Nine; a complete set Peter Russell, editor; Ezra Pound, T. S. Eliot, Charles Tomlinson, contributors

11 issues over 4 volumes; 42, 358, 392, 64pp.; 21.9 x 14.2 cm ish each. Coloured paper wrappers printed in black. Published London: Peter Russell, 1949 One of the post-war mags associated with Pound at a time where his usual correspondence consisted of wahl wot can YU do? and some, Peter Russell included, did. Publishing 11 issues between 1949 and 1956, Nine starts off with the intent of depersonalising the creative and critical process, more Eliotesque than Pound s method of personae, yet rocks the chiu3 ideogram (which means 9) to represent this. The desire for such a periodical in England at the time was clearly great, the Criterion having ended in 1939, and Nine quickly became stuffed with literary criticism all too causeless for my liking. Reproducing a contribution from His Satanic Majesty to sum it up: / DIVISION / 1. commercial pulp / 2. attempts to write (poetry or something or other) / 3. reading matter (of which there is very little) / H. S. M. A good set. Touch of damage to spine of Vol. II No. 4. Pencil marks to front cover of Vol. III No. 1, and a few leaves detached but in good condition in the same. Some loss to spine of Vol. III No. 2, covers lightly worn. Spine of Vol. III No. 3 faded with two small tears. Wraps of Vol. III No. 4 detached, present & complete, with a few thin breaks to spine. Light wear to front cover of Vol. IV No. 1. Wear to spine of Vol. IV No. 2. With the occasional pencil inscription, and a pen correction from 1880 to 1800 in Peter Russell s Editorial in Vol. 1 No. 1, presumably by the publisher. Could be salvaged into a very good set at not too great a cost. See Gallup variously from C1719 to C1732. This set has been digitised for [link removed by eBay] and will come with a little card that says so.