White Center; The Nesting Ground (a book inscribed by each poet to the other)

1st Edition. Hardcover. Near Fine/Near Fine. Association copy: Two books from these poets respective libraries, each inscribed to the other. Richard Hugo and David Wagoner are some of the greats of Northwest poetry and they were close friends, their careers entwined from the beginning. Both studied with Theodore Roethke, Wagoner at Penn State and Hugo at University of Washington (Wagoner soon came west to join Roethke as a teacher at the University of Washington). They supported each other over the years, not least in praising each other s work. Of Hugo s Making Certain It Goes On, for example, David Wagoner wrote, 'Richard Hugo spared himself (and us) no pains or joys in making the wonderful, vigorous original poems brought together in this single collection. His was and is a very important voice in modern American poetry." Hugo wrote of Wagoner's In Broken Country, "His poems remind us that human utterance at its best is individual, unpredictable, and dignified one more solid book in the literary trail of a man who keeps our desire for independence alive and makes us less reluctant to accept ourselves." // Wagoner, David. The Nesting Ground. Bloomington, Indiana University Press, 1963. First edition, inscribed on the front end free paper: For Dick & Barbara, with good memories, admiration, and love. David Wagoner, Sept. 63. Also written on that page is a note in pencil from a previous New York bookseller confirming the book was brought from Hugo s estate in August 1984. Fine book in a spine-faded else fine dust jacket. // Hugo, Richard. White Center. New York, Norton, 1980. First edition, inscribed on the half title: For Dave & Patt, The dearest, always. Love, Dick. Very near fine book a few spots of foxing to edge of text block in a fine, price-clipped jacket. Please inquire for photos.