What's the deal on these New Year's Greetings? (1 Viewer)

[LickTheStar]

I'm curious as I've seen a bunch of them for sale on the cheap over at ABE and the Collecting Bukowski site has a good chunk of 'em (maybe all of 'em) scanned to show off the covers...

Are these short collections of poems that have appeared in the rest of the BSP collection, or are these rarities that only appeared in the Greetings? And while I'm at it, how many of them were there?

Bonus question: How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?

Thanks in advance fellas, you fountains of information, you kings of the interweb.

 

[1fsh2fsh]

yes,no,lots,how big is the pin?

 

[ROC]

The later NYGs print several of Buks poems (all collected elsewhere). The earlier ones just had a single poem in them (also collected elsewhere - usually in a book of poetry from around the same time). They were distributed free to 'friends' of the Black Sparrow Press every year.
They used to be beautifully produced, but the last 10 or so look pretty ordinary in my opinion.


Oh, and.....7

 

[Purple Stickpin]

The first one, to my knowledge, was "If We Take," published in December 1969 for New Years 1970. So, there was one produced each year from then until about 2002, give or take. As far as I know, all of these poems appeared in print in regular editions from BSP.

As far as value, the copies in paper wraps range from ~$15-$25. Numbered or lettered hard-bound in boards copies are about ~$30-$40 (these became somewhat more common in more recent years). Signed copies are about $100-$175, depending on rarity (some of the earliest versions did not have a hardcover edition, such as "If We Take"). Then again, you might score a deal on ebay, if you get lucky.

 

[LickTheStar]

Thanks for the info. Man... About 32... Well, I'll certainly be busy trying to collect most\all of them...

 

[chronic]

Not all of the New Years Greetings were by Bukowski.

1971: David Bromige, Robert Kelly & Diane Wakoski (A Christmas Greeting)
1972-1974: Diane Wakoski
1977: Diane Wakoski (though I'm not sure about this since I thought that "Art" was the '77 NYG)
1980: Charles Olson
1981: Wyndham Lewis

1975 and '78: I don't know if these were by other authors or if BSP just skipped those years. Maybe someone here knows?

 

[bospress.net]

Many years had multiple releases of NYGs by different authors. What I'm saying is that if you are looking to collect NYGs and go beyond Bukowski, you cannot count on one author/title per year.

Also, BSP did Christmas Greetings....

Bill

 

[MULLINAX]

What? Now I've got to get those too!

 

[LickTheStar]

Well right now my BSP collecting is limited to Buk and Fante... So hopefully I only have to dig up SOME of those NYGs, not ALL... More great info, though, thanks.

Christmas Greetings, New Year's... What is this madness?

 

[mjp]

The early letterpressed, hand sewn copies are nice to have, but I eventually got rid of all but a couple of mine (I still have the one he shared with Diane Wakoski - 1976? - because it's a beautiful production, and also a copy of "Art").

The later ones though strike me as throw-away afterthoughts, and are for the completist only. If you have to own everything Bukowski, knock yourself out. But those NYG's leave me a little empty. Especially the hardcover, signed, numbered, dipped in holy water and wrapped in gold leaf bullshit editions.

</end rant>

 

[ROC]

Especially the hardcover, signed, numbered, dipped in holy water and wrapped in gold leaf bullshit editions.

Oh shit!
I must have missed those.
Where do I dump my money?!


It's true. The later editions of NYGs (from 'Between the earthquake... onwards) are a less than an impressive deal.
Of course Buk was dead by this stage, so presumably the motivation to produce beautiful, solid little hardbacks was missing.
But prior to 1994 some were well worth the $.
Think 'If you let them kill you...' and 'In the morning, and at night and in between' (89 & 91).

These...
http://collectingbukowski.com/nyg/nyg89.html
http://collectingbukowski.com/nyg/nyg91ltrd.html

They're prettier than some girls I've slept with.

Oh dear.

 

[matlock]

Go for "Art" that's my favorite.
And don't forget to get one with the original envelope.

 

[Ponder]

I've only a few copies of Those Marvelous Lunches because of undermentioned reason. It also reminds me sometimes of a certain mortality.

300 copies have the Small Press Distribution / Amsterdam / 1993 imprint on the titlepage. (Krumhansl.)