Ed. Ron Padgett & David Shapiro. 
 
Random House: 1970. First Printing. Hardcover in a jacket. Octavo. Jacket has small tears on the corners of the folds of the panels, on the crown and heel of the spine, and along the top and bottom of the jacket. Red of the type on the back panel is smeared. Jacket is price-clipped. Folds down the front flap of the jacket. Corners of the boards are bumped. A little scuffing on the boards as well. A few small stains on the edges of the text block. On the first free endpaper, someone took scissors to the page and cut out a small rectangle. Light pencil checkmarks next to several poem titles or lines, but most don't have this. 587 pages. Very good. 
 
The accomplishment of this book - small books of poetry from twenty-seven of the New York School of Poets collected - was given the editorial work it needed by two poets included in this anthology. For that, the drawings and cover design by Joe Brainard, and its truly great poetry, this has become a prize for American poetry collectors. 
 
“New York needs all kinds of help at the present time, and if the work of these twenty-seven poets can help the city of New York to survive a little longer, then let that city and all its inhabitants rejoice that it has sheltered poets of such strength and diversity, and let the population lift up its voice in gratitude and praise.”