Ground Work: Before the War (signed)

New York: New Directions Publishing Corporation, 1984. INSCRIBED / SIGNED by the POET directly on the half title page. This paperback edition is the first listed for GROUND WORK: "A60a. First Edition, paperbound copies, first impression" in Robert J. Bertholf's ROBERT DUNCAN, A DESCRIPTIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY. First Printing of the First Paperback edtion (so stated on the book's copyright page). Very Good condition. Square and reasonably tight. Mild crease to one corner of the front cover. A few sentences underlined or with an arrow drawn in the margin of 4 early pages only. Pages are otherwise clean and unmarked. The inscription reads: "for Dawn at Black Oak Book publication party (signed) Robert Duncan." NOT a library discard. NOT a remainder. Winner of the American Book Award. Nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. Bound in the original egg-shell white wraps with a b/w illustration on the front. 8.25" wide by 8.5" tall. "Robert Duncan has been widely venerated as one of America's most essential poets: Allen Ginsberg described his poetry as 'rapturous wonderings of inspiration,' Gwendolyn Brooks called it 'a subtle spice,' and Susan Howe pointed to Duncan as 'my precursor father,' Lawrence Ferlinghetti said he 'had the finest ear this side of Dante,' and Robert Creeley called him 'the magister, the singular Master of the Dance.' … GROUNDWORK: BEFORE THE WAR, was published in 1984, after a fifteen-year publishing silence, and received immediate acclaim: it was nominated for a National Book Critics Circle Award and won the first National Poetry Award for Duncan's 'lifetime devotion to the art of poetry and his grand achievement...'" -- from Voice Literary Supplement. Bertholf A60a.. INSCRIBED / SIGNED by the POET. First Printing - First Softcover edtion. Softcover. Very Good condition. Illus. by NOT a library discard. (xi), 175pp. Great Packaging, Fast Shipping.