The Sonnets.
N. Y. Lorenz & Ellen Gude, 1964. First edition. Limited to 300 copies. A curious copy, one of Berrigan’s retained copies, presumably bound at his direction, and originally intended for Berrigan’s close friend and editor of this book, the poet Ron Padgett. The title-page is signed by Berrigan below his printed name, and embellished in characteristic fashion by him: at the top of the page, surrounding the title, Berrigan has drawn Kilroy, one of his favorite cartoon characters; each of the printed sections of the title-page is also either boxed or circled by a figure resembling an apple. The title-page bears Berrigan’s inscription “For Ron” and a few inches below, his note “Never sent it.” [Ron Padgett suggests that he (Padgett) may have been out of town at the time of Berrigan’s original intention.] On the next page, the dedication page, around the printed dedication to Joe Brainard, Berrigan has drawn a cross carried on a truck; and at the top of the page, there is an “Ouch” glyph drawn by Ed Sanders who is known for such drawings. Berrigan has corrected the text in four places, and he has annotated the biographical information on the colophon page: changing his..... More