VERBAL ABUSE #4: SEX AND MACARONI (First Edition)
Verbal Abuse, 1995. VERY SCARCE! Verbal Abuse was a literary quarterly for the culturally jaded, published from 1993-1995. It began in 1993 at New York's Jackie 60 nightclub and grew out of its monthly reading series. Contributions from Charles Gatewood, Diamanda Galas, Ned Sonntag, John Giorno, Michael O'Donoghue, Annie Sprinkle, Kenny Scharf, McDermoot and McGough, and more. A cheerful literary hodgepdge that embraces S&M, fetishes galore, body modification, gender bending, and ads for Badgley Mischka. And yes, that is Amanda Lepore doing the Jayne Mansfield bit (in younger days, before she got too carried away onher plastic surgery journey). Note: Chi Chi Valenti, Jackie 60 producer, is still going strong, fighting the good fight to keep New York nightlife bizarre and surprising. Check out www.mothernyc.com if you dare.
CONDITION: A bit of wear along top and bottom edges of cover. One tiny closed tear bottom front cover. Otherwise, like new condition. $50

VERBAL ABUSE #1 (First Edition)
Verbal Abuse, Summer 1993. Paperback with plastic cover. VERY SCARCE. The first issue of this eclectic and exuberant poetry journal of the night. Only 1000 copies of this issue were produced. (And I'm sure some got lost in a co-ed bathroom or stomped on by a stiletto.) Terence Sellers 'A Few Acid Writings'; David Aaron Clark 'Piss Take'; Bobby Miller 'My Life As I Remember It'; Haoui Montaug 'The Doorman Poem'; Max Blagg 'From Here to Maternity'; Richard Hell and Cookie Mueller 'Life Among The Alert Of Europe'. Also Lady Kier, Maggie Estep, and an ad for Barney's. Note: Chi Chi Valenti has announced a revival of Verbal Abuse. #5 was supposed to come out in 2007, but no sign of it so far.
CONDITION: Some shelfwear to cover. Otherwise, excellent condition. $40

THE MERRY MUSES OF CALEDONIA by Robert Burns, Edited by James Barke (First American Edition)
G.P. Putnam, 1964. 224 pages. A collection of bawdy folksongs, ancient and modern, written and gathered by Robert Burns in the last several years of his life. Naughty peasant folk songs not for the entire family! Robert Burns, the well-respected Scottish Bard, was fascinated by these dirty ditties. "The Merry Muses" were banned in both the UK and America until the 1960's. Today, the Burns Heritage Centre sells CD's of the songs including "Nine Inches Will Please a Lady" and "How Can I Keep My Maidenhead?" Very entertaining, although you may be stumped by words like houghmagandie.
CONDITION: Shelfwear and scrapes to dustjacket. A number of taped repairs upper edge of front cover of dj. Taped repair base of spine of dj. Fading to dj spine. Price in pencil right side of front endpaper. Interior is clean with no marks. $10

THE DOLPHIN'S SKIN: SIX STUDIES IN ECCENTRICITY by James Turner (First Edition)
Cassell and Company, London, 1956. 218 pages. Profiles of some delightful British eccentrics. The six subjects are: Margaret, Duchess of Newcastle (wrote the first book of science fiction authored by a woman), Edmund Hickeringill (litigation loving cleric), William Jennens (infamous miser), Jack Gainsborough (the painter's toy-inventing brother), Richard Rigby (architecture enthusiast) and Edward Fitzgerald (poetic recluse).
CONDITION: Small chips and wear to top and bottom edges of dustjacket. One-inch tear upper right of back of dj. Embossed stamp of previous owner inside right endpaper. Pencil price upper right inside right endpaper. Interior pages clean with no marks. $8

THAT GIRL IN YOUR MIRROR by Vonda Kaye Van Dyke (First Edition)
Fleming H. Revell, New Jersey, 1966. 123 pages. Vonda Kaye Van Dyke (a most excellent names!) was Miss Arizona 1964 and Miss America 1965. In this helpful volume she "talks sense to every girl on popularity, poise, faith, dating, goals, and individuality." Miss Van Dyke is very proud of the fact that she was unique among Miss Americas in that she was also voted Miss Congeniality. I am more impressed with the fact that her "talent" was ventriloquism. There is a Christian bent to this self-help guide, as she advises teens to adopt that "inner sparkle that only Christ can give." Remember that "God will always see your real beauty, no matter what you do to cover it up, but who else has His kind of eyes?" So there are some makeup tips as well.
CONDITION: A few tiny tears and a bit of rubbing to the dustjacket. Pencil price interior front endpaper. Interior pages clean and crisp. Overall excellent condition. $8