Charles Bukowski — From a Private Collection
Book Alley of Pasadena, California, is pleased to offer a large selection of rare and unusual items by and about the late Los Angeles author, Charles Bukowski. All of the items in this catalog form a single collection and were acquired, with very few exceptions, in the 1970’s, directly from Red Stodolsky at his Los Angeles book store, Baroque Books.
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Charles Bukowski, Red Stodolsky and the Baroque Book Store
Having recently returned to Los Angeles in the mid-1980s, I was gradually becoming acquainted with the many used bookstores in the greater Los Angeles area. When I wandered into Red Stodolsky’s Baroque Book Store in 1985, I knew nothing of it, nor Red. Once inside and after a brief survey of his holdings, I knew I had found a home, and Red and I seemed to click. From then until his passing in 1998, I always looked forward to my next purchase and our some times weekly chats around his large, heavily book-laden (usually with new Bukowski issues) desk at the front of the store. With only a few exceptions, the items in this catalog were purchased from Red in his Book Store.
A small, narrow place, Red’s shop was one of a string of such older, classic looking storefronts on Las Palmas Avenue, south of Hollywood Boulevard, just past the newsstand. His stock was select, primarily modern literary firsts with a heavy emphasis on the generation of the Twenties, Henry Miller, the Beats, various Black Sparrow authors, and of course, Hank. Red introduced me to Wanda Coleman’s powerful work through her Black Sparrow issues. He also had a shelf set aside for contemporary local poets, most in pamphlet form, where I discovered S.A. Griffin. His mantra was always, “I stock what I like.” Indeed, everything in his select holdings testified to his personality and tastes.
He was just as fastidious in determining whom he would allow in his shop. On more than a few occasions, he would interrupt our conversation with a direct challenge to a lingering browser, “Buy something or get out!” Then he would turn to me and exclaim, “They’re driving me nuts!” After his stroke, a few years before his passing, he would keep the front door locked, opening it only for people he recognized, or for those who might plead a good enough reason to be permitted entry.
Red was one of the first dealers to trumpet the work of Bukowski. And because of his special relationship with Hank, and, consequently, with John Martin of Black Sparrow Press, he usually had more material on hand than anyone else, everything from trade copies through the full range of limited editions. You could not only pick up one of the limited editions with an original artwork, but you could choose between a number of copies of that book, each with a different painting. When I purchased the very limited Horsemeat, Red said he was on his way to see Hank the next day, and, if I wished, he would bring the book to him for an inscription. A week later, he called to say the book was ready. The inscription read, “For __________ __________ / Horses teach us / what we know and / do not know. / The track is the / greatest university. / Charles Bukowski” / [drawing of classic Chinaski figure & bottle] …. This one remains in my library.
During another visit, the postman entered and dropped a pile of mail on Red’s desk. As we talked, Red thumbed through it. He opened a large manila envelope, and emptied the contents on the desk. Hank had sent him the typescript poems for Love Is a Dog From Hell, each signed and dated. Red asked if I wanted any of them, and I chose two of my favorite Bukowski poems, “Trapped” and “the meek have inhereted” [sic].
Red also had Bukowski material on display in his glass cases in the midst of the store, as well as photographs, posters, flyers, etc., hanging on the walls and on bookcases. Then there were the special items he kept in the back storage area, along with extra copies of the books. This area was off limits to all but an invited few. During another visit, he motioned me back there and pulled out a large portfolio in a manila paper cover. He walked to the glass cases, placed it on top, and pulled out seven, large charcoal drawings, commenting, “These are the only charcoal drawings Hank has done. You want one?”
There were so many wonderful days like this, though not all as dramatic, and I miss our conversations to this day, which ranged across many literary, political, and, in particular, Bukowski subjects. We also lived in the same neighborhood for a few years, and on more than a few occasions I was fortunate enough to meet Red and his wife, Mina, as they took their evening stroll, and we carried on talking.
Red was unique and special. No one can replace him. Hank said it best in his poem “Red”:
“and Paris is dead now / and so is Henry Miller / but down there on skid / row Hollywood / with only Musso’s and / Frederick’s left, / there’s still a little / bit of the old / Paris / and a large touch of / class: / Red Stodolsky.”
Featured Items
1987. Magazine. Interview Magazine (September 1987). Good. Page 94 to 100. Includes an interview titled " Tough Guys Write Poetry: Charles Bukowski" by Sean Penn; along with 3 full page black and white photos and three poems (from War All The Time published by Black Sparrow Press in 1984) titled..... More
LA Weekly, 1996. Newspaper. LA Weekly: Vol. 18, No. 32, July 5-11 1996. Weekly newspaper. Good. Used. Light liquid stain to bottom corner of front cover. Age-toning throughout. NO markings. One full page (page 29) on Charles Bukowski titled "Lost and Unbound: The new (old) Bukowski poems" three poems titled..... More
Shelf Life Press, 1997. Pamphlet. Staplebound pamphlet. Very Good. Light wear to covers. Minor ink stains to page edges due to publisher printing. Internally clean. Includes one Bukowski poem titled " The Highshool Girls" and a printed copy of an drawing and inscription reading "For Eric - Stay away from..... More
Shelf Life Press, 1989. Pamphlet. Staplebound pamhplet. Good. Includes one Bukowski poem titled "Paper and People" and various drawing throughout with poems by and array of LA poets. Moderate wear to covers with tanning; coffee stain rings on front covers; soiling and green informational stickers at front and rear covers..... More
Flyer. Black Sparrow Press. Colored promotional Broadside flyer No. 12 for "There's No Business" with text by Charles Bukowski and illustrations by R. Crumb. Very Good+. 11" x 17 1/2". Folded into quarters with soft creases to corners. More
Loose Sheet. Broadside, 11" x 17". Good. Limited Edition, this is copy number 19 of 25. Charles Bukowski's first published story. This is not the 1946 printing, but an identical limited edition printed in the early 1990s, by Red Stodolsky of Baroque Book Store. Light liquid staining to top edge..... More
Black Sparrow Press, 1988-1989. Loose Sheets. Santa Rosa, CA: Black Sparrow Press. Near Fine. Sealed and unopened. 5 postcards printed in The Netherlands in 1988-1989 with 4 photographed by Joan Levine. Postcards measure 4 inches x 6 inches. In Very Good sealed and unopened glassine envelope with a Black Sparrow..... More
The Paget Press, 1984. Hardcover. Sutton West & Santa Barbara: The Paget Press. Hardcover. Fine in a Near Fine acetate dust jacket. This copy is labeled “Collaboration Copy 3-7” and is signed by Bukowski at the rear, and the director of the film, Barbet Shroeder, at the front. Additionally, a...... More
Black Sparrow Press, 1981-01-01. Hardcover. Santa Barbara, CA: Black Sparrow Press, 1981. First Edition. Hardcover. Paper covered boards with cloth spine and paper label. Near Fine in a Near Fine acetate dust jacket. Scattered foxing to the top edge of the text block; mild shelf wear to the bottom; otherwise..... More
Capricorn Press, 1970. Hardcover. Santa Barbara, CA: Capricorn Press, 1970. First Edition. Unnumbered, one of 100 signed copies; signed by Charles Bukowski with small drawing. Near Fine. Hardcover with black paper boards with red paper labels on front panel and spine. Minor wear to spine ends and corners; protected with..... More
Black Sparrow Press, 1983-10-01. Paperback. Santa Barbara, CA: Black Sparrow Press, 1983. Limited Edition. Hardcover. Paper covered boards with decorated cloth spine and paper spine label. Near Fine in a Near Fine acetate dust jacket. Minor foxing to top edge; light finger soiling to page edges; otherwise a Fine copy..... More
Transcripts of 2 poems from Love is a Dog from Hell -- "Trapped" and "the meek inhereted" and a 8 inch by 10 inch glossy black and whilte photo of Charles Bukowski, with all three signed by Bukowski and the poems dated. Framed in three-quarter inch black wood, double matter..... More
Black Sparrow Press. Black Sparrow Press, 11" x 17 1/2". Boardside/Flyer no. 12. Framed; one inch black wooden frame. SIGNED; signed by Charles Bukowski at the bottom edge. Very Good. Promotional flyer shows light wear; folded into fours with light age-toning; minor rippling. More
Publisher unknown, 1994-01-01. Loose Leaf. Funeral Announcement, March 14, 1994. Features a section from one of Bukowski's poems titled "If We Take". A scarce number of copies were made for the funeral service. In addition to this item, included is a photo of Charles Bukowski's tombstone and an envelope originating..... More
Los Angeles: Bombshelter Press, 1997-01-01. Paperback. Los Angeles, CA: Bombshelter Press, 1997. ONTHEBUS, A New Literary Magazine: Issue Number 14, Vol. VI, No. 2. Near Fine. Minor rubbing to covers with light crease to rear at top corner. Appears unread. Internally clean; pages are crisp and corners are sharp. Containing..... More
Ruddy Duck Press n.d., 1984. Staple bound. Freemont, CA: Ruddy Duck Press n.d. (1984). Limited Edition. Staple bound wraps. Near Fine with some discoloration around the edges. One of 500 copies. Poems and illustrations by Bukowski. t. More
Black Sparrow Pr, 1984-04-01. Hardcover. Santa Barbara, CA: Black Sparrow Press, 1984. First Edition. One of 400 First Edition copies. Hardcover. String bound. Near Fine, protected in mylar. More
Black Sparrow Press, 1984. Hardcover. Santa Barbara, CA: Black Sparrow Press, 1984. Limited Edition. Hardcover. Paper covered boards with decorated cloth spine and paper spine label. Near Fine in a Near Fine acetate dust jacket. Minor blemishes to top and side of the pages; a vertical crease on the front..... More
Black Sparrow Press, 1982. Hardcover. Santa Rosa, CA: Black Sparrow Press, 1986. Limited Edition. Hardcover. Paper covered boards with purple cloth spine and paper label. Fine in Near Fine acetate dust jacket. This is #76 of 100 copies signed by Bukowski with an original print bound in at the front..... More
City Lights Books, 1979. Hardcover. SIGNED. San Francisco, CA: City Lights Books, 1979. Hardcover. Black cloth with gilt lettered spine, pictorial dust jacket, Near Fine in a Near Fine dust jacket. Some rubbing to the bottom of the boards; otherwise Fine. Dust jacket is price clipped, but free of tears..... More
Black Sparrow Press, 1998. Hardcover. Santa Rosa, CA: Black Sparrow Press, 1998. Limited Edition. Paper covered boards with cloth spine and paper label. Fine in a Fine acetate dust jacket. This is #187 of 426 copies with a serigraph portrait of Bukowski by R. Crumb at the front, signed by..... More
Black Sparrow Press, 1995. Hardcover. Santa Rosa, CA: Black Sparrow Press, 1995. First Edition. Hardcover. Paper covered boards and a cloth spine with a paper label. Fine in a Near Fine acetate dust jacket. A sharp—and affordable!—Bukowski first edition. More
Laugh Literary/Red Hill Press, 1972. Paperback. Los Angeles, CA: Laugh Literary/Red Hill Press, 1972. First Edition. Stiff brown wraps. Near Fine. There is a two inch streak of white—typewriter correction fluid, perhaps—on the spine and a faint crease to the back lower left cover; otherwise a Fine copy which feels..... More
Black Sparrow Press, 1994. Hardcover. Santa Rosa, CA: Black Sparrow Press, 1994. Limited Edition. Hardcover. Paper covered boards with cloth spine and paper label. Fine in a Fine acetate dust jacket. This is #15 of 100 copies signed and numbered by the author. More
Paycock Press, 1988-01-01. Paperback. Paycock Press, USA, 1988. Paperback. Very Good. Light rubbing and wear to covers. Light soiling along textblock edge and to a few page edges, otherwise internally clean. One Buk poem on back, “Joe,” plus articles on and Montfort photos. More