War All the Time; Poems 1981-1984
Santa Barbara: Black Sparrow Press, 1984. Bukowski, Charles. Limited Edition. Hardcover. One of 126 signed/numbered hardcover copies with original artwork, octavo size, 283 pp. Fine / near fine. Item #CNJZ0016
Charles Bukowski (1920-1994) was "a prolific underground writer who used his poetry and prose to depict the depravity of urban life and the downtrodden in American society. A cult hero, Bukowski relied on experience, emotion, and imagination in his work, using direct language and violent and sexual imagery" (n.b., from the web site of the Poetry Foundation). As much as he achieved popular acclaim during his lifetime, his reputation and following have only increased after his death.
In addition to being an author, Bukowski was also an artist: he painted on 6" by 9" paper "with thick layers of acrylics, oil paint, watercolors, pastels, crayons, pens - whatever was at hand. They were sent to Black Sparrow [whose editor, John Martin, was a friend of Bukowski's] where they were bound into special hardcover first editions of his books" (n.b., from the web site of Bukowski [dot] net).
This volume, "War All the Time" is one of Bukowski's "notable later poetry collections" (n.b., quote from the online Encyclopedia Britannica). As a reviewer wrote on the web site "Library Thing", the collection contains "easily Bukowski's greatest horse race poem, 'Horsemeat', [and it] stands out in Bukowski's poetic constellation."
This volume is no. 93 of 100 numbered copies with original artwork (there were also twenty-six lettered copies), this a whirling abstract work in bright coloures with thickly-applied strokes, which could be a window pane...or...
___DESCRIPTION: Black cloth decorated shelfback, paper spine label with black lettering, grey paper over boards with multi-coloured lettering and the author's name in blue lettering on the front, a few small coloured decorations on the rear board, orange endpapers, title page in red, blue and orange; octavo size (9.25" by 6.25"), pagination: [1-10] 11-280, [1, colophon, signed by Bukowski in black ink] [1, blank] [1, black and white photograph of Bukowski with bio]. In a dust wrapper of clear acetate from the publisher.
___CONDITION: Fine overall, the boards clean other than a light, stray speck, straight corners without rubbing, a strong, square text block with solid hinges, the interior is clean and bright, and entirely free of prior owner markings; a couple of extremely small and light stray marks on the top edge of the text block; overall a fine, bright copy. In an acetate dust wrapper, near fine with light overall marks and a bit of soil.
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Price: $5,000.00