gold lettering upond spine. Tigjht binding. Wood engravings by Leonard Baskin. Inscription (for gift) in small ink handwriting of a previous owner at top of half title page. Much more importantly there is a large inscription in black sharpie by Anthoney Hecht that reads, 'For Joseph junior with best wishes, Anthoney Hecht' on title page. First US edition. [78 pages]
Used Book
Price: $45.00
