The Sweet Flypaper of Life
DeCarava, Roy and Langston Hughes. Hill and Wang, 1967 (1st Hill and Wang Ed.). Softbound. Cover design by The Group. 'A pioneering exercise in merging image and text,' according to critic Sean O'Hagan, this book was conceived after DeCarava took his portfolio of Harlem street photography to show the elderly Hughes, and the poet agreed to contribute a fictional text to accompany it. Simon and Schuster's original treatment of the material was disappointing to the photographer, who called it a 'puny little book that you actually could put into your back pocket', and it took a decade-plus for Hill and Wang to produce this slightly larger edition, which was released shortly after Hughes's death.
Tight, square spine has some sunning. Blacked-out former owner name to the half-title, but interior is else clean and unmarked. Some areas of gentle rubbing, toning, creasing, and edge-wear to the covers. 96 pp. Featured Rare & Collectible.
