Coney Island of the Mind, A – Lawrence Ferlinghetti
Poor Paperback

Description

For sale is a  Very Rare paperback edition, first printing of A Coney Island of the Mind by Lawrence Ferlinghetti. First Edition unstated, 1958 New Directions. First Printing with 4-line copyright with no subsequent printing and no date after 1958. The rear cover photo shows a beardless Ferlinghetti looking straight at the camera. While the $1.00 cover price remained for the second and subsequent printings, this cover photo and text is unique to the first printing.

The exterior of the paperback edition is in Good condition, with clean, lightly faded covers with some sheen on the covers , and one 1″ corner crease. There is a strong – but tiny – title on a straight spine with just a few chips off the poet’s last name. Also , heavily toned page blocks with a few spots, a tight binding with no cracks, lightly rubbed spine ends, mild edge wear and rounded corners.

The interior of the book is in Poor condition, with brittle edges on the heavily toned pages. The first two pages (half title/dedication page and the title page/copyright) have new acid-free tape on the ages, but not without some miscues. The mending allows for the pages in question to be handled. No other marks, inscriptions, or other signs of ownership. The inside covers and the interior pages are otherwise clean and relatively sturdy. The book was read carefully.

The title of this book is taken from Henry Miller’s “Into the Night Life” and expresses the way Lawrence Ferlinghetti felt about these poems when he wrote them during a short period in the 1950’s—as if they were, taken together, a kind of Coney Island of the mind, a kind of circus of the soul.

This is probably the last of its kind available. Own a piece of history! Ships promptly in a secure mailer with book wrapped in both craft paper and bubble wrap.