Poem.
New York: The Phoenix Book Shop, 1973. First edition, one of the author’s copies from the lettered issue. Copy “L” (presumably chosen for “Loren”) of 26 lettered copies (out of a total edition of 126) signed by Bishop on the colophon. This copy bears Bishop’s presentation inscription: “For Loren MacIver & Lloyd Frankenberg – love, Elizabeth Bishop” on the title-page. Laid in is an exceptionally interesting TLS from Bishop to MacIver and Frankenberg concerning the publication of Poem: “I’ve always disliked ‘pretty little books’ like this – However, Bill Ferguson, the printer, is a friend of mine here & he wanted to do it for some time & so I finally gave in. (The Phoenix Book Shop man is quite another type…) And since they have just arrived, or were here when I got back – I’m sending you one of my copies with a real, EXTRA signature – whee! You can sell it for a small sum if need be sometime – Love, Elizabeth”. The artist Loren MacIver was a longtime friend and correspondent of Bishop’s and contributed the dust jacket design for Bishop’s second collection, Poems North & South – A Cold Spring, in 1955. Their friendship dates..... More