Triptych for the Living

[Oakland, California]: The Seraphim Press, 1951. Limited Edition. Vellum. Fine. Fabilli, Mary. One of 200 copies (only about 100 issued), quarto size, 29 pp., in original vellum with red silk ties. William Everson (1912-1994) was also known as Brother Antoninus, a name he adopted during his sixteen years serving as a Dominican monk. Everson pre-dates the Beats, but was a recognized member of Kenneth Rexroth's circle; he was praised by Rexroth throughout his career and is considered an essential contributor to the San Francisco literary Renaissance that would become the Beat movement - he would later be known as the Beat-friar. He made this book "at Maurin (truncated) house, a Catholic worker house of hospitality in the city of Oakland, California..." (per the colophon).

In this book of poetry his religious side can be fully appreciated. The poems included are: "Triptych for the Living" which is comprised of three parts, "The Uncouth", "The Coming", and "The Wise"; the "Making of the Cross", "Flight in the Desert", and "The Massacre of the Holy Innocents". The religious nature of the work is enhanced by the manner of its making. Per the colophon: "the book in its design looks back toward the primitive church in search of a model appropriate to the apostolic character of the text."

Wonderfully illustrated with four prints by Mary Fabilli (1914-2011), a San Francisco artist and poet, who at one point was married to William Everson.

___DESCRIPTION: Bound in full "hairy" goat vellum (the vellum showing the goat hairs, which appear to be spots, but was simply the piece of vellum used for binding this particular copy) with red silk ties, a cross stitched onto the ribbon at the spine, yapped edges, small red crosses at the half-title, title, and contents pages and at the beginning of each poem, the four prints comprised of a lovely full-page cut on the title page of the Madonna with Child, a half-page cut as chapter heading for the first poem and smaller cuts on p. 20 and the page following the final page of text; Hammer Uncial type (lent by the Westgate Press) on dampened Tovil, an English hand-made paper, quarto size (10 1/4" by 8 1/4"), pagination: [1-8] 9-26 [1, final cut] [1, blank] [1, colophon]; limited edition, although the colophon calls for 200 copies, per the bibliography, although the book was published "in an edition of 200 copies...fewer than 100 were issued (remaining sheets destroyed)".

___CONDITION: Fine overall, the vellum binding clean and without wear, straight corners without rubbing, a strong, square text block with solid hinges, both ribbon ties present, the interior clean and bright, and entirely free of prior owner markings; the edges of the vellum a slightly darker colour as a result of offsetting from the glue, the ribbon ties creased and slightly frayed at the edges, the pastedown endpapers creased (a condition caused by the manner of binding, not a fault). Overall a fine copy of a very scarce publication.

___CITATION: Bartlett and Campo, no. A11.

___POSTAGE: International customers, please note that additional postage may apply as the standard does not always cover costs; please inquire for details.

___Swan's Fine Books is pleased to be a member of the ABAA, ILAB, and IOBA and we stand behind every book we sell. Please contact us with any questions you may have, we are here to help. (Inventory #: 25020101)