Nero And Other Poems by Smith, Clark Ashton - 1937

Lakeport, Calif.: The Futile Press, 1937. [First edition, second state]. The Futile Press, founded by the Beck brothers, Groo and Claire later assisted by Clyde Beck, were young F & SF zealots, who, with their small handpress printed H.P. Lovecraft's: Notes & Commonplace Book, this booklet by Clark Ashton Smith, and had plans for future publications including Clark Ashton Smith'sThe Jasmine Girdle. Friends with Robert H. Barlow, there developed some bad blood between such notables as Clark Ashton Smith, and other fantasy field personalities, with Barlow and the Beck brothers's association with Barlow, and projects were shelved. With the last surviving brother, Groo, Roy A. Squires purchased The Futile Press's remaining papers and discovered that there were loose sheets ot NERO enough to complete 13 complete books. The books were handbound in vellum spine and marbled papers, by Kris Anderson, now Kris Etchison. Very handsome presentation. So this would bibliographically be termed a "Second… Read More

NERO AND OTHER POEMS, Futile Press, 1937, first edition, a just about fine copy with the 3 leaf insert THE PRICE OF POETRY by David Warren Ryder Laid in. Allegedly 1/200 copies.

Lakeport, California: The Futile Press,, 1937. First edition, first printing. Presentation copy, this copy is inscribed by the author to "Claire P. Beck, with the kindest regards and best wishes of Clark Ashton Smith, Auburn, Cal., May 8th, 1938", here with the rare glassine jacket intact, one of 250 copies printed. Tipped-in at the rear is a three-page printing of David Warren Ryder's "The Price of Poetry", first published in the magazine Controversy (7 November 1934), which was printed to accompany the book. Duodecimo. Original white cloth-backed boards, title to spine in black. With a glassine jacket. Housed in a custom slipcase. Spine lightly rubbed. Otherwise, a fine copy.