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Tarantula
NY, Macmillan, (1966). The uncorrected proof copy of the suppressed first edition of the only book written by Bob Dylan, arguably the most important American singer/musician of the last 50 years. Dylan was within two weeks of finishing "a few changes" to the galleys when a motorcycle accident halted his work on the book. It remained unpublished for five years, during which time a mimeographed pirated edition was issued by Wimp Press, created from a copy of the proof that had been circulated. This was followed by various other piracies. The original edition made it only to this galley stage before being pulled. According to the preface of the eventually published book, there were "a few sets of galleys that had gone around to different people..." The accident that delayed this edition also removed Dylan from the public eye for several years and it was a different world -- having been through the polarizing effects of the Vietnam war and the political upheavals of the late Sixties and early Seventies -- when Tarantula was finally published. Dylan had been eclipsed by his times and, while still a legendary figure his influence, was barely a shadow of what it had been in 1966 and earlier, when he galvanized both the folk music scene and the young protest movement. Ownership name of Ondina Fiore in the upper corner of the front cover. Ondina was the daughter of Quentin Fiore, noted graphic artist and book designer, who designed and was co-creator with Marshall McLuhan of The Medium is the Massage (1967), a blending of text and graphic images that was intended to illustrate the idea that information is conveyed in multiple ways, through context as well as content. Quentin Fiore received this proof -- presumably because the publisher was considering having him design the book -- and gave it to his daughter, who was more of the generation that was following Bob Dylan at that time than he was. A rare state of the only book written by the legendary singer at the height of his influence, when his poetry and songs were transforming both folk and rock music, and by extension popular culture, and an intriguing copy: it is easy to imagine that had this book been designed by Fiore at the time it was originally intended to have been published, it would have had a very different impact than it did, and would have been an extremely memorable project. We've only seen three other copies of this proof offered for sale over the years, none with as interesting provenance as this one has. Tall, comb-bound wrappers. Tiny corner chips and smudges to covers; very good. Laid in is a page from a Time magazine article from 1969, in which Dylan comments on his writing Tarantula. [#032765] SOLD

All books are first printings of first editions or first American editions unless otherwise noted.