The Dead Seagull

New York: Farrar, Straus and Young, Inc, 1950. Hardcover. Near Fine/near fine. Duodecimo size, 142 pp. English poet George Barker (1913-1991) wrote numerous works of both poetry and prose, often part of the New Apocalyptics movement, a refutation of the realism of the 1930s using mythical themes. "The Dead Seagull", although a work of fiction, draws from Barker's love affair with poet and novelist Elizabeth Smart (who also wrote about the affair in her book "By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept"). A surprisingly scarce novel in the first or early editions, "'The Dead Seagull' is a work of great originality, a poet's novel written with the richness of colour, the concentrated violence of style that have distinguished George Barker's verse" (per the dust jacket flap).

The date of publication and "First American edition" are noted on the front free endpaper by a prior bookseller.

___DESCRIPTION: Full orange cloth, black cloth spine labels with gilt decorative borders and lettering, title page with black decorative borders; duodecimo size (7.5" by 5"), pagination: [1-8] 9-142. In a paper dust jacket with illustrations in brown, blue, and white on the front panel and spine, brown lettering on the front panel and spine, a description of two other books from the publishers on the rear panel, a description of the book on the front flap, and author bio and photo on the rear flap; the dust jacket is unclipped with the original price of $2.50 on the front flap.

___CONDITION: Volume is near fine, with clean boards, a strong, square text block with solid hinges, the interior is clean and bright, and entirely free of prior owner markings; some rubbing to the head and tail of the spine and bottom edges of the boards, bottom corners are very gently bumped, spine is lightly sunned, and there is light toning to the endpapers. The dust jacket is also near fine, unclipped, clean overall with light soiling, mostly to the rear panel, light edge wear, some small chips to the tops of the folds, light pencil notation at the top of the rear panel, and light soiling to the edges of the spine on the verso.

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