Crucifix in a Deathhand,: New Poems 1963-65.

New York: Lyle Stuart Inc.,, 1965. Signed by Bukowski First edition, signed limited issue, one of 3,100, this copy signed by Bukowski in silver and dated "03/10/65". A "painstakingly pruned selection" (front flap), Crucifix in a Deathhand "was the biggest book of Bukowoski's career to date, and the Webbs did another beautiful design job. Printed in a large format, and illustrated with nightmarish etchings by Noel Rockmore, it looked like an album of Gothic fairy tales" (Sounes). Louise "Gypsy Lou" Webb and her husband were publishers of The Outsider literary magazine, which often featured Bukowski's poetry. Under the Loujon Press imprint, which designed, edited, and printed this title, they "did not just print books, they hand-pressed literary art objects on massive old presses that took up their entire living space. Pages came in myriad colours, textures, and typesets" (Welch). This was their second Bukowski book, following on the heels of It Catches My Heart in Its Hands (1963). Large octavo. Original printed wraparound wrappers, coloured handmade paper in various sizes, fore edges untrimmed. With the wraparound band laid-in. With covers and 4 etchings with tissue guards by Noel Rockmore. Head of spine a little bumped, with a touch of rubbing to extremities and one mark to front. A near-fine copy, contents clean and bright. Howard Sounes, Charles Bukowski, Grove Press, 1998. Michael Patrick Webb, "Obituary: Louise Webb", Bayou Brief, 16 December 2020.