Rare LONG SHOT VOL 1-6 1982-1987 Zine Poetry/Fiction/Art Punk Magazine Z01

  

Listing is for a set, volumes 1-6 (6 books in total) of Long Shot Poetry Magazine. Long Shot made its debut in early 1982, but the idea and planning of the first issue took place in 1980. Cofounders Eliot Katz and Danny Shot saw the need for a raw, fresh, and thoroughly exuberant forum for writers who did not fit into the literary mold of the early 1980's. They shared a desire to publish some of the young, exciting writers they had recently been reading and meeting. In addition, Shot remembers personally feeling a level of frustration from the lack of accessibility to literary magazines of the time: "I was just looking at another rejection slip from some magazine I desperately wanted to be published in when the thought came into my head - we can do it, and we can do it better, " Shot recalls thinking.

An impressive and perfect-bound literary magazine mixing younger writers with more well-known ones, and taking care to include a selection of local poets. Production expenses were kept to a minimum. Katz got a job at a print shop, and along with a few sympathetic co-workers printed the first issue on a few small offset printing presses.

Text and captions were cut out with exacto knives and pasted down. Katz and Shot collated the loose pages and brought the magazines to Brooklyn where they were bound. Long Shot #1 opens with a poem by Shot which begins Drink liquor until your liver swells to the size of a football.

Long Shot #1 features poetry by Susie Timmons, Alicia Ostriker, Richard Hell, Eileen Myles, Kevin Hayes, James Ruggia, Allen Ginsberg, as well as Long Shot regulars Andy Clausen, Katz, Shot, and Robert Press. Only 500 copies have been published. Volume #2 came out a year later and features original poetry by Amiri and Amina Baraka, Jim Carrol, Ray Bremser, Antler, Jeff Poniewaz, Janet Cannon, photos by Deborah Troeller, an interview with William Burroughs, more work by Katz, Shot, Clausen and Press, as well as the Long Shot debut of future editor Jack Wiler.

Long Shot #3 features 7 drawings by Brandi Merolla, an artist who was a regular contributor to the early issues of Long Shot. 3 also featured unpublished poems by Allen Ginsberg, Gregory Corso, Tom Waits and up-to-then unpublished poems by Jack Kerouac. Long Shot #3 also marks the Long Shot debut of Charles Bukowski. Volume 3 opens up with 5 poems by Bukowski. Long Shot #4 appeared in 1986.

And features an all-star cast including: Amiri Baraka, Charles Bukowski, Marianne Faithful, Allen Ginsberg, Richard Hell, Alicia Ostriker, Mary Shanley, Tom Waits as well as the Long Shot debut of Pedro Pietri. Volume 4 also contains 8 drawings by Brandi Merolla.

Volume 5 and Long Shot were saved from an early demise was the poetry of actor Sean Penn. Shot had read an article in The N. Daily News poking fun at Sean Penn's attempts at writing poetry. Shot looked at the poems in the paper and liked what he saw. 5 begins with 7 poems by Sean Penn. #5 also features work by Bukowski, Diane Wakoski, Eileen Myles, and Cookie Mueller. Volume #6 features poetry by June Jordan, Allen Ginsberg, Amiri Baraka, Antler, Lorri Jackson and Leaping Lanny Poffo, the Poet Laureate of Wrestling. And sure enough his poems are about wrestling. Volume 6 also brought Michael Cote into the fold. Cote worked as computer whiz and production manager since that time. Items pictured are not the exact set you will receive and should be used as a reference. All books are in considerably good condition considering their age. It appears some books have never been opened (perfect spines). Some discoloring and/or staining on the front & back covers may be present. Very minor scratches may appear on some covers. As they are estate finds, I do my best to accurately list and describe each item. I implore you to conduct your own independent research prior to purchasing in addition to contacting me with any questions. Please examine photos thoroughly as they are part of the description.