Description
Signed first edition of Words in the Mourning Time by Robert Hayden.
Octavo, 64pp. Green hardcover, title in gilt on spine. No additional printings listed on copyright page. Solid text block, a fine example. In the publisher’s dust jacket, $4.95 retail price on front flap, faint toning to top edge, a near fine example. Signed on the half-title: “For Nora, to thank her for that beautiful book – Bob.”
Robert Hayden (1913-1980) was an African American poet, essayist, and educator known for his profound works on personal identity. In 1976, Hayden became the first African American to be appointed as Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress, a position now known as the U.S. Poet Laureate. His celebrated works like “Those Winter Sundays” and “Middle Passage” along with numerous collections like “A Ballad of Remembrance” (1962) and “Angle of Ascent” (1975) have cemented his legacy as a significant figure in American literature.