First printed in 1971 using letterpress and handbinding, this second printing is limited to 999 copies and is a digital facsimile of that first edition. The title poem by Ted Berrigan (1934-1983), the canonical New York School-Beat influenced poet, is subtitled 'February 18th, 1971: for Joe' dedicated to his friend the legendary poet-artist Joe Brainard (1942-1994). According to legend, the poem was written during a train ride on that date and has the momentum and rambling quality of the poet's musings during the journey.

"Train Ride, subtitled 'February 18th, 1971: for Joe' is a long poem in the tradition of Herodotus, Goethe, Laurence Sterne, Agatha Christie, & Blaise Cendrars — a poem of the travails & pleasures of travel, truly of the late 20th century in that its verbal events are more internal than external: ‘Out the Window / is / Out to Lunch!!’ — one of the results of the developments of industrial capitalism initiated by steam engine and rail-way ... Thus we have a great deal of hypothetical & remembered fucking, money, friendship — 'amistad' — and, indeed throughout, witty & precise meditation on the act of writing itself. The persona that emerges is the 'poet in the state of surprise' (Apollinaire), a saintly yet human figure, addressing us with wonderful Peruvian frankness: ‘I'd be a terrific Senator / because I'd love it’ ... The ‘Our Friends’ section is a marvelous catalog of prominence... One could go on cataloging the delights of the ride: one would be wiser to simply urge all who can run & read to take it, with Ted Berrigan, a Great Companion." — Anselm Hollo

7” tall x 5” wide, cover artwork by Joe Brainard, perfectbound softcover, 96 Pages

Published by Vehicle Editions