James Cummins Bookseller is happy to present a list of items related to the Beat Generation, one of American Literature's most vital expressions. There is a large group of books by William S. Burroughs, many of them inscribed to Robert A. Wilson, the owner of the Phoenix Book Shop in the Greenwich Village, a sanctuary for poets and books of poetry. Other highlights include photographic portraits, an archive related to Ginsberg's musical album, First Blues, characteristically intimate Kerouac letters, and nice copies of Beat Generation landmarks like On the Road, Junkie, Howl, The Naked Lunch, and Kaddish.
Download PDF of American Literature - William S. Burroughs & the Beats
[Paris]: Two Cities Editions, [1960]. First edition, one of 1000 copies. The Cut-Up Technique. Poetry and cut-ups by William S. Burroughs, Brion Gysin, Sinclair Beiles, and Gregory Corso. A landmark of late twentieth century literary innovation. Burroughs' third book, inscribed by him on the title page, “For Bob Wilson, William..... Read More about Minutes to Go
Price: $1,000
Santa Barbara, Calif: Bradford Morrow, 1979. No. 307 of 324 numbered copies in wrapper (total edition of 500). Inscribed “for Robert A. Wilson and the Phoenix Book Shop with all best wishes | William S. Burroughs | Sept. 15, 1985”. Read More about Doctor Benway. A Passage from The Naked Lunch. With a New Introduction by the Author
Price: $300
Santa Barbara, Calif: Bradford Morrow, 1979. No. 17 of 150 numbered copies in boards (total edition of 500). Inscribed beneath the colophon “for Robert A. Wilson | William S. Burroughs”. Read More about Doctor Benway. A Passage from The Naked Lunch. With a New Introduction by the Author
Price: $450
New York: Viking, 1989. First edition. Signed on title-page. Read More about Interzone
Price: $250
New York: Grove Press, [1962]. First American edition. Inscribed on the title-page, "For Bob Wilson all the best at Thanksgiving William S. Burroughs Nov 23, 1974." Read More about Naked Lunch
Price: $3,500
New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, [1984]. First edition, no. 39 of 300 copies signed and numbered by the author. One of 300 Signed and Numbered. Read More about The Place of Dead Roads
Price: $500
New York: Strawberry Hill Publishing, [1975]. First edition. Inscribed by Burroughs on the title-page. Read More about Sidetripping
Price: $300
Paris: The Traveller's Companion Series Published by The Olympia Press, [1961]. First edition. Inscribed on the title-page; "William Burroughs For Doctor Andrew Brody in expectation of new perspectives in medecine." Read More about The Soft Machine
Price: $1,750
New York: Grove Press Outrider, [1980]. First edition. Signed by Burroughs & Ginsberg. INSCRIBED on the title page “For Robert A. Wilson with all best wishes and friendship William S. Burroughs September 15th, 1985” and also SIGNED by Allen Ginsberg. Robert A. Wilson was proprietor of the legendary Phoenix Book..... Read More about The Soft Machine. Nova Express. The Wild Boys. Three Novels … With an Epilogue by Allen...
Price: $1,500
New York: Grove Press, [1967]. First American edition, revised and expanded from the Olympia Press edition. Inscribed on the title page: “for Bob Wilson | William S. Burroughs”. Read More about The Ticket that Exploded
Price: $2,000
London: Calder and Boyars, [1968]. First British edition. Signed by Burroughs on the title-page. Read More about The Ticket That Exploded
Price: $1,250
Paris: The Traveller's Companion Series published by the Olympia Press, [1959]. First edition, with first issue point of green border on title page, but with "Francs: 1500" crossed out and "New Price NF 18" added on back cover. Read More about The Naked Lunch
Price: $3,000
New York/St. Louis/Amsterdam: Lococo • Mulder, 1991. First edition. Read More about The Seven Deadly Sins
Price: $400
New York: The Brownstone Press, 1965. First edition, copy 99 of 100 copies printed. Diane Di Prima's first book of poetry (This Kind of Bird Flies Backward) was published by Totem Press in 1958 and she has published nearly four dozen books since then. She is considered a bridge figure..... Read More about Combination Theatre Poem & Birthday Poem for Ten People
Price: $2,500
New York: Grove Press, Inc, 1959. First American edition. "In The Americans Frank has given us a vision of the United States that is as true or untrue as we care to make it. What is certain is that it changed the face of photography in the documentary mode …..... Read More about The Americans
Price: $11,000
V.p., chiefly New York and Boulder, CO: ca. 1971-1986. A collection of autograph, printed, and audio material concerning the production of the 1983 John Hammond Records release of Allen Ginsberg's rock 'n roll album, First Blues. The collection was assembled by Hank O'Neal — photographer, author, record producer, and Executive..... Read More about Collection of material related to the recording and marketing of First Blues (John Hammond...
Price: $30,000
[San Francisco]: City Lights Books, [March, 1966]. Fifth edition. Pocket Poets Series no. 14. Presentation Copy. Strange now to think of you gone … Ginsberg’s other long poem, in memory of his mother, Kaddish For Naomi Ginsberg 1894-1956. The first five editions were printed letterpress by Villiers in England (printer..... Read More about Kaddish and Other Poems 1958-1960
Price: $500
New York: The Viking Press, 1957. First edition. The Beat Classic. Read More about On the Road
Price: $800