Post Office.: A Novel.

Los Angeles: Black Sparrow Press,, 1971. The author's debut novel, inscribed to the printer, "Well, hell, friend -- here's another" First edition, signed limited issue, number 12 of 250 copies in boards signed and numbered by the author, this a presentation copy to the printer, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, "To Phil Klein - well, hell, friend -- here's another. Charles Bukowski, 3-5-71". This is an excellent association. The Black Sparrow Press was founded primarily in order to print Bukowski's work, and this title was Bukowski's first novel, an autobiographical memoir of his time working at the United States Postal Service. The press was founded by John and Barbara Martin in 1966, and Phil Klein was their first printer. He worked in the print shop at the same company as John Martin, and printed Bukowski's first seven broadsides at cost because "it was a 'fun' project for him" (J. Martin, quoted in Debritto, p. 134). Bukowski wrote "here's another" in his inscription to Klein since he had printed Bukowski's first Black Sparrow publication, the poetry collection The Days Run Away Like Wild Horses Over the Hills, in 1969. There were a further 2,000 copies issued in wrappers, and 50 hand-bound in boards with an original illustration by Bukowski. Large octavo. Original red, blue, and white star-patterned cloth-backed pictorial pale blue boards, pale blue title label on spine, front cover lettered in red and blue, red endpapers. Title page printed in red, blue, and black, monochrome photographic portrait of the author on the final page. Extremities a little sunned, free endpapers darkened, slight offsetting to verso of front free endpaper. A very good copy indeed. Morrow & Cooney 99. Abel Debritto, Charles Bukowski, King of the Underground, 2013.