The Alternative Press: Issues 7-19. 12 Issues incl. One Double Issue [WITH] 20 Years Anniversary Publication [COLLECTION OF 148 INDIVIDUAL RENDERINGS INCL. MULTIPLES, SOME SIGNED]
Grindstone City, Michigan: The Alternative Press, 1970/80s. First editions. Loose leaf. 1. Art Poetry Melodrama : 20 Years of The Alternative Press. The Detroit Institute of Arts. 1990. 20pp. Textured tan stiff wraps with illustrated typographical design in brown and red on covers. With foreword by Samuel Sachs III, director of the Detroit Institute of Arts. Illustrated contributions by Julia Henshaw, director of publications, and MaryAnn Wilkinson (folding), Associate Curator of Twentieth Century Art, both at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Full page illustrated biographical information of Ken and Ann Mikolowski. Centerfold color-illustrated with nine artistic renderings, credits on following page. Finally listings of "First Free Stuff (1969-71), including broadsides, postcards, bookmarks, and credits of written and artistic renderings included in issue No. 1 (1971) through 16 (1989). Last page with contribution by Robert Creely, from issue #3, Spring 1972. Inside back cover with information from the "Ongoing Michigan Artists Program (OMAP). Laid in ill. broadside calendar for the year 1980. This with some age-toning. Issue with light bumps to corners.
2. Twelve magazine issues Nos. 7 through 19, listed here, including one double issue, are all housed in postmarked manila envelopes, housing reproductions of literary and art contributions, including broadsides, postcards, multiple originals, bookmarks and bumper stickers, as described in detail for No. 7, representative for issues 7 through 16, checked against bibliographic info of Anniversary Issue. Contents of all works are protected by plain cardboard panels laid in. Illustration on postcards and broadsides rendered lithographically, type handset by Ken and Ann Mikolowski. All contain variant number of bookmarks. No, 7 described in detail, issues 8-16 with highlights, issues 17-19 in detail.
No. 7. The Alternative Press. Grindstone City Michigan. Envelope (9 x 12) with publisher's logo, address and "No. 7" printed to cover. Postmarked in Port Austin, stamped Third Class Mail. Contains twelve ephemera items protected by two plain cardboard panels: printed letter for Douglas Hall by Lyn Hejin, with Alternative Press logo at bottom; a poem by Gloria Dyc; an Alternative Press paper bumper sticker "Grindstone City. The little town with a great future behind it" with adhesive protected by paper; one of 500 postcards by Steve Foust with original artwork pasted to front; postcard "The Modified Educator Stared At His Shoe," lithograph by Ron Padgett & Glen Baxter; postcard "Mail Order Images" by Jim Nawara; postcard with printed text by George Tysh; postcard with seven comments by Maria Gitin; postcard with lithograph -Carl Andre, on the occasion of completing "Prime Terrane," Detroit, 9 JUN 76; postcard with poem and illustration by Robert Bly; postcard of Bruegel the Elder with contemporary imagery pasted to painting; and Alternative Press bookmark by Pat Nolan. Complete. 12 pieces with Carl Andre piece with offsetting from multiple, bumper sticker lightly age-toned.
No. 8. Postcard by Gerald Malanga "Poet in Transit / "Stopping the World," postcard multiples by Bill Berkson and Michael Mikolowski. broadsides by Dick Sweeney and John Alfaro, among others. Bumpersticker by William Matthews "New Hope for the Dead." Complete. 11 pieces with broadside by John Alfaro and bumper sticker with age-toning along edges.
No. 9. Missing multiple by Donna Brook. Includes postcard multiple by Barbara Greene "Woman by Pool - Franklin, Mich." Broadside "Punk Rock Your My Big Cry Baby" by Allan Ginsberg. Folded and illustrated announcement for "the cat approaches," a book of poems by Faye Kicknosway with drawings by Brenda Goodman. Bumpersticker "Recreation Wrecks The Nation" by Edward Dorn. 10 pieces in near fine to fine condition.
No. 10. Multiple by Marilyn Schechter "Ceramic, painting on embossed paper with mystical artifacts," two multiple postcards by Jim Gustafson and Faye Kicknosway, a folded, illustrated poem by Andrei Codrescu on heavy blue paper, a broadside by Allan Kornblum and Ann Mikolowski, and a Xerox Collage, Ten Michigans, by Ray Johnson. Complete. 12 pieces. Xerox Collage with age-toning along edges, else in find condition.
No. 11. Multiple postcards by Doug Semivan and Robert Sestok, five postcards, including one by Ted Berrigan, two folding contributions, and a broadside by Maureen Owen. Complete. 12 pieces in fine condition.
No. 12. Multiples "Battleship to Missouri," Alice Notley, Paul Schwarz, and Ken Mikolowski, five postcards, including Eileen Myles and Alice Notley, three broadsides, incl. "Remembered Poem" by Ted Berrigan on cardboard panel. Complete. 13 pieces. Alice Notely multiple with slight color offsetting along left side of verso. Paul Schwarz multiple with very light staining and age-toning on verso. Ken Mikolowski multiple with color offsetting to verso. Postcard by Elmsile & Tisa age-toned.
No. 13. Multiples by Carol Berge, Tom Clark, and Carl Schurer "Mounted Photographs." Broadside "I can't be Satisfied" by John Sinclair, the foldover "What He Wanted" by Faye Kicknowsway, and four postcards, incl. Robert Hershon and Donna Brook. Complete. 12 pieces. Carl Schurer multiple with age-toning and light staining, photo in fine condition. Tom Clark postcard and "The Association" bookmark with some light offsetting.
No. 14/15. Missing multiple originals "Untitled Photographs" by Brad Iverson, and "Lips and Stamps" by Lori Christmas tree. Multiples by Carl Schurer, "Photo strip bookmark, one of 500, Alice Notley, Ray DiPalma, Sally Young. Bumpersticker "I Saw Delight" by Robert Creeley, and bookmark by Allen Ginsberg, July 1983. 18 pieces in mostly fine condition. Ray Di Palma multiple with 1/2 by 1/4 inch offsetting at top and right edge of side with image.
No. 16. Missing Book announcement by Jim Gustafson and Bradley Jones. Multiples by Betty Brownlee, Rabbita Bunnita, and Bill Berkson. Bookmark "Shaker Show Now that is a chair I wouldn't want to sit in," and Found Object "Bad Axe Milk Bottle top." 12 pieces in very good to fine condition. Betty Brownlee multiple with light staining on mailer side. Kofi Natambu broadside with light crease at bottom left.
No. 17. This issue and Nos. 18 and 19 with mailing address Ann Arbor, Michigan. Multiple by Robert Creeley 257/500, a postcard novel by Faye Kicknosway, postcards by Jim Gustafson, Victor Hermandez Cruz, Maureen Owen, Robert Creeley (Moral), Pat Smith ("Silence" for Robert Kelley), announce for book of poems by Ken Mikolowski, a gray handmade paper-fold with poetry by Dennis Teichman and a collage by Paul Schwarz on cover, two broadsides by Paul Hoover and Anne Waldmann, a broadside 1991 calendar, illustrated by Ann Mikolowski, a bumper sticker and a bookmark. 14 pieces in fine condition.
No. 18. Multiples by Edward Elmslie "Call Me Ishkabibble A Festschrift for Lavinia Sanchez; no. 129 of 150, signed Kenward Elmslie on verso, Stephen Magsig postcard untitled, signed Magsig #24, 11-30-90, and John Yau titled "500 Fortunes by John Yau," numbered 24/500 by hand and signed John Yau on front. Recipe postcard by Glen Baxter "Plus Four Soup Stir liquid briskly with left knee," and Christine Monhollen "Capturing Silence," plus three additional postcards with poetry by Alise Alousi, Maria Gitin, and Jim Harrison, the latter four illustrated by Ann Mikolowski. A slightly larger Postcard on yellow stiff paper board by Ken Mikolowski with "Fear Art" on front. A broadside 1993 calendar on cream handmade paper, illustrated by Ann Mikolowski. a double page poetic rendering by Donna Brook, "Spontaneous Combustion" on folding art paper. One of the protective cardboard panels with poem by Derke Miller and illustration by Ann Mikolowski. Three bumper stickers by Bob Holman, Jim Pallas, and Ed Sanders. Two gallery postcards for art by Ann (Ann Arbor) and Michael Mikolowski (Chicago) laid in (More likely not part of the officially complied collection for subscribers). 17 pieces in fine condition.
No. 19. Multiples by Jim Gustafson (with some staining), Robert Sestok, Robert Tucker (Acid Garden–Cocoon Series), larger postcard "You Are Drunk" by Ken Mikolowski, seven postcards, including by Archie Rand & John Yau, unidentified artist with title "Champ Dust Spinoff," Ken Mikolowski, Glen Armstrong, Robert Hershon, Allan Ginsberg ("In The Benjo"), and Eliot Weinberger. Three broadsides by Clayton Eshleman, Jamey Gordon, and Keith Taylor, illustrated by Ann Mikolowski. Illustrated (Sherry Hendrick) folding paper with text by Lolita Hernandez, 1995 calendar, illustrated by Ann Mikolowski, bumper sticker by Diane di Prima (Blame God), and bookmark. 17 pieces in fine condition.
Laid in two postcards, one from Feigenson Gallery, and one announcement card for publication announcement Bradley Jones/Jim Gustafson. Envelopes of issues 7 and 17 in disrepair but with full publisher's print, else occasional tears. Light staining to few of the multiples. Good- to very good+ condition. Item #49701
The Alternative Press was a literary and artistic small press started in Detroit in 1969 by Ken and Ann Mikolowski. The press initially focused on publishing the work of Detroit artists and later became international in scope. The collection documents the press's management and publication processes, including those for its acclaimed subscription mailings, which contained poetry, bookmarks, bumper stickers, drawings, paintings, collages, and postcards. (University of Michigan).
Price: $4,500.00