Author: (Loujon Press). Webb, Jon Edgar. Founder, with his wife Louise (Gypsy Lou), of Loujon Press (1960).
Title: Typed Letter Signed by Jon Webb, Founder, with His Wife Louise (Gypsy Lou), of Loujon Press.
Description: Tucson, AZ: May 13, 1967. 1967. - sc Small quarto [9-3/4 inches high by 8-1/2 inches wide]. 1-1/3 single-spaced typed pages on olive green Loujon Press letterhead. Dated "5/13/67". Boldly signed in red ink "Jon (& Louise) Webb". Folded twice for mailing. Near fine.

A wonderful letter addressed to a writer, in which Webb regrets that he cannot include the scripts which he has sent him in his literary review Outsider #4. Webb then launches into a poignant description of the terrible financial difficulties facing the press: "..We went broke doing a few books from going overboard on format, and now hope only from the Miller book to get a press to replace the one we've got which has done its last job. / We need an angel, and we know one will pop up eventually, but we need one now. We feel pretty sure we'll have enough to make the initial payment on the press, but there'll be a lot of paper, ink and new type, and other things that cost plenty, for we use the best stock in our printing, best everything. That always kills profit. / Rare book dealers are now making dough on our productions. Gotham Book Mart and others sell first 3 issues of the Outsider for 17.50 for the set of 3, and we're out of #1 and #3, so can't sell a set to any one.."

Jon Edgar and "Gypsy Lou" Webb founded the Loujon Press in the French Quarter of New Orleans in 1960. The press's literary review the Outsider was hailed by the Village Voice and the New York Times as one of the best of its day and featured such authors as Charles Bukowski, Allen Ginsberg, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Robert Creeley, Denise Levertov and Walter Lowenfels. Outsider #4, referred to in the letter, was eventually combined with Outsider #5 and was the last issue published. The press also published two collections of early poetry by Bukowski, and books by Henry Miller. The Miller book mentioned in the letter is "Insomnia", published in 1970. Fine .

Keywords: FINE PRESS; PUBLISHING; LOUJON PRESS; JON EDGAR WEBB; LITERARY REVIEW; OUTSIDER; TYPED LETTER SIGNED; TLS; T.L.S.; SIGNATURE; AUTOGRAPH.

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