Targets 11 -- Three First Appearance (Two Uncollected) Charles Bukowski Poems

Published in 1962, Targets 11 featured three first appearance Bukowski poems, two of which have yet to be published again.

Our Breath's Fondness Burns Like Gruel In Beggary
Counsel
Out Of It

Our Breath's Fondness Burns Like Gruel In Beggary and Out Of It would never be published again.

Counsel would appear in It Catches My Heart In Its Hands, Penguin Modern Poets, and The Roominghouse Madrigals.

This issue also features a Signature Of poems by James Boyer May, an important proponent of the new forms of poetry typified by Bukowski and other poets who were part of the mimeograph revolution. He was the publisher of Trace, the small but influential literary magazine that ran from 1952 through 1970 in Los Angeles. Trace printed listings of new small press activities, connecting poets with a constant flow of new poetry journals. Bukowski considered this a bible for finding poetry journals that would go on to publish his early work. He also contributed several letters to Trace questioning the traditional poetry form and the university professors that continued to teach it in their old guard ways.

May would recollect, "Trace was called a 'Bridge' by various people - and it was - between people in many parts of the world... It's my belief, and I think it could be documented, that we had an influence on the language itself."

This copy is in Very Good ++ with some creases to the covers and some small bumps to the corners.

Overall, a very nice copy of this important poetry that published Bukowski in eight issues between 1960 and 1963. They also published A Signature of Charles Bukowski, one of the rarest and most sought-after Bukoski publications.

Box 1