Bukowski -- BSP et al

[mjp]

was BSP the first publisher to make these slightly different editions and sell them at premium prices?

Well I guess this would pre-date BSP:

 

[bospress.net]

Is this a reprint? What I mean is that this looks like an "Anniversary Edition". I have never heard that the true first of Howl had hardcovers, although I could be completely wrong.

Bill

REVISION. This book is from 1986 and is not a true 1st/1st. Still, I'm sure that others did it beofre BSP:

Book Description: Harper & Row: NY, 1986. 11.25 x 9, cloth, 194 pp, vg in slipcase. FIRST ED THUS. ONE OF 250 NUMBERED COPIES SIGNED BY GINSBERG. "Original draft facsimile, transcript and variant versions, fully annotated by author . . .". Bookseller Inventory # 97-0399

 

[weary.tune]

It's a later edition. The true first was published in October 1956. 1500 copies printed letterpress at Villiers Publications in London. Saddle-stitched paper wrappers printed in light blue.

Kerouac's Doctor Sax was published on April 30, 1959 by Grove Press in a trade hardcover edition and a paperbound edition, plus a deluxe limited edition of 26 lettered copies, and 4 signed copies numbered 1 through 4.

There was also a deluxe limited edition of The Subterraneans (March 5, 1958).

-wt

 

[mjp]

This book is from 1986 and is not a true 1st/1st. Still, I'm sure that others did it beofre BSP...

Ah, well, I got that off the beat museum site. There weren't any details about it. next to the pictures it just says, "asdasdasd."

The true first was published in October 1956. 1500 copies printed letterpress at Villiers Publications in London. Saddle-stitched paper wrappers printed in light blue.

Someone should tell wikipedia. ;) They say the first was from City Lights.

 

[Purple Stickpin]

next to the pictures it just says, "asdasdasd."

Forgive me if this is offensive, but all I could think of was "Allen sucks dick, Allen sucks dick, Allen sucks dick."

Now, that could be construed as offensive on my part, but I wouldn't be surprised if that's actually what they meant. BTW, I have Howl, The Fall of America, Kaddish and Planet News right here in front of me, and they are very good (well, except for some of the overly graphic stuff). I mean, the graphic stuff is still well-written, but not my cup of the old chai.

 

[ROC]

They didn't have anything to type and A, S and D are right next to each other on your keyboard and fall under your fingers.

Like this...
asdasdasdasdasdasdasdasdasdasd








PS - Allen sucks dick!

 

[weary.tune]

Ah, well, I got that off the beat museum site. There weren't any details about it. next to the pictures it just says, "asdasdasd."

Someone should tell wikipedia. ;) They say the first was from City Lights.

Published by City Lights, but printed in London.

-wt

 

[mjp]

Was there a sale on printing in London at the time? All the U.S. presses busy? Why would City Lights print in London and ship to SF/U.S.? Makes no sense at all.

Not saying it isn't so, just saying it sounds a bit insane. Unless it was sold in London before it was sold in SF which seems even more unlikely.

 

[weary.tune]

From 1956-1971 almost all of the books in the Pocket Poets Series published by City Lights were printed by Villiers in London. After they were printed they were shipped to SF. They were not sold in London before they were sold in SF. For all I know Ferlinghetti may have had a special deal with Villiers because, like you say, it doesn't make a lot of sense. With the publication of Kerouac's Scattered Poems in July 1971 City Lights went from letterpress to photo-offset (with a few exceptions). The Kerouac book was printed by Edwards Brothers in Ann Arbor.

-wt

 

[bospress.net]

Did having it printed in London have anything to do with problems having it printed in the US? Probably not as I suspect that no one, Ferlingheti included, ever expected it to blow up the way that it did (I'm talking about Howl). I can imagine that after this came out it was a great idea to not have them printed in the US as printers cold have been weary.

I have not read enough about this to know, but it is an idea.

Bill

 

[weary.tune]

Villiers specialized in small-press publications and was used to dealing with controversial materials. They only agreed to print Howl on the condition that certain words be replaced by asterisks in the text. Apparently Ferlinghetti only reluctantly agreed.

It was not the first time Ferlinghjetti had used the Villiers Press. Poems of Humor & Protest by Kenneth Patchen (#3 in the Pocket Poets Series - Howl was #4) was also typeset and printed by Villiers. It was published on July 1, 1956, about three months prior to the publication of Howl.

The first printing of Howl arrived in SF in Oct 56 without accident, while 520 copies of the second printing was seized by US customs in March 1957 and the battle began . . .

-wt

 

[Jason]

Oh and would I be correct in thinking that the new titles pamphlets are $25 a piece?

I was thinking $25 for the lot, but would be happy to take $25 each... I didn't look through them all, but assume that many have Bukowski titles mentioned. I think I have some dups too, so if there's any interest...

 

[Jason]

Here's what's left of the list.

Bukowski, Charles. BEERSPIT NIGHT AND CURSING (Santa Rosa: Black Sparrow Press, 2001) first edition, #489/500 copies, serigraph print bound in. Fine. $50

Bukowski, Charles. Dangling in the Tournefortia (Santa Rosa: Black Sparrow Press, 1981) first edition, hardcover, #178/350, signed. Fine (Krumhansl #71c). $250

Bukowski, Charles. Factotum (London: W.H. Allen, 1981) first British edition, hardcover. Fine. $40

Bukowski, Charles. Going Modern (Fremont, CA: Ruddy Duck Press, 1984) first edition, stapled wrappers, 1/500 unnumbered, comprises Vol.3, No.2, a special chapbook issue of ORO MADRE magazine, Bukowski poems: ENDURANCE"”THE OLD HELPING THE OLD"”SEE:ENDING"”THE IMPROBABLE PROBABILITY"”GARBAGE"”GOING MODERN. Fine (Krumhansl #92). $20

Bukowski, Charles. Horsemeat (Santa Barbara: Black Sparrow Press, 1982) first edition, hardcover, #60/125, signed by Bukowski and Michael Montfort, 20 original photographs hand-mounted throughout and one on front cover. Fine (Krumhansl #76). $1600

Bukowski, Charles. Horsemeat (Muich: Albrecht Knaus 1987) first edition thus, hardcover, German-language edition. Fine (see Krumhansl #76). $50

Bukowski, Charles. Hot Water Music (Tokyo: Shinjuku Shobo Co., 1993) first Japanese-language edition, hardcover. Fine. $35

Bukowski, Charles, and Linda King. Me and Your Sometimes Love Poems (Phoenix: Purring Press, 1999) third edition, stapled wrappers, #56/100, signed and dated by Linda King. Fine (see Krumhansl #42). $50

Bukowski, Charles. Poems Written Before Jumping Out of an 8 Story Window (Salt Lake City: Litmus, 1968) 3rd printing, paperback. Very Good (see Krumhansl #28). $150

Bukowski, Charles. Pulp (Santa Rosa: Black Sparrow Press, 1994) first edition, hardcover, #178/300, signed, serigraph print bound in, contains original BSP invoice. Fine (Krumhansl #139c) $250

Bukowski, Charles. Screams from the Balcony: Selected Letters 1960-1970 (Santa Rosa: Black Sparrow Press, 1993) first edition, hardcover, 1/735, Fine (Krumhansl #137b). $60

Bukowski, Charles. Septuagenarian Stew: Stories & Poems (Santa Rosa: Black Sparrow Press, 1990) first edition, hardcover, #181/225, signed, signed silkscreen print bound in. Fine (Krumhansl #114d) $350

Bukowski, Charles. Three by Bukowski (Santa Rosa: Black Sparrow Press, 1992) first edition, hardcover, trade issue 1/103. Fine (Krumhansl #131b) $150

Bukowski, Charles. Women (Tokyo: 1992) first Japanese-language edition, hardcover, two volumes. Fine. $40