The Little Red Hen

The Little Red Hen (Larry Fagin & Anne Waldman)

(New York): The Little Red Hen Press, 1970.

First printing. (6) pp., 8.5 x 11 inches. Side-stapled into printed wrappers. Printed by mimeograph. One of ten signed and numbered copies, out of a total edition of fifty. Mild darkening and foxing to edges of cover, and with a small stain at the top of the last few pages (not affecting text), otherwise very good. Item #4601

A complaint, in the form of a series of short poems, about having to do all the work of publishing other poets (“I am the little red hen / I work my ass off / for all the poets // And what do I get? / A pat on the butt / when the sun goes down”). Various second-generation New York School poets are called out by animal aliases (“Ted the Bear” Berrigan, “Ron Giraffe” Padgett, etc.), while the Little Red Hen confirms that they will do the work themself. Attributed to Fagin and Waldman (copies signed by each of them have surfaced, including one signed by Waldman “aka the Little Red Hen”).

This is number 4 from the ten numbered copies, signed “Sincerely, L. R. Hen” (in two colors of ink). Uncommon.

Price: $250.00