"I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness..."

A generation-defining poem, "Howl" is the most important of the postwar period, and one that pioneered not only a more confessional mode of American verse, but influenced innumerable youth movements: from beatniks to hippies, Situationists to punks. There are three printings from the original masters of the true first edition, originally duplicated in May of 1956 in a tiny edition of approximately 25 copies at Ginsberg's behest by Robert Creeley (who typed the masters) and Marthe Rexroth (who ran the ditto machine). 11 known copies of that first impression survive, with only two remaining in private hands (only one of which is signed by the poet, and only one likely to return to the market).

The second printing was executed by Andreas Brown in 1969 as part of an aborted project to issue a "facsimile" in compensation for Gotham Book Mart's work on Ginsberg's archive. These copies did not surface until 1986, however, and were marked with the Gotham Book Mart stamp. Six are known (most or all originating with those Brown sent to Ginsberg, with the balance apparently destroyed), with likely just three surviving in private hands (and none known to be signed).

Finally, there is this, the third printing, undertaken for unknown reasons at the Gotham Book Mart after the 1969 Gotham edition but before the return of the ditto masters to Ginsberg in 1986. It was not issued until 1996, however, after Peter Howard of Serendipity Books purchased five complete, one near-complete, and one fragment of what he thought were unstamped 1969 copies. Unknown to Howard, however, was that these were from an entirely separate impression (primarily distinguishable from the other printings as being on "Ditto Duo Run" watermarked paper).

Howard acquired these copies the previous year from the estate of longtime Gotham Rare Book Room manager Matthew Monahan. Howard then created a new issue by having these copies signed or inscribed by those involved either in its printing (such as Marthe Rexroth), or those who participated in the Six Gallery reading (like Michael McClure and Philip Lamantia). Over the course of the next six to twelve months, Howard traveled around the country, gathering signatures and inscriptions, while compensating participants with trades from stock, donations to favorite charities, or outright cash payments. Ginsberg himself agreed to participate only if he received one of the multiply signed copies.

These Serendipity examples vary slightly from copy to copy. This one is inscribed by Ginsberg ("The original mimeo [sic] was typed by Robert Creeley & printed off by Martha [sic] Rexroth at S.F. State where she was [a] secretary"), Marthe Rexroth ("I cranked the ditto [...] and went to the reading"), Michael McClure (at length, in part: "This first long poem of Allen's was read at the Six Gallery in San Francisco in October 1955. I was 22..."), and David Meltzer. It is additionally signed by Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Gary Snyder, Philip Lamantia, and Philip Whalen. Marthe Rexroth's inscription is especially touching. It goes on: "At that time — a difficult one personally — Allen was a good and true friend, especially to Bob Creeley and to me." Rexroth is referring to her rocky marriage to Kenneth Rexroth. At the time, she and Creeley were having an affair, and Rexroth would later refer to the poet as "the love of my life."

Of the five complete copies of this issue, three are currently housed in special collections, leaving just two (including this one — plus one other nearly complete example lacking the final leaf, which Howard provided in facsimile) in private hands. One of only a handful of opportunities remaining, therefore, to own any printing of the true first edition (of which just four are signed by the poet himself). A landmark of gay rights, free speech, protest, censorship, and the counterculture: rare, electric.