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Incredible archive of rare Charles Bukowski autographs, books, and ephemera, highlighted by a total of 61 items signed by Bukowski—including 23 signed books and publications, 24 signed photographs, seven TLSs with writing (and drinking!) content, one ALS, and an early, hand-drawn poster for his first-ever "public demolition" poetry reading in 1969.
Highlights include:
- an early TLS by Bukowski, signed "Hank," with large hand-drawn sketch of a dog, signed "Buk," one page, 8.5 x 11, December 8, [no year, c. 1969]. In part: "Dear Frank or whoever is in charge—As you must guess by now, we have gotten our dates mixed-up and the Dec. 18th and 19th poster now hanging in your window isn't any good—it is for a Thursday and Friday, and we, or somebody, thought Dec. 18 and 19 was Friday and Saturday. But the dates are Dec. 19th and 20th, 9:30 p.m….so I have drawn up 3 new posters—so will you please take the old one down and put up one or two of these new ones? My thanks…All right, it's a mixup, but I will arrive around 9:15 p.m. each night whether there's anybody there or not." Includes a colorfully hand-drawn poster accomplished in Bukowski's hand on a 9 x 12 sheet: "Bukowski will give his First Public Demolition Poetry Readings here Dec's 19 + 20 9:30 P.M.—Different Rantings Each Nite! One $!" Also includes a 14.5 x 11.25 manila envelope addressed in Bukowski's hand: "From Bukowski, To The Bridge—Urgent, Open Immediately!"
- an early handwritten poem on both sides of a torn section of manila envelope, in full: "The Peter, / O, the Peter, / My Peter, Bonnie's / Peter, Our Peter, / Glorious, Forever, / Ours, Our Love, Our / Laughter, Our Good and / Bad Times, / Together, / Love, / Charles Bukowski, 12-26-70."
- three TLSs by Bukowski, all signed "Hank," two with his self-portrait caricature drawing and one with a sketch of a bird and sun at the top, dated October 2, 1982–February 12, 1983, all to his publisher, John Martin of the Black Sparrow Press, enclosing partial drafts of his manuscript for a 21-page section of an unpublished novel, Streetwalker. In the first letter, Bukowski relates: "I've been ill 3 or 4 days with either the flu or a bad cold. So, I haven't been drinking—or writing. And the liver got a test. So, here's chapter II of the proposed novel Streetwalker. Listen, on chapter I (the one you thought was a short story, please eliminate last line of chapter, page 5. Now, new last line should be clarified…Got the flyers on Horsemeat. Really nice. $150 is much but i read somewhere that rare books escalate more than diamonds or any other kind of holdings. You can't tell. In ten years these books might go for $500 or a grand…By tonight I should be back, hopefully, at this machine again, wine bottle uncorked, and maybe with a new typewriter ribbon." On October 12th, he continues: "I thought I was over my cold, went on a bindge, it came back and I was laid low for some days. I think I'm over it now… Here's more on Streetwalker. I'll keep it going as long as it interests me. And like I said, also hope to write some poems and stories at the same time." In his February 12th letter, Bukowski writes: "On Streetwalker, I found I only had to re-write the first ten pages. The others seemed all right. So here's the new bit… I've liked writing the new stories for Hi*Times. It reminds me of the old Open City and L.A. Free Press, NOLA Express days. The sex mags, the dope mags, the little newspapers have been lucky for me. Each of the three letters is accompanied by the related Streetwalker draft, totaling 42 photocopied pages.
- three TLSs and one ALS by Bukowski, all signed "Hank," two with his self-portrait caricature drawing, dated July 11, 1983–November 11, 1983, all to John Martin of the Black Sparrow Press, enclosing drafts of his manuscript for part of an unpublished novel, The Fool. On July 11th, he writes: "Thanks for all the many copies of Bring Me Your Love… Looks fine. You've created another rare book item. It must be over 100 degrees down here and the smog just sits down on everything. I'm glad I'm not down on skid row…Enclosed another novel in progress. Some day I might finish one of these." On September 22nd: "A few pages on the novel…. I have no idea what the hell I am trying to write, but then I usually don't." On November 8th, a handwritten letter, in part: "Here's some more page on 'The Fool.' I still don't know if I'll finish it. A strange feeling. We'll see. I might just do it as an exercise." On November 11th, he writes to send contracts and complain: "I am drowning in paperwork…Your cutting down on the mad mail from Black Sparrow lonlies helps, but more mail comes through my p.o. box from City Lights and in the mail box here I'll work something out. I just won't answer most of the shit, they'll respect me more for it." The letters are accompanied by the related drafts for The Fool totaling 39 photocopied pages.
- a sought-after limited edition 10 x 17 Black Sparrow Press broadside advertising the new novel Ham on Rye, numbered 46/100, signed at the bottom in black felt tip by Charles Bukowski.
- an incredible collection of promotional materials for the semi-autobiographical 1987 movie Barfly, written by Charles Bukowski and starring Mickey Rourke and Faye Dunaway, with 26 items signed by Bukowski. Includes: a copy of the Barfly script, signed on the title page in black felt tip by Bukowski; a Cannon Films, Inc. presskit folder signed on the front in black felt tip by Bukowski, containing a form letter, booklet, and ten unsigned black-and-white promo stills; and a fantastic grouping of 24 color glossy production stills from the film, 8 x 10 and 10 x 8, each signed in black felt tip by Bukowski.
- the desirable, early, limited edition printing of Crucifix in a Deathhand, published in an edition of 3100 by Loujon Press/Lyle Stuart, Inc. in 1965, signed opposite the colophon in silver ink, "Charles Bukowski, 3-12-65." Complete with its scarce wraparound band.
- an original copy of the 136-page screenplay for the unproduced film adaptation of Charles Bukowski's Post Office, signed on the title page in felt tip by Bukowski (adding his self-portrait caricature) and screenwriter Don Carpenter.
- a rare limited edition double-sided broadside of Bukowski's first published story, "20 Tanks From Kasseldown," produced by Red Stodolsky of Baroque Book Store in the early 1990s, numbered 18/25, signed in the lower margin in black felt tip by Charles Bukowski.
- a scarce limited edition slipcased portfolio entitled "The Cruelty of Loveless Love," published by Kunst Editions New York in 2001, numbered 3/35, consisting of 18 paper folders, each containing a mounted monochrome photograph with a letterpress poem on the facing page. Loosely laid in is an original photostat manuscript for Bukowski's poem "American Literature II," one of the works reproduced in the folio, signed at the conclusion in black felt tip, "Charles Bukowski, 7-28-80."
Other books and publications signed by Bukowski:
- Coastlines Literary Magazine (Vol. 3, No. 4, Spring 1959), signed on the table of contents in black felt tip by Charles Bukowski, featuring his poem 'Dow Jones: Down'
- Wormwood Review #16 (Vol. 4, Issue 4, 1964), signed on the title page in black felt tip by Charles Bukowski
- Poems Written Before Jumping Out of an 8 Story Window, signed on the front wrapper in black felt tip by Charles Bukowski (softcover, Litmus Press, 1975)
- Nitty-Gritty (A Survival Tool Chest) (Birth, Vol. 1, No. 1, 1975), signed on the title page in black felt tip by Charles Bukowski
- A Love Poem, signed on the title page in black felt tip by Charles Bukowski (hardcover, numbered 34/176, Black Sparrow Press, 1979)
- Women, signed on the title page in black felt tip by Charles Bukowski (hardcover with dust jacket, W. H. Allen, 1981)
- Play the Piano Drunk Like a Percussion Instrument until the Fingers Begin to Bleed a Bit, signed on the title page in black felt tip by Charles Bukowski (hardcover, Black Sparrow Press, 1987)
- Bukowski: Photographs 1977–1987, signed on the title page in black felt tip by Charles Bukowski and photographer Michael Montfort (softcover, privately printed as one of 470 copies, 1987)
- War All the Time: Poems 1981–1984, signed on the title page in black felt tip by Charles Bukowski (hardcover, Black Sparrow Press, 1988)
- Hollywood, signed on the title page in black felt tip by Charles Bukowski (softcover, uncorrected proof, Black Sparrow Press, 1989)
- Hollywood, signed on the front wrapper in black felt tip by Charles Bukowski (softcover, Black Sparrow Press, 1989)
- Septuagenarian Stew, signed on the front wrapper in black felt tip by Charles Bukowski (softcover, uncorrected proof, Black Sparrow Press, 1990)
- Septuagenarian Stew, signed on the front wrapper in black felt tip by Charles Bukowski (softcover, Black Sparrow Press, 1990)
- Septuagenarian Stew, signed on the title page in black felt tip by Charles Bukowski (hardcover, Black Sparrow Press, 1990)
- Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame, signed on the title page in black felt tip by Charles Bukowski (hardcover, Black Sparrow Press, 1990)
- Hank: The Life of Charles Bukowski, signed on the title page in black felt tip by Charles Bukowski and Neeli Cherkovski (hardcover with dust jacket, Random House, 1991)
- Three by Bukowski, signed on the title page in black felt tip by Charles Bukowski (softcover, Black Sparrow Press, 1992)
- A New Year's Greeting from Black Sparrow Press, 1992, signed on the colophon in black felt tip by Charles Bukowski (hardcover, numbered 161/226, Black Sparrow Press, 1992)
- The Last Night of the Earth Poems, signed opposite the title page in black felt tip by Charles Bukowski (hardcover trade edition, Black Sparrow Press, 1992)
- The Last Night of the Earth Poems, signed on a free end page in black felt tip by Charles Bukowski (hardcover limited edition, numbered 332/750, Black Sparrow Press, 1992)
- Run With the Hunted, signed on the colophon in black felt tip by Charles Bukowski (hardcover with slipcase, unnumbered example of an edition limited to 226, HarperCollins, 1993)
The archive additionally includes a wealth of material by or related to Charles Bukowski, but not signed by him. Among these are: first UK editions of Post Office (London Magazine, 1974), Life & Death in the Charity Ward (London Magazine, 1974), Factotum (W. H. Allen, 1981), and Women (W. H. Allen, 1981); tightly rolled Black Sparrow Press broadsides for "Bring Me Your Love" (1983), "Talking to My Mailbox" (1984), and "The Bluebird" (1991); a confidential advance typescript of Pulp by Charles Bukowski (spiral bound, Black Sparrow Press, 1994); an advance review copy of Pulp by Charles Bukowski (softcover, Black Sparrow Press, 1994); a softcover edition of Charles Bukowski: Shakespeare Never Did This (Black Sparrow Press, 1995), signed on the title page in black felt tip by photographer Michael Montfort; Bone Palace Ballet: New Poems by Charles Bukowski (hardcover with bound-in original serigraph print by Bukowski, 288/426, Black Sparrow Press, 1997); an uncorrected proof of Charles Bukowski: Locked in the Arms of Life by Howard Sounes (softcover, Grove Press, 1998); an advance review copy of Reach for the Sun: Selected Letters (spiral bound, Black Sparrow Press, 1999); A Descriptive Bibliography of the Primary Publications of Charles Bukowski by Aaron Krumhansl (hardcover, Black Sparrow Press, 1999); a confidential manuscript of Open All Night: New Poems by Charles Bukowski (spiral bound, Black Sparrow Press, 2000); a limited edition of Open All Night (hardcover with bound-in original serigraph print by Bukowski, numbered 171/426, Black Sparrow Press, 2000).
Also of note are a variety of Bukowski-relevant zines, newspapers, foreign-language translations, and other media, such as: Black Sparrow Press marketing material including flyers, book lists, and unsigned New Year's Greetings; foreign-language translations of Bukowski's work, including a German version of Horsemeat, five German paperbacks, a Finnish version of Post Office, and others; a two-VHS set of Barbet Schroeder's interview with Bukowski; a rare, sealed CD entitled "Bukowski Reads His Poetry" put out by Black Sparrow Graphic Arts; two essays signed by Tony Whittington; 'Me and Your Sometimes Love Poems' signed by Linda King; Free Thought Publications No. 1, 'This Day Is Shot,' signed by Linda King and Michael Montfort; Free Thought Flyer No. 2, 'Me and Bukowski,' signed by A. D. Winans and Michael Montfort; two issues of pLopLop; and various other items. In overall very good to fine condition.
An extraordinary and comprehensive Charles Bukowski archive, this museum-worthy collection features dozens of signed items and a wealth of rare publications, letters, and ephemera that span the poet’s raw, unfiltered career. This archive offers a singular opportunity to experience the myth, madness, and literary genius of Charles Bukowski up close—an essential trove for serious collectors and institutions alike.
