{"product_id":"the-orchid-stories-by-kenward-elmslie","title":"The Orchid Stories by Kenward Elmslie","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003eA little-known classic of twentieth century queer literature and a masterpiece of eccentric detail, poet Kenward Elmslie’s only novel \u003ci\u003eThe Orchid Stories \u003c\/i\u003epresents us with interwoven stories as delicate and exquisite as the flowers for which they are named, conveying a dreamlike, otherworldly beauty.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eKenward Elmslie (1929–2022)\u003c\/b\u003e was a radical poet, artist, performer and librettist. An important figure of the New York School of poets and artists, he was the author of numerous books of poetry in his lifetime, as well as plays, opera librettos, and his only novel, \u003ci\u003eThe Orchid Stories.\u003c\/i\u003e The latter was first serialised by \u003ci\u003eThe Paris Review\u003c\/i\u003e in the late 1960s and published together as a novel in 1973, remaining out of print for decades. Alongside his own work, he also edited \u003ci\u003eZ Press\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eZ Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e, promoting the work of fellow poets, including John Wieners,  Bernadette Mayer, John Ashbery and Anne Waldman. From 1963, he was the life partner of the poet and artist Joe Brainard, living and working closely alongside one another until the latter’s death from AIDS in 1994. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePaperback \/ 261 pages\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Bookish Type","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56362493837693,"sku":null,"price":12.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0264\/0891\/0933\/files\/orchidstories_611a8935-5cd0-46fc-8403-b2d02c716fc9.webp?v=1751641672","url":"https:\/\/thebookishtype.pro\/products\/the-orchid-stories-by-kenward-elmslie","provider":"The Bookish Type","version":"1.0","type":"link"}