Hardcover. 8vo. 445 pp. Orange boards, quarter black cloth, gold lettering to spine. Dj in fine condition with light toning and small stain to rear.  Signature of ownership of Frank Bidart on the half title page and seven pages with notes or markings.

This is an notable volume from the library of the important American poet Frank Bidart, who received the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, the Griffin Poetry Prize Lifetime Recognition Award, and the 2017 National Book Award for Poetry for his book Half-light: Collected Poems 1965–2016. This book is dedicated to "Ludwig Biswanger, Explorer in Existential Analysis," and includes his influential work "The Case of Ellen West," which was a springboard for one of Bidart's most celebrated poems, "Ellen West."

A dramatic monologue exploring the complex and tumultuous relationship a woman has with her body, identity, and the societal expectations that weigh upon her, Bidart's poem presents Ellen's internal struggles as she grapples with her desire to be thin and the conflicting emotions surrounding her love for food. Structured in eleven parts, the poem alternates between Ellen's introspective musings and clinical observations from her physician, creating a stark contrast between her personal turmoil and the detached medical perspective on her deteriorating health.