12 pages. 7x5½”, green Arches cover, with laid Arches text leaves. Reproduced from the poets handwritten copy in an edition of 35 copies, plus an unspecified number of lettered copies. This is Author’s Copy 'V' and was presented to Julia Newman of the Tenth Muse, who would go on to publish the second edition of this work. First Edition.

The book has a very unique and complicated publishing history. The book which was originally intended to be part of a series of titles of signed limited editions published by The Poets Press of Diane di Prima, was shelved due to a disagreement between author and publisher on the subject of “numerology”. It was published in 35 copies to provide those who have subscribed to the publication, a copy of the book. The exact number of copies printed has not been determined. After these few copies were distributed, Robert Duncan then agreed to publish a second edition with Julia Newman’s The Tenth Muse books, of which he was a silent financial partner, (a little known fact). To the original text, Duncan wrote out in pen and ink, a history of the disagreement between himself and di Prima, and that story became the preface for the second edition, which in itself was published in an unknown quantity. Included in this lot is Duncan’s original ink manuscript of this narrative, titled, “A Little History Of This Edition” which was mechanically produced from his handwritten text, and signed with his RD monogram. Also to complete the publishing history is Duncan’s handfolded paper dummy of the revised book with his hand notations throughout, and a set of photocopied pages (lacking two leaves) of the first edition, used for the duplication of the balance of the text. Also included is a copy of the second edition all housed in the publisher’s file folder. Duncan original manuscript material rarely appears on the market, as most is institutionalized. For a more detailed description of the publication history of this book, and it’s complications see Bertholf, Duncan Bibliography, A33. Provenance: The Tenth Muse archives.