Portions From a Wine-Stained Notebook (2 Viewers)

My wife is always threatening to throw my Bukowski books in the trash ...

not to sound harsh, but maybe it helps to remind her, that only dictators destroy books.
this is NO polemic! history shows, it's true. people only often aren't aware of this fact.
 
not to sound harsh, but maybe it helps to remind her, that only dictators destroy books.
this is NO polemic! history shows, it's true. people only often aren't aware of this fact.

Ha! No comment...

(she rules with an iron fist but I go along with that so it's not really a dictatorship).

I got the alert from City Lights and once I saw that the shipping problem was being addressed, placed my hardcover order. A great deal compared to the paperback price, and those 1,000 copies will be gone in a flash, I imagine.
 
Hey guys:

It sounds like things are starting to straighten themselves out--thanks for bearing with us! I hope people love the book, as it was a real joy to work on.

Thank you, too, to planahea & father luke for their congratulations--I was an "editorial assistant" at the beginning of this project but they upped my title this season to "editor," which is exciting. I think the continuing success of Portions helped make this decision!

I'll keep checking in on this thread to see how things are going or feel free to send me a private message here if there are any particular questions.

Garrett
 
That's quite an honor -- to be an editor at City Lights, and an editor of a Bukowski book. You should be very proud of that. Thanks for helping bring this book out.
 
I signed up for the alert for both. I got the alert for the wrappers edition, but not the hard cover. Thanks to y'all, I heard about the HC availibility. Now, hearing about the packing, I'm wondering. Just wondering...
 
I received my 2 hardcovers today. Both in perfect condition.

I also received all my alerts - left 2 e-mails to make sure - and received alerts on both.

Very happy!!!
 
I also received my alerts for the wrapper and the hard cover.

I just hope that the hard cover I ordered arrives in perfect condition...
 
Hi,
Mine arrived. I see what some others were talking about. My corners were a bit dinged. I can live with it. The funny thing is that the shipping department had all of the tools at hand to make it perfect. All they had to do is tape the top and bottom of the bubble wrap tight. They wrapped it loose three times in bubble wrap, but left it to flop around in the packing. If they just taped the bubble wrap tight, that would not happen and it would cost nothing more to do it. Just another 15 seconds on the packing side.

Either way. I'm happy enough with my copy and happy as hell that you guys decided to publish this in HB.

Best,
Bill
 
My corners were a bit dinged. I can live with it. The funny thing is that the shipping department had all of the tools at hand to make it perfect. All they had to do is tape the top and bottom of the bubble wrap tight. They wrapped it loose three times in bubble wrap, but left it to flop around in the packing. If they just taped the bubble wrap tight, that would not happen and it would cost nothing more to do it. Just another 15 seconds on the packing side.
Pretty much the same thing here. It looked like they threw my books in and then tossed some bubble wrap on top. Both of my copies have identical "damage" to the upper left corner of the book and DJ, and to the bottom of the DJ on the spine. But, it is pretty minor, and may just be how they came from production.
 
My UPS guy has softer hands. Mine is in perfect condition the only flaw was when he rang the doorbell the corgi went nuts.
I wish you all good luck and happiness.
 
damn man, how does a book get to Australia before North Carolina? Mine better come today or I'm gonna pass out from holding my breath!

Ah yes ... not exactly Australia.

Due to the crazy postage costs - had the books sent to my sister in US - who will on send to me. I asked her to check them and show them to me on skype.

So still waiting to have them in my hands ...
 
Ah yes ... not exactly Australia.
I get a little anxious sometimes. you know, like when I've got a new Bukowski book coming. got it today, all but perfect condition. (the slightest of one bumped corner) sure feels good in my hands.
 
Mine WAS here today, but I missed the delivery and apparently I have to sign for it. Damn it. Ah well, I can wait, I've got plenty more to read now anyhow.
 
Got my hardcover quick, and it was well packaged, wrapped in bubble and in a thick padded envelop. One corner bumped, but not bad. I'm guessing these corner flaws may be the way the books came from the printer/binder. You can open a carton of brand new books from a publisher and they will sometimes have minor damage. Dings and scrapes. Maybe the guys in the warehouse aren't careful with them. Anyway, it was minor on my copy, not a problem, and it's a beautifully produced book. Nice cloth binding, thick strong attractive jacket. City Lights did a great job on these. I'm happy as hell to have a copy.
 
Portions

You people are causing me great angst. My two copies have to travel coast to coast and are due to arrive on the 9th. I sure hope the bindings are still attached to the signatures upon arrival. :rolleyes:
 
Here's a book shipping horror story to keep you occupied during the long wait. I ordered an almost out of print small press chapbook, one of the last remaining copies. It was packed in a stiff cardboard envelop, no padding. At the post office it got stuck in some sorting machine and a wheel of some kind (to keep the books moving along a conveyor belt?) ground down into the package, through the cardboard, through the book's cover, and into a dozen pages -- thankfully all in the margin area, so the book was still readable. I kept it. If I hadn't read it, would it qualify as mint/as-new? Not that you should worry about City Lights. Their package looks too thick to go through whatever chewed up my chapbook.
 
I got my hard cover today! All four "corners" on the spine was bumped, worst at the bottom, and the upper right corner on the front cover was bumped too. The front cover bump was not too bad and I managed to straighten it out somewhat. The four spine bumps cannot be straightened out. They're not extreme but they are noticeable. Oh, well, it could have been worse...

It's a great book! It has lot's of interesting stuff! Our own cirerita is mentioned in the acknowledgments - "...Bukowski scholar extraordinaire, who brought to my attention several superb and undiscovered stories and essay."
Very nice!

Thanks a lot, David, Garret, City Lights and everybody who contributed, inc. our own cirerita, for producing a great Bukowski book!
 
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I have received my copy today , and it
is quite damaged. The two top corners are bumped and the top of the spine as well.
Of course I am happy holding a copy of a book we have all been waiting for but also disappointed.

I am thankful to City Lights for producing a hard cover of Portions....

Let me know if you need a packer.
 
It seems a number of copies of Portions were damaged in transit due to packing issues, for which you have our humble apologies.

If you received a damaged copy of Portions, please send an email with your order number to [email protected]. They should be able to remedy the situation.

Again, our apologies--we want you all to be happy with this book!
Still hoping mine will be okay.

:eek:
 
Great news! The two hardcover copies of Portions... arrived here today in excellent (Very Fine) condition. They were packed in a reused Random House box with bubble wrap on the top, bottom and all four sides of the two stacked books. I was concerned that the dust jackets might be rubbed as there was no paper or packing between the two stacked volumes, but they are undamaged. Whew! I feel relieved and grateful to the CLB shipping department and UPS.
 
Book delivery, Take 2

When my first copy arrived last week, I told everyone that it looked like someone had been banging the corners with a hammer. I sent it back to City Lights, and I'm happy to say that I received a new copy today that was in perfect condition. This time it arrived triple bubble-wrapped in a box. Many thanks to Garrett and everyone there, I couldn't be happier with both the book and their service.
 
so I got mine today. the package was wrapped in a clear bag from Canada Post with a note basically saying "we received it this way." inside the bag, the paper envelope had a 4 inch slash and the stuffing/insulation paper was everywhere. it looked like a poorly homemade snow globe.
cursing, I open up this mess, peel back the bubble wrap, blow off the insulation dust crap and fuck me, the book is in almost perfect condition. slight ding to one corner.
heh.
 
Hello all:

Just checking back in; it sounds like things are better regarding the shipping situation. Again, anyone who has a damaged copy is invited to email [email protected] with their order number and the staff will take care of the situation.

Thanks again--the book seems to be doing well so far, getting reviews, and so forth. I think it'll be one of our bestsellers.

Just to whet everyone's appetite: it's looking like there'll be a second volume of uncollected pieces (keep your fingers crossed). Probably not before 2010, as we need to give Portions a little room to breathe, as it were. But, as ever, we'll keep Bukowski.net in the loop when that starts to happen.

Regards,
Garrett (from City Lights)
 
i received mine last week in tip top shape. great job on the book city lights!

i really enjoyed the story on page 188, "just passing time".
 
Just to whet everyone's appetite: it's looking like there'll be a second volume of uncollected pieces (keep your fingers crossed). Probably not before 2010, as we need to give Portions a little room to breathe, as it were. But, as ever, we'll keep Bukowski.net in the loop when that starts to happen.

Excellent news, even if it is a bit off. But that's ok, I'm still going through my Buk backlog. Amazing to think that there might be even more out there that still isn't collected.

Well of course, there's those couple "untouchable" stories out there, I suppose. But I doubt they'd make it in.
 
Garrett,

That's great news about a volume two in the future. It's a very attractive book -- I've been too busy since it arrived to actually read any of it yet, but it always takes me a while with new books.
 
glad to hear good things about this book. I guess I'm out of the loop on this one because I havent been spending everY waking minute on here like I used to. WHO GOT CITY LIGHTS TO PRINT A HARDCOVER??????? AND ALSO, WHY DIDNT I GET A REVIEW COPY????? :) *cough*cough*hint*hint* damn city lights prOOoff lady. just because I don't have any published works doesnt mean I can't write reviews. I NEED THAT BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Henry Chinaski did start the campaign to get a Hard cover. So I would think City Lights would reward an up and coming student of the arts like Henry Chinaski (R Zirk) He's less than half my age and has read more Bukowski than me.
Thank you for getting the Hardcover. Garrett too.
 

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