Dahlberg, Edward (1900–1977) ; Read, Herbert, Sir (1893–1968)

Truth is More Sacred [1961 First Edition - Critical Duel on Joyce, Eliot, & Pound - Dust Jacket]

New York: Horizon Press, 1961. First Edition, First Printing. Hardcover with Dust Jacket.

A legendary literary 'duel' between two giants of 20th-century thought. Through a series of incisive letters, Dahlberg and Read clash over the merits and moral failings of the giants of Modernism, including Joyce, Eliot, and Lawrence, in a style that is as eloquent as it is combative.

KEY FEATURES
+++ Binding: Original black cloth over the spine with gilt titles set against light blue boards. 
+++ Content: A sharp, epistolary exchange debating the ethical and aesthetic foundations of modern literature, specifically targeting the 'idols' of the era. 
+++ Associated Names: Features extended critiques of James Joyce, D.H. Lawrence, Henry James, Robert Graves, T.S. Eliot, and Ezra Pound. 
+++ Imprint: Published by Horizon Press, the New York house known for supporting avant-garde and high-intellect prose. +++ Specs: 8.5 inches tall / [10], 11-222 pages.

CONDITION: Near Fine/Very Good -- The book is tight and square with clean text and light, even age-toning. The boards show Minimal shelf handling wear. The dust jacket is price-clipped and modestly age-toned, featuring a small closed tear on the lower front edge, but remains presents well in a protective sleeve.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE --
Edward Dahlberg, often called the 'Job of American Letters,' was famous for his uncompromising, archaic prose style and his refusal to bow to the literary fashions of his time. In Herbert Read, the distinguished British anarchist, poet, and critic, he found a formidable intellectual sparring partner. This 1961 exchange is considered one of the last great 'public' arguments over the moral duty of the artist.

The book matters because it captures the 'post-Modernist' reckoning. While the world was enshrining Joyce and Eliot as untouchable masters, Dahlberg and Read were examining the 'sacred truth' of whether their works actually served the human spirit or merely the ego. It remains a vital text for anyone studying the intersection of ethics and aesthetics.

SUBJECTS: Literary Criticism, Modernism, Ethics in Literature, James Joyce, T.S. Eliot, Edward Dahlberg, Sir Herbert Read, Literary Criticism, Epistolary, Philosophy.

BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCE: Billings, Harold. 'A Bibliography of Edward Dahlberg' (A14).

Item #21562

Price: $34.00