Full Description
Pente, A Book of Woe, Poems by John Wieners, 2022 published by Artery Editions, Second Edition, formerly entitled Ace of
Pentacles by John Wieners, published by James F. Carr and Robert A. Wilson New York City, 1964. Reprinted 1970.Pente, A Book of Woe by John Wieners is the amended edition according to John Wieners's wishes, by a letter dated 10 July 1966 contained in his own copy of Ace of Pentacles This publication of Pente, A Book of Woe by John Wieners is carrying out the Poet's wishes. This new edition is transcribed from his own copy of the Ace of Pentacles with his hand written amendments. This includes the new title for the collection Pente, A Book of Woe. John Wieners also requested 'The Chimney Sweeper' by William Blake, from Songs of Experience to be used as the frontispiece. This collection has a large literary following. Wieners wrote in editing the 1964 collection, in his own hand, "I'm making plans for my death now, isn't it strange, if I die" and he was preparing for this collection therefore, to be his final life's work. Some of the original pages with John Wieners's corrections and changes are featured in fascimiles (5 pages), 1 page in John Wieners's own hand, 'THE POOL OF LIGHT'. Original Biographical Note included.
Supporting Contributions by Lee Harwood, Denise Levertov, Allen Ginsberg, Robert Duncan, Robert Creeley [historic].
New essays Introduction by Michael Seth Stewart, Afterword by Jeremy Reed, Appendix I & II, Notes on Poems by Tim Fletcher, Appendix III,'Les Fenêtres' by Guillaume Apollinaire, Appendix IV 'Towards a Bibliography of John Wieners' (Individual Bibliographies composed and compiled by George F Butterick, Gary M Lepper - Serendipity, Robert Dewhurst & Michael Kindellan.
Copyright 2023 The Literary Estate of John Wieners, Raymond Foye, Executor. All rights reserved.
Contents
Foreword xv
Preface xvii
Introduction by Michael Seth Stewart xxvii
Dedication: FOR THE VOICES
Ode on a Common Fountain......................................................2
Long Nook.......................................................................................4
Strange.............................................................................................5
The Windows.................................................................................6
The Woman....................................................................................8
Act #2..............................................................................................9
A Glimpse.................................................................................... 10
'then swing to Topsy, a cool bass'.......................................... 11
Wrapped up in an Indian Blanket........................................... 12
At Big Sur...................................................................................... 13
Louise............................................................................................ 14
A Poem for Trapped Things..................................................... 16
The Waning of the Harvest Moon.......................................... 18
The Pool of Light.........................................................................20
John Wieners's hand-written 1966 changes to 'The Pool of Light'
The Windows of Waltham....................................................... 21
'Let the heart's pain slack off'................................................. 22
'I have found her snow white in my head'............................ 23
xxiv xxv
PART II: THE AGES OF YOUTH
The Acts of Youth...................................................................... 26
The Mermaid's Song.................................................................. 28
An Anniversary of Death.......................................................... 29
The Imperatrice.......................................................................... 30
Moon Poems................................................................................ 31
My Mother.................................................................................... 32
'I walk under the distant stars'................................................ 33
A Series:
5.3........................................................................................ 34
'Rain today and rain in the self. Reign. Return'
5.8........................................................................................ 35
'There is dirt under my nails'.............................................
'The music loses'............................................................. 36
5.9........................................................................................ 37
'The Lady plucks a lute above my head'.........................
'Farewell in the cool night,'........................................... 38
5.22..................................................................................... 39
'There is a roaring in the night as guns going off'
5.26..................................................................................... 40
'The dream does not endure'............................................
'If a man were to die with the needle'....................... 41
Contradicting Picasso............................................................... 42
Confession................................................................................... 43
Cocaine......................................................................................... 45
Three to Go with Pictures:............................................................
The Pale Orchid..................................................... 46
Lines......................................................................... 47
August 20................................................................ 48
'Shall Idleness Ring Then Your Eyes Like the Pest?'.......... 49
AUTUMN IN NEW YORK
The Meadow................................................................................ 52
The Serpent's Hiss..................................................................... 53
Tuesday 7:00 P.M........................................................................ 54
Le Chariot..................................................................................... 56
Procrastination............................................................................ 57
Dream............................................................................................ 58
The Garden of Pleasure............................................................ 60
This Love That Moves the World, Sun and Stars................ 61
John Wieners's hand-written 1966 changes to 'The Garden of Pleasure'
John Wieners's hand-written 1966 changes to 'This Love That Moves
the World, Sun and Stars'
You Talk of Going but Don't Even Have a Suitcase............ 64
John Wieners's hand-written 1966 changes to
'You Talk of Going but Don't Even Have a Suitcase'
Spring............................................................................................ 66
John Wieners's hand-written 1966 changes to 'spring'
'The night is cold'....................................................................... 67
Sonnet...........................................................................................70
For Jan........................................................................................... 71
'In the half light of holding and giving'................................. 72
Dreams of the Day..................................................................... 74
During Viennese Waltzes......................................................... 76
The Suicide .................................................................................. 77
[1.]'Yes i put her away.'
2.'Clay cannot create her features'
3.[Address to the Woman]
'Tell her that may not rise again'
Two Years Later........................................................................... 79
Biographical Note...................................................................... 83
AFTERWORD by Jeremy Reed........................................................................85
APPENDIX I: Notes on Poems by Tim Fletcher...........................................96
APPENDIX II: 'Forgive us our Punctuation' by Tim Fletcher.................. 102
APPENDIX III: Les Fenêtres by Guillaume Apollinaire........................... 106
Appendix IV: Towards a Bibliography of John Wieners:......................... 108
George F Butterick by Gary M Lepper, Robert Dewhurst and
Michael Kindellan
