Californians

New York: The Macmillan Company, 1916. First Edition. Hardcover. Fine. First printing, octavo size, in custom box. American poet Robinson Jeffers (1887-1962) was a prolific writer of the twentieth century; his bleak and uncompromising style of poetry was formed through his philosophy of "inhumanism", which focused on a rejection of emotion and man, in favour of nature and other creatures in the universe.

Although Jeffers had individual poems published in periodicals as early as 1903, it was not until 1912 that his first book of poetry would be published ("Flagons and Apples") entirely at his own expense. Therefore, Alberts credits this work, "Californians", as Jeffers' "first commercially published work". The publisher must have been eager to promote their new author, as they sent many copies (as evidenced by the number of advance copies currently available) out for advance review, ensuring this would be noted both by a separate small sheet asking for review notices (and listing the original price of $1.25) and also by perforating the title page with "Advance Copy, For Review, Not for Sale".

This copy in almost immaculate condition, with the small vignette and gilt lettering on the front board bright and unrubbed, and is housed in chemise and custom slipcase, the slipcase with an outline of the state of California in tan leather stamped with the title, the author's last name stamped below.

Included are: "Invocation", "Stephen Brown", "Emilia", "The Vardens", "Maldrove", "The Three Avilas", "Ruth Alison", "Dorothy Atwell", "The Old Farmer", "At Lindsay's Cabin", "The Mill Creek Farm", "The Belled Doe", "The Year of Mourning", "Song of Quietness", and "Ode on Human Destinies"; there is also a section titled "Descriptive Songs and Others" with fifteen individual entries.

___DESCRIPTION: Bound in full navy blue cloth over boards, small vignette on front board in black, gilt, and light blue, gilt lettering on front board and spine, top edge gilt, small illustration on title page; octavo size (7 5/8" by 5"), pagination: [i-iv] v-viii [1] 2-217 [3] [6 pp. publisher's ads]; loosely laid in is a small (4 1/8" wide by 3 1/2" tall) slip from the publisher, the original price stamped in blue ink. Housed in a chemise covered in blue cloth and lined with japanese paper, that housed in a slipcase covered on all sides with blue cloth, the spine of blue leather with an outline of the state of California in tan leather, gilt lettering on the spine as set forth above.

___CONDITION: Volume fine; the boards clean with the vignette and lettering bright and unrubbed, the corners perfectly straight and unrubbed, a strong, square text block with solid hinges, the interior clean and bright, and entirely free of prior owner markings; the publisher's stamp on the title page does go over the illustration, and we note a minute mark to the fore-edge of the back board and a hint of rubbing to the head and tail of the spine, other than those the volume is as new. The publisher's slip fine, clean and without wear. The chemise and slipcase also fine, both pieces clean, strong and sturdy. Lacking the somewhat scarce dustwrapper. Altogether a remarkable example of Jeffer's first commercially published volume.

___CITATION: Alberts no. 15.

___POSTAGE: International customers, please note that additional postage may apply as the standard does not always cover costs; please inquire for details.

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