Description
Signed first edition of Selected Poems by Robert Hayden.
Octavo, 79pp. Full green cloth, title in gilt on spine. Stated “First Edition” on copyright page. Solid text block, touch of rubbing to corners. In the publisher’s dust jacket, $4.50 retail price on front flap, thin line of toning to top edge, some shelf wear, a bright example. Inscribed by the author on the half-title: “For Jack on his day. ‘The best is yet to be’ / Bob / September 25, 1969.”
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.
