Crucifix in a Deathhand,

New York: Lyle Stuart Inc.,, 1965. With an excellent inscription to fellow American poet Karl Shapiro, "Kid, it's a hell of a hard game" First edition, signed limited issue, one of 3,100 copies signed and dated by the author (in this instance in orange ink on 17/03/1965), this copy further inscribed on the title page to Karl Shapiro with a little ink sketch. The inscription reads, "For Karl Shapiro - Kid, it's a hell of a hard game - living, dying, reading, bleeding, singing - what the fuck - it's hang and hold - Hello, Charles Bukowski". Shapiro, seven years Bukowski's senior, was a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet while Bukowski was only just being entertained by established periodicals. One of Bukowski's first acceptances into a well-known journal was the publication of "Men's Crapper" by Evergreen Review in 1967. "Got Evergreen 50 today", he wrote to poet Harold Norse, "with my short poem in there, way in the back, the thing is shot with the famous, so there they are: Tenessee Williams, John Rechy, Leroi Jones, Karl Shapiro... I am probably writing all this shit about Evergreen because I have a bad conscience and fear that I am slipping as a good writer in order to get into their slick pages" (quoted pp. 139-140). Crucifix in a Deathhand was the biggest book of Bukowoski's career to date, designed by Louise "Gypsy Lou" Webb and her husband, the publishers of The Outsider literary magazine. Illustrated by Noel Rockmore's nightmarish etchings, "it looked like an album of Gothic fairy tales" (Sounes). Large octavo. With covers and 4 etchings with tissue guards by Noel Rockmore. Original printed wraparound wrappers, coloured handmade paper in various sizes, fore edges untrimmed. Spine just toned, extremities rubbed, a little offsetting to first couple of leaves and a few stains to rear flap. A near-fine copy. Howard Sounes, Charles Bukowski, 1998. Michael Patrick Webb, "Obituary: Louise Webb", Bayou Brief, 16 December 2020.