Monster

Melbourne: Melbourne Radical Feminists, No date.
Australian Pirate Edition.

17cm x 11cm. [iv], 86 [=88] pages, black and white illustrations. Loose in illustrated wrappers.

American radical feminist Robin Morgan’s first book of poems, originally published by Random House in 1972. The title poem, ‘Monster’, quickly became one of the best-known poems of the women’s liberation movement, with the collection selling thirty thousand copies in its first six months. Its most controversial poem, ‘Arraignment’, accused Ted Hughes of complicity in Sylvia Plath’s death through his infidelity and alleged violence. Although Morgan revised the poem before publication, Hughes threatened legal action. Without informing Morgan, Random House agreed to withdraw the book from Commonwealth markets in return for Hughes dropping the matter. Feminist presses across the Commonwealth responded with unauthorised ‘pirate’ editions, most produced with Morgan’s blessing. The first appeared in Canada and followed shortly after by editions in Australia and New Zealand. Each varied in content: some carried graphics by women artists, others photographs of Plath, others, as here, both versions of ‘Arraignment’. This Australian edition includes illustrations and a bibliographical preface by Melbourne Radical Feminists.

The staples cleanly removed, else very minor general wear. Very Good Condition.

AU$150