WHEATLEY, Phillis

[Contemporary Excerpt and Advertisement for] Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral... [in] The London Chronicle

Newspaper issue removed from a bound volume. "From Thursday, September 16, to Saturday, September 18, 1773," Vol. XXXIV, No. 2617. Quarto. 8pp (pp. 273-280), text presented in three columns. Moderate wear and rubbing to p. 273, affecting a few letters of text, red tax stamp at the bottom of p. 276, slight wear along the sewn spine, overall a very good example. The majority of p. 277 is an extended advertisement for the publication of Phillis Wheatley's book, reprinting her owner John Wheatley's letter explaining the author's background, followed by the short poem "On being brought from Africa to America" and the long poem "Thoughts on the Works of Providence," both in their entirety. The text of the poems appears to be identical to that published in the book, though there are some variant punctuations and capitalizations. A very scarce contemporary printing, far scarcer than the book itself. Isani, "The Contemporary Reception of Phillis Wheatley: Newspaper and Magazine Notices during the Years of Fame," in The Journal of Negro History, vol. 85, no. 4 (Autumn, 2000), 260-273. Wilcox, "The Body into Print: Marketing Phillis Wheatley," in American Literature, vol. 71, no. 1 (March, 1999), 1-19. Nott, "From 'Uncultivated Barbarian' to 'Poetical Genius': The Public Presence of Phillis Wheatley," in Melus, vol. 18, no. 3, Poetry and Poetics (Autumn, 1993), 21-32.

[BTC #285390]