Beschreibung:

Title: Correspondence and poetry archive of Gary Snyder with Sally Parks aka Shandel Parks, 1953-1966 Author: Snyder, Gary Place: Oregon, Washington, California, Japan Publisher: Date: 1953-66 Description: Contains 32 Gary Snyder items, including: 27 pieces of correspondence and ephemera (18 are letters to “Shandel” Parks (of San Francisco) including 8 typed (5 are signed but 1 of those signed only with his Japanese symbol) and 10 autograph letters signed including one on Timberline Lodge (Oregon) letterhead dated July 30, 1954; 7 postcards (6 autographed & 1 typed), one is a Somoan real photo with U.S. Navy postmark (1958); 4 typed poems ("Numerous Broken Eggs," 4-page "A Berry Feast," "Maitreya," and "mumonkwan case I" - plus shorter poems within the letters including “back from the Kaweahs”) of which were apparently in advance of their first publication. The Berry Feast is accompanied with a letter in which Snyder writes of wanting to get it published by City Lights; 3 independent pieces of typed commentary, one is a recommended reading list, another about the work of Carl Jung, anthropology, philosopher’s, etc.; a hand-inked map drawn by Gary Snyder on 3x5 paper showing directions coming from both Bremerton (in the North) and Seattle (South) through Marblemount, Diablo to “Sourdough” Mountain lookout plus some further hand-written directions; and a 2x1½" photo portrait of Snyder in his twenties, affixed on paper. * Plus, 3 typed letters (2 unsent and the 1 sent is signed) from Sally Parks (known as “Shandel”) to Gary Snyder. Individual pieces at various sizes. Some letters are 2 pages long; most have the original envelopes (including the Timberline printed envelope), one with old sea-washed colored glass pieces laid in. All housed in a black 16x13 portfolio case. Early and important literary correspondence between Gary Snyder and Sally “Shandel” Parks, written from locations within the Bay Area, the Pacific Northwest and Japan, from June 1953 to April 1966. Mostly written while Snyder was working for the park forestry service as a fire lookout in Washington in the Skagit, Crater Lake and Sourdough Mountain, where he created some of his best and earliest writings. Letters include the following: [1953] “Dear Shandel: Philip [Whalen] is away & he writes for me to tell you that he DOESN’T hate you &, for that matter, neither do I. It’s just that San Francisco gets farther and farther away, & being in this University is like being on an astral plane or lunar sphere; to go from here to San Francisco you have to do a trance & transformation; grow pointed ears and padded feet or something…I’ve been reading in Tantra…It has a special initiation for disciples…At certain early stages celibacy is required. At middle stages the saddhana of Shakti-worship is engaged…the Yogin is expected to be Celibate, but is NOT to turn away any one who comes to his/her bed…Women gurus (masters) are not uncommon. You oght to look into it…”. [1955]: “I leave the valley to be rudely forced into Equestrianism, to spend 3 (III) weeks riding about the high Sierra on a Gov’t Horse with another man…putting up new trail signs…John Muir was a great Bodhisattva (clambered up half-dome last week)…Yosemite…Wildly, Gary.” “Dear Shandel…I owe my poetry readings to you; for you introduced to me to Mr. Rexroth…Am all en-schooled, doing Japanese and a Seminar project on T’ang Buddhist poetry. Also auditing an Anthropology course called ‘Japanese Ethnology’ by a new man, Norbeck, whose study of a Japanese fishing-village [Takashima] just came out…Philip will be arriving soon. He & I will participate in a multiple-poet reading of our stuff at 6 Gallery [San Francisco]…”. [1959]: “The zazen sessions at Marin-an are carrying on…Claude Dalenburg is due to arrive in a week or so. Zazen seems to be the thing. Even in straightening out the confusions of relationships & blighting attempts at affection that I seem to involve in…That tall blonde girl Joanne