Hot Water Music

Santa Barbara: Black Sparrow Press, 1983. Limited Edition. Hardcover. Fine/near fine. Bukowski, Charles. One of 126 lettered/numbered hardcover copies with original artwork, octavo size, 225 pp., signed at the colophon. 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 also was 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, "Hot Water Music" is a collection of short stories which "deal largely with drinking, women, gambling, and writing. It is an important collection that establishes Bukowski's minimalist style and his thematic oeuvre" (n.b., quote from Wiki).

This volume is lettered copy "Q" of 126 lettered/numbered hardcover copies with original artwork, a colourful abstract work with thickly layered paint with what may be two eyes peering through bars...

___DESCRIPTION: Black cloth decorated shelfback, paper spine label with black lettering, ivory paper over boards with multi-coloured lettering over coloured bars and the author's name in black lettering on the front, coloured rules on the rear board, cherry red endpapers, title page in red, blue and yellow; octavo size (9.25" by 6.25"), pagination: [1-10] 11-221 [1, blank] [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 fore-edge of the text block; overall a fine, bright copy. The publisher's acetate dust wrapper near fine with light overall marks.

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