FAREWELL TO THE FATHER OF THE BEATS

Rexroth, Kenneth (1905–1982)

The Signature of All Things [Posthumous Memorial Holiday Keepsake]

New York: Printed by the Wild Hare Press for the friends of Ann & J. Laughlin, and New Directions, 1982.
PRIVATE NEW DIRECTIONS CHRISTMAS KEEPSAKE PRINTED MONTHS AFTER KENNETH REXROTH'S DEATH AND DISTRIBUTED ONLY TO JAMES LAUGHLIN'S INNER CIRCLE OF AUTHORS, BOOKSELLERS, AND FRIENDS.

Issued just months after Kenneth Rexroth's death, this elegant letterpress keepsake represents the private, non-commercial intersection of America's premier avant-garde publisher and a founding pillar of the San Francisco Renaissance. James Laughlin utilized this limited, private printing of Rexroth's landmark 1949 title poem as his Christmas greeting to his closest authors, booksellers, and friends. This uncommon artifact captures a profound moment of literary mourning and grassroots stewardship within the New Directions inner circle.

PHYSICAL FEATURES: Four-panel folded accordion leaflet. Features a highly textured, fibrous deckle edge running vertically along the terminal panel, accentuating the artisan nature of the fine press production. A single long sheet of premium European mould-made paper designed to fold three times into a self-contained four-panel accordion brochure. 
+++ Content: Prints the full text of Kenneth Rexroth's masterpiece poem, 'The Signature of All Things,' broken into its three classic movements. 
+++ Imprint: Formal colophon on the lower margin of the rear panels reads: 'Printed at Christmas, 1982 for the friends of Ann & J. Laughlin, and New Directions' alongside 'Printed by the Wild Hare Press, New York City.' 
+++ Specs: Measures 8.5 x 15.0 inches when completely opened, folding down down to a compact 8.5 x 4.0 inches for distribution. 
+++ Design: Set in an austere, balanced serif typeface, maximizing the contrast between the crisp impression of the ink and the expansive margins of the cream paper stock.

CONDITION: Good. The internal panels are remarkably clean, bright, and free of any library markings, annotations, or modern seller price codes. The structural folds remain sharp and stable without splits or fraying. The rear outside panel displays moderate hand-soiling and even toning along the upper edge, while the front exterior panel shows a single, small isolated spot of foxing near the center fold line, well away from the letterpress text.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE —
Kenneth Rexroth was a central force in mid-century American letters, widely considered the 'Father of the Beats' and a leading architect of the San Francisco poetry revival. His relationship with James Laughlin and New Directions spans decades, forming one of the most consequential author-publisher dynamics in modern literature. Rexroth's death in June 1982 marked the end of an era for the post-war avant-garde.

This specific printing of 'The Signature of All Things' was engineered entirely by Laughlin as a solemn, intimate memorial. Rather than a commercial publication, this holiday keepsake was issued exclusively to Laughlin's private network of authors, critics, and associates. The small distribution run is reflected in institutional census data, with only 15 copies recorded globally in the OCLC/WorldCat network, making it a scarce, critical gap-fill for collections focusing on private press ephemera or Beat history.

SCHOLARLY FEATURES
+++ Design: An excellent specimen of late-twentieth-century New York fine press printing, executed by the Wild Hare Press using traditional letterpress methods that bite noticeably into the soft paper block.
+++ Scholarship: Serves as a vital primary document for the bibliography of New Directions and Kenneth Rexroth, establishing the exact text and format selected by Laughlin to define his lifelong friend's poetic legacy immediately following his passing in June 1982.
+++ Influence: Ties directly to the San Francisco Renaissance and the post-war American poetry network, capturing the intimate, non-commercial channels through which modern poetry was curated and memorialized by its gatekeepers.

SUBJECTS: Kenneth Rexroth, James Laughlin, New Directions, Fine Press Printing, American Poetry, San Francisco Renaissance, Memorial Keepsakes, Fine Press, Letterpress Ephemera, Association Context.

Item #22071

Price: $125.00