This book was edited by Raffaela Marzano and Sergio Iagulli. The latter contributed one introductory essay and David Meltzer the other. These long poems describing the 'hidden" encompass a period of 1972 to 2006. They began from Hirschman's reading of a work allegedly written by le Comte de St. Germain, a noted mystical personage whose legend is that since the 18th century he reppears ever young even to this day. The word "arcane" is derived from the Latin word Arcanum which means a place where occult or esoteric books or objects are preserved. The forms of the Arcanes are developed from sudden flashes of thoughts to a phrase or event to manifest the inner voices that Hirschman hears. A drawing by Hirschman accompanies 100 copies of this book (Sackner Archive copy). -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.