Paul Mariah

Paul Mariah (pseudonym of Paul Jones) was one of the most important literary figures of Stonewall era. Besides being an accomplished poet in his own right, he, along with his lover Ricahrd Tagett, also founded and published Manroot press in 1969, one the first presses dedicated solely to publishing Gay works of poetry. As such, he played a key figure in nurturing a whole generation of overtly Gay and newly uncloseted Gay poets who appeared after the Stonewall riots, such as Hunce Voelcker, Robert Peters, and James Broughton. Unfortunately, even within the Gay community, Mariah's own works and achievements have still not found their rightful place in either the literary or historical cannons of that era.

The following 37 books from Paul's library are a truly wonderful treasure trove. Besides mostly being signed and limited editions, they also represent a wide cross section of important Gay poets--from William Barber and James Mitchell to Harold Norse, Robert Peters, and John Wieners, and underscore the pivotal role played by Mariah during the Gay literary revival of the late 1960s and 1970s.

I have never seen in one place such a magnificent collection. Some of the items are not in any Library, while others are held by only a few institutions. Please contact Priapean Tomes if you would care to purchase the entire collection.

Books from Paul Mariah's Library

Barber, William. Getting Over It Sonnets. Cover illustration by Marin Izquierdo. San Francisco, Hoddypoll, 1975. Fine in fine paper wraps, hinge edge slightly tanned, 8 pages. Inscribed by Barber to Paul Mariah as follows: "To Paul Mariah teacher and friend always, William Barber. This is copy B of 26 signed and lettered copies. It also includes two typewritten sheets laid in containing two extra sonnets not in the regular edition. These sonnets were also not included in the other limited edition copies. No OCLC holdings or listing for this limitation. $375

Boone, Bruce. Karate Flower. San Francisco, Hoddypoll, 1973. (Poetry) Large format, old style Hoddypoll production. Cover design by Michael Ford. Stapled sheets, stiff illustrated red paper covers. A very fine copy, 14 pages. Young listing 347. Only 6 OCLC holdings. No Library of Congress or Harvard holdings. $350

[James Broughton] Rammer, Rod. Poems in Black Leather Folded broadside, yellow paper, 1980-83? Reprinted from the Detroit based Metra magazine. An excerpt from one of the 10 poems "But if you're Gay" Bill and Bob had a fine house and two cars/They'd work all day/At night they'd hit the bars/Bill got sick and died the other day/His family came/and took it all away. In the original mailing envelop addressed to Paul Mariah in James Broughton hand. No OCLC listing. $125

Cooper, Dennis. Idols (Poetry) NY, Seahorse, 1979. Inscribed by Cooper to Paul Mariah "For Paul with respect to you and yours yours Dennis May 18, 1982." Fine in fine paper wraps, 78 p. Cooper's third book. Young listing 786* $200

Cooper, Dennis. The Terror of Earrings. (Poetry) Arcadia, CA, Privately Printed, 1973. Fine in fine paper wraps. Cover illustration by Cooper. One of 300 copies, following an edition of 80. This chapbook, Cooper's first book, was promoted and distributed by Ian Young--although one is tempted to say not too successfully since there are only 4 OCLC holdings in total (University of California at Santa Barbara and Berkeley, Northwestern, and SUNY at Buffalo). Young listing 789*. $225

Curtis, Walt. The Erotic Flying Machine. Drawings by Frank Polist. Portland, OR, Ashes Press, 1971. An as printed copy. Folded sheets laid in illustrated paper wraps, not stapled, 30 pages. Not in Young but should be. From the poem The Dixie Mt. Blowout The boy straddles his Honda/waiting for me/gets off/Taking me by the hand/he leads me to a field of purplish vetch/and balls me/fetch me some vetch, wretch. Only 10 OCLC holdings. No Library of Congress holdings. Signed by Curtis. $300

Elmslie, Kenward. Tropicalism. (poetry) Calais, VT, Z Press, 1975. Fine in fine paper wraps, slight bumping to one corner, 77 pages. Advance review copy. Multiple OCLC holdings. $75

Fisher, David. Requiem for Huertebise: Homage to Jean Cocteau. San Francisco, Man Root, 1974. Fine in fine paper wraps, 9 folded leaves. Inscribed by Fisher to Paul Mariah as follows: "For Paul with love david" This is copy a of 26 signed, lettered, and dated copies. Although there are multiple OCLC holdings, they do not include this limitation. Young listing 1259* $325

Jones, Stephen. Two for Jack Spicer. San Francisco, Manroot, 1974. Fine in fine paper wraps, 16 folded sheets. Young listing 2038. Multiple OCLC holdings. $150

Mitchell, James. Buddhist Poems. San Francisco, Hoddypoll, 1975. Fine in fine handsewn stiff wraps, 48 pages. (Limitation of handsewn copies unknown but probably about 26) When this book was published, Mitchell was "employed by the San Francisco welfare department where his incompetence generates endless confusion (I don't think he was getting enough sleep--see below). Young listing 2726. No OCLC listing. Inscribed by Mitchell to Paul as follows: "For Paul Mariah Om Mani padme hum James Mitchell." Enclosed in the original mailing envelop Mitchell used to mail it to Mariah. Addressed in Mitchell's own hand. $350

Mtchell, James. New Poems San Francisco, Hoddypoll, 1974. Young listing 2727. Paul Mariah's copy. Signed by Mitchell. Only 11 OCLC holdings. No Library of Congress or Harvard holdings. $300

Mitchell, James. Tales of Sagittarius. San Francisco, Hoddypoll, 1968. (Poetry) Illustrated with photos by Robert Clark. Also a tipped in drawing by Ismene Michou. A very fine copy in stiff olive colored paper covers, 36 pages. (Limitation of handsewn copies unknown but probably about 26) Inscribed by Mitchell "For Paul Mariah (fellow poet and founder of Man Root press, 1969) Steadfastly stupid Stupidly steadfast James Mitchell" No Young listing, but should be as it contains many Gay oriented poems, such as "In Praise of the poet's widely celebrated pecker after several years of joyously efficient service: an ode." Only 11 OCLC holdings. No Library of Congress holdings. $375

Mitchell, James. Tales of Thorn. San Francisco, Hoddypoll, 1968. (Poetry) Illustrated with photos by Robert Clark and drawings by Kenerin Murphy. Very fine in fine illustrated white paper covers, 36 pages. Only 11 OCLC holdings. No Library of Congress holdings. Not listed in Young-I'm starting to think there may have been a bit of bad blood between Young and Mitchell. $300

Mitchell, James. Various Poems. San Francisco, Hoddypoll, 1977. Fine in fine handsewn stiff wraps, 60 pages. (Limitation of handsewn copies unknown but probably about 26) Sponsored by an NEA grant. Not listed in Young but should be as the following excerpt from "Saturday Night Gothic" shows.

I got drunk in the Folsom Street bar and went home with a young blonde giant from Wisconsin. We fell naked to the mattress and he threw his legs back to his neck so fast it surprised me, and said fuck me fuck me fuck me so I fucked him fucked him fucked him, until I couldn't anymore and then he passed out and began to snore so loudly I couldn't sleep..." No OCLC listing. $300

Meyer, Thomas. Sappho's Raft (Le rideai de la mytilenienne). N.p., Jargon 99, 1982. Sponsored by an NEA grant. One thousand paper bound copies, 450 cloth bound, and 50 signed and numbered. This copy fine in paper wraps with paper dust jacket, 105 pages. Inscribed by Meyers as follows: "To P from M Love" $200

Norse, Harold. The Dancing Beasts. (poems) New York, MacMillan, 1962. First edition, no hardcover issue. Fine in fine blue paper wraps. Signed by Norse. Not listed in Young but should be as some of the poems (all set in southern European climes) describe homosexual characters and activities (see the poem Victor Emmanuel Monument as an example) Multiple OCLC holdings. $325

Norse, Harold. The Love Poems 1940-1985. Trumansburg, NY, Crossing, 1986. Fine in fine paper wraps. Inscibed by Norse as follows: "For Paul Mariah Fellow poet, fellow freind in fellow feeling Harold Norse 16 X 86 San Franciso" $150

Norse, Harold. The Mysteries of Magritte. San Diego, Atticus, 1984. Printed broadside, mint. Inscribed by Norse as follows: "For Paul with warmth Harold Norse San Francisco 26 X 86" $175

Peters, Robert. Bronchial Tangle, Heart System. Hanover, NH, Granite, 1974. Paperback original. Fine in fine blue paper wraps, 63 pages. Inscribed by Peters as follows: "For Paul Mariah Loving Friend Bob Peters Huntington Beach CA" Young listing 3023. $175

Peters, Robert. Love Poem. San Francisco, Panjandrum, 1972. Broadside, tan paper, fine with very minor light edge creases. Inscribed by Peters as follows: "For Paul Mariah for all trumpets blown and to be blown love Robert P SF Xmas 1975" Only 2 OCLC holdings, both a SUNY Buffalo-one a tan paper copy, the other a light blue. Not listed in Young. $250

Peters, Robert. The Sows Head and Other Poems. Detroit, Wayne State, 1968. Fine in edge worn dust jacket, 91 pages. Inscribed by Peters as follows: "For Paul Mariah With much love and thanks for a great week (aug 3 -7) in SF Bob Peters" Also includes a handwritten poem by Peters entitled "There is this end for the night" underneath the inscription. In addition, Peters made a few hand corrections to the poem in the book entitled "So Far, Few Wolf Children have Been Authenticated" $325

Steward, Samuel. Dear Sammy Letters from Gertrude Stein and Alice B, Toklas. Edited with a memoir by Samuel Steward. Boston, Houghton, 1977. Fine in slightly edge worn dust jacket, 260 pages. Inscribed by Steward to Mariah as follows: "For Paul Mariah fellow sufferer for all these years Sam Steward" $250

Steward, Samuel. Parisian Lives. New York, St. Martins, 1984. Fine in fine paper dust jacket, 215 pages. Inscribed as follows: "For Paul Mariah This wee bit of sentimentalized and paintly erotic nostalgia Sam Steward" $250

Tagett, Paul. (cofounder and publisher of Man Root press) Jonas and a Jug and a Joint. (poetry) Twelve hand typed pages in wraps (slight offset to covers). Number one of only two copies. Inscribed by Tagett as follows: "Thanks Paul, Rich SF 4/12/70. No OCLC listing. $800

Tagett, Paul. Lucy San Francisco, Manroot, 1975. Cover design by Jose Laffitte. Fine in handsewn wraps. One of 26 lettered copies signed by both Tagett and Laffitte. Multiple OCLC holdings but none of this limitation. $325

Veins of Earth. (Poetry) San Francisco, Hoddypoll Press, March 1970. Artwork by Norman Jensen,. Numerous Priapean inspired woodblock images in black, white ink and silver foil printed on overlaid tissue sheets. Contains the following poems: Bruce Boone's Thoughts of Otis, This paper I'm writing this on, The turning of the world, For the Queens, and Writing Poems is something else,Stephan Mark's B.Q., James Mitchell's Happy New Year poem for Nap, Bob, Bruce, Steve, John Aquarius, J.D. Wade, Quicksilver & Denis, Kennerin, Saint Stephan slightly outside paradise, Jacob, Jeffery, Chip & De Waine, Hairy Leonard, Ratsy, and all the twits at Tool house 77, Poem in Winter to a Friend in the West for Stephan Mark, A Sabbath of Hashish in Spring, Thomas Bedlam's Complaint, We nibble the lotus at the sky's Proud Gates, Karmac Highway Liberty Episode #144, Why to Write Poetry for Bob Clark, and Michael Ratcliffe's from the forests of Leto. Not listed in Young or Summers. Fine in fine paper wraps, [n.p.] Only four OCLC holdings, University of California, Berkeley and Bancroft, Ball State, and Brown. No Library of Congress or Harvard holdings. $650

Voelcker, Hunce. Brian. San Francisco, Empty Elevator Shaft, 1973. Folded broadside. A song and lullaby for Voelcker's new born nephew. Inscribed by Voelcker with love to Paul Mariah . As new. Only 2 OCLC holdings. No Library of Congress holdings. $425

Voelcker, Hunce. Logan. NY, Cowstone, 1969. Illustrated by Mark Vogel. Paperback original. 1,000 copies plus 26 numbered and signed. Inscribed by Voelcker tp Paul Mariah. Fine in fine paper wraps, 63 pages. Young listing 3956*. No Library of Congress holdings $250

Voelcker, Hunce. Parade of Gumdrop. San Francisco, Hoddypoll, 1971. Illustrated with photos by Rodney Price. Fine in fine paper wraps, slightly tanned edges and one faint crease to front wrap, 32 pages. Dedicated to Rodney "whose silver gumdrop glitters, glimpsing/salivations of clear white/whose pencil is the wrist/whose wand the fingers/and whose tool becomes the sceptered palm/ the sucking muse." Signed by both Voelcker and Rodney and inscribed to Paul Mariah. Young listing 3957. Multiple (22) OCLC listings, but no Library of Congress or Harvard holdings. $350

Voelcker, Hunce. Songs for the Revolution NY< Cowstone, 1969. Photo illustrated by Rondy Price. Inscribed by both Voelcker and Price to Paul Mariah. Young listing 3959. Multiple (22) OCLC holdings. $275

Voelcker, Hunce. Within the Rose. San Francisco, Panjadrum, 1976. Drawings and illumination by Jose Laffitte. Sponsored by an NEA grant, which partially accounts for the large number of OCLC holdings, as NEA sponsored materials were widely distributed to select libraries. As new in embossed white paper wraps, 60 pages.

This copy is number 23 of 26 signed and number copies in its original presentation envelope with the promotional card laid in. In addition to being signed by both Voelcker and Laffitte, Voelcker also inscribed this copy to Paul Mariah as follows: "This is number 23 for Paul Mariah w/love Hunce Voelcker 1976" Also included is the original mailing envelope Voelcker used to mail this copy to Mariah, addressed in Voelcker's own hand. Young listing 3960. Multiple (47) OCLC holdings but none of this limitation. $450

Wieners, John. The Hotel Wentley Poems. San Francisco, Auerhahn, 1958. First edition, first printing. Fine in fine paper wraps, 12 pages. Inscribed by Wieners as follows: "To Paul Mariah June 13 1965." This is the infamous censored edition in which the "A poem for cock suckers" was renamed "A poem for suckers" Very strange indeed, since many of the other poems deal with explicit homosexual themes. Young listing 4102 $350

Young, Ian. Lions in the Stream. Scarsbourgh, Ont, Catalysst, 1971. Inscribed by Young to Paul Mariah. Fine in fine paper wraps, 20 pages. Young listing 4271*. Also laid in is the catalog for Catalyst press. Multiple (13) OCLC listings. $225.

Young, Ian. The Male Muse A Gay Anthology. Trumansberg, NY. Crossing Press, 1973. Contains poems by Kirby Congdon, Robert Duncan, Thomas Gunn, Paul Mariah, Harold Norse, Robert Peters, Burton Weiss and Jonathan Williams, among others. Fine in fine boards, 127 pages. Extremely scarce in hard back version. $275.

Young, Ian. Year of the Quiet Sun. Toronto, Anansi, 1969. Fine in fine paper wraps, 49 pages. Young's first book of poetry. This is the expanded and revised version, following the 1969 Trumansburg, NY edition. Young listing 4268*. $200

Young, Ian. Yuletide Greetings. N.p., no date. Folded card in the original envelop. Young listing 4269. Only 4 OCLC holdings, only one US library. $250.