Myths & Texts (1960) Signed First Edition Reference

Myths & Texts was published by Totem Press/Corinth Books in 1960, Snyder’s second collection following Riprap. The book is organized into three sections — “Logging,” “Hunting,” and “Burning” — that trace the relationship between human labor, the natural world, and spiritual transformation. The structure draws equally on Pacific Northwest indigenous mythology and Buddhist cosmology, creating a synthesis that would become Snyder’s signature mode.

The Book

The three sections correspond to three aspects of the human relationship with nature: “Logging” documents the destruction of old-growth forests through industrial logging (work Snyder had done himself); “Hunting” explores the predator-prey relationship as a form of communion with the animal world; and “Burning” addresses spiritual transformation through fire — both literal forest fire and the metaphorical burning-away of illusion.

The poem’s method is collage-like, weaving fragments of indigenous myth, Buddhist text, work experience, and natural observation into a densely layered whole. The influence of Pound’s Cantos is evident in the juxtaposition technique, but Snyder’s ecological consciousness and Buddhist framework give the work a coherence that Pound’s project lacks.

First Edition Identification

Publisher: Totem Press/Corinth Books, New York Publication date: 1960 Format: Paperback

Signed Copy Market Values

• Signed first edition: $400–$1,200
• Inscribed copies: $600–$1,500
• Unsigned first edition: $75–$200

Myths & Texts is increasingly recognized as one of the important American long poems of the twentieth century. Its ecological themes resonate powerfully with contemporary environmental consciousness, sustaining collector interest.