Poetry and Plays and Music Scores

New Directions in Prose and Poetry – 1937

New Directions was James Laughlin a very special publisher. This is the 1937 edition of his compilation of fresh new writing and includes Jean Cocteau, Gertrude Stein, E.E. Cummings and many more icons of the pre WWII era. If you have never read a ND before get ready for a surprise – a pure symphony of words. With dust jacket art by collected designer Alvin Lustig.

Large octavo, unpaginated but circa 400 pages. A little age and dust jacket chips, otherwise a super copy of a special book

New Directions – superb literature

SO SORRY SOLD

$70.00

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Australian Poetry – Apocalypse in Springtime – Lex Banning – 1956

A first edition of what we believe is Lex Banning’s final published collection

Arthur Alexander [Lex] Banning (1921-1965) had a difficult upbringing. He has cerebral palsy to an extent that he had little control over his arms. His studies could only be completed by dictation. Thoughtful and thought provoking and some hard reality.

Slim octavo, published by Edwards and Shaw, Sydney in 1956. 34 pages. Top of decorative dust jacket a tiny bit damaged as it is cut just too large for the book. Otherwise, a very good copy.

Lex Banning had something to say …

$25.00

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Australian Poetry – Light -Margaret Diesendorf – 1981

A first edition of Margaret Diesendorf’s first published collection of poetry. A very special collection by a special person.

Margaret Diesendorf (1912-1993) escaped Austria in 1938 and made her way to Australia. Her Jewish partner, an engineer, left separately and they came together and made a life first in Sydney. She was a highly respected translator … she taught languages and did translations for the likes of the ABC. Later in life she concentrated more of original poetry and was to write upwards of six hundred poems.

An unusual, interesting and exciting style drawing on her understanding of the arts and the World outside Australia. She had a passion for writing poems stimulated by great art works and great artists. This book is set out in two section – the first “On Canvas” represents this them with poems about works by Monet, Picasso, Modigliani, Klimt [the Kiss] and also Australian artists Brett Whiteley [soup Kitchen] and Lloyd Rees [the Pinnacle Mount Wellington].

Slim octavo, published by Edwards and Shaw, Sydney, 1981. 79 pages. A very good copy of another nice production.

Gift worthy poetry and a Voyager favourite

$30.00

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Australian Poetry – The Walk along the Beach – R.A. Simpson – 1960

A first edition of Ronald Albert Simpson’s first published book of poetry. He would go on to published ten collections over the next couple of decades.

Simpson (1929-2002) was a member of what was to be called the “Melbourne Group” his and their style being focused on Australian suburban themes. He was awarded the Christopher Brennan prize for his poetry.

Slim octavo, published by Edwards and Shaw, Sydney. 45 pages, a poem per page. Decorative but understated dust jacket. A very good copy of a very nice production.

Gift worthy poetry Simpson’s first collection.

$25.00

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Plays in One Act – M.S. Armstrong [Thomas; Penny Dreadful; Drought] – Sydney 1958.

The playwright Millicent Sylvia Armstrong [1888-1973] was born at Waverley in Sydney and along with her sisters attended Sydney University where she obtained a First in English Language.

She moved to London in 1914 to pursue a writing career but was soon involved in support services in WWI. Near the end of the war, she was a nurse in France and helped to rescue many from the advancing German Army for which she received the Croix de Guerre.

Later back in Australia she took to the land and writing short plays. Drought the third presented here won the 1923 Rupert Brooke Prize.

A scarce book published by Edwards & Shaw, Sydney in 1958. Slim octavo, sixty-nine pages. The first two Thomas and Penny Dreadful are what are commonly called “drawing room plays”. Penny Dreadful is particularly tense. Drought must be one of the shortest plays to convey such strong feelings ever written at eight pages.

Each play is beautifully introduced with a detailed description of the setting and an introduction to the nature of the characters.

We like it!

Three interesting plays by an Australian woman ahead of here times – very readable.

$30.00

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Fire-Bird – A Study of D.H. Lawrence – Dallas Kenmare – First Edition 1951

A quality book on D.H.L. published by James Barrie, London a First Edition in 1951.

The author Dallas Kenmare was fascinated by the poetry of Lawrence and it’s the great man’s poetry that is the focus of this unique book. Written in 1951 so before Penguin had a shot at publishing Lady Chatterly’s Lover – Kenmare has a view on that prospect which is a tad old-fashioned to modern views.

Slim octavo, 81 pages, all in very good condition with a nice example of the dark fire-bird dust jacket.

D.H. Lawrence get to know the man better with Fire-Bird [Reference Lawrence Phoenix] …

$30.00

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New Directions in Prose and Poetry – 1937

Australian Poetry – Apocalypse in Springtime – Lex Banning – 1956

Australian Poetry – Light -Margaret Diesendorf – 1981

Australian Poetry – The Walk along the Beach – R.A. Simpson – 1960

Plays in One Act – M.S. Armstrong [Thomas; Penny Dreadful; Drought] – Sydney 1958.

Fire-Bird – A Study of D.H. Lawrence – Dallas Kenmare – First Edition 1951

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