STRAIGHT FARTHEST BLOOD TOWARDS (Opening Section) - 1959

Paris: Dead Language [Press], 1959. First edition. Near fine.. A beautiful hand-colored copy of Angus MacLise's first publication, issued by his high school friend Piero Heliczer's Dead Language Press. Though perhaps best known as the first drummer for the Velvet Underground, Maclise is increasingly recognized for his later polygot artistic, poetic, and musical works - of which STRAIGHT FARTHEST BLOOD TOWARDS marks the start, and a fortuitous one. It was through this work that, according to Velvet Underground scholar Richie Unterberger, La Monte Young first became aware of MacLise, spotting a copy of SFBT at City Light Bookstore in 1961 - an event that led later that year to the pair performing together regularly, and later still to Young introducing MacLise to John Cale. Produced by Piero Heliczer, who Maclise befriended at Forest Hills High School in New York when they were still teens, STRAIGHT exists in two states: with hand-colored wrappers or without. While there is no known priority, in our experience the hand-colored are decidedly less common. Though not exactly rare in the market, OCLC locates just four copies. An auspicious and significant debut. . 6'' x 5.5'' folded; 6" x 22'' unfolded. Original letterpressed self-wrappers, featuring a block-print by Piero Heliczer, and with pink hand-painted details. Folded three times (as issued) to make eight panels numbered one through six (plus front and rear covers). Mild edgewear, rubbing. Else remarkably bright, clean, and sound.