Cold Dogs in the Courtyard: Literary Times/Cyfoeth Publications (1965)

Published in 1965 by Literary Times/Cyfoeth Publications, Chicago, Cold Dogs in the Courtyard is considered to be Bukowski’s 10^th book. It was published by Ron Offen and Jay Robert Nash.

Ron Offen co-edited Odyssey magazine, which featured Bukowski in Vol. 11, No. 1, in 1959. He was also a co-editor of Midwest magazine, which featured Bukowski in four issues between 1961 and 1964.

Jay Robert Nash published the Literary Times in Chicago, which started publishing Bukowski’s work in 1963.

This is the only book in which Bukowski chose his own poems. Although they were all published in magazines prior to the book, in his intro Bukowski claims the poems were all rejected prior to being published – hence the name, “Cold Dogs in the Courtyard.” He actually goes on to list the editors who rejected them – all publishers of his previous books. But as Bukowski scholar Abel Debritto points out in his book “King of the Underground”, Bukowski’s claim wasn’t based in reality.

This copy is in Near Fine condition with some light toning on the covers near the spine. All four corners are sharp and pages are white and bright.

This chapbook brings together 13 poems that first appeared in separate issues of 11 small press magazines. They include:

• What Seems To Be The Trouble, Gentlemen? - pg. 5 - circa 1962
• Imbecile Night - pg. 6 - circa 1962
• To A Lady Who Believes Me Dead - pg. 8 - circa 1962
• Thank God For Alleys - pg. 9
• Experience - pg. 10 - circa 1963
• The Death Of A Roach - pg. 12 - circa 1959
• It's Nothing To Laugh About - pg. 14 - circa 1960
• Suicide - pg. 16 - circa 1961
• Face While Shaving - pg. 17 - circa 1961
• Existence - pg. 18 - circa 1963
• I Have Lived In England - pg. 20 - circa 1961
• 2 Outside, As Bones Break In My Kitchen - pg. 21 - circa 1962
• Layover - pg. 22 - circa 1956