One-Way Song.

£300 · Offered by Shapero Rare Books · No longer available

A collection of satirical poetry by Wyndham Lewis. The loose card included here is from critic and Lewis disciple Hugh Gordon Porteus (1906-93), a poet in his own right and considered something of an eccentric, whose devotion to Wyndham Lewis included even dressing in a similar style. The card is written to author activist Nancy Cunard (1896-1965), known particularly for her 1934 work Negro: An Anthology, and refers to this copy of One-Way Song which it seems Porteus was gifting her. Lewis gave a public reading of his One Way Song in 1933 in Kensington Gardens, to an audience comprised of Porteus and a flock of sheep... First trade edition, 8vo; decorations by Wyndham Lewis, publisher's cloth, dust-jacket, browning to edges, torn with loss around spine-ends, some browning and marking, small closed tear with tape repair to foot of upper panel, some fraying to top edge; with related card from the art literary critic Hugh Gordon Porteus bearing lengthy autograph inscription to Nancy Cunard and woodcut design in Vorticist style by Porteus loosely inserted. Morrow Lafourcade A21b.

• Binding: Hardcover

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