The Roominghouse Madrigals: First Edition Trade Hardcover Inscribed by Charles Bukowski

Published in 1988 by Black Sparrow Press, this is the First Edition Trade Hardcover of The Roominghouse Madrigals: Early Selected Poems 1946-1966.

As the name implies, the book is made up of early poems that appeared in magazines, chapbooks, and other small presses that were long out of print at the time.

This is one of 500 copies of this edition, none of which were distributed as signed.

This copy, however, is Inscribed to “Arnie and Cindy” and Bukowski has added his trademark Little Man with a Jug sketch.

This copy came from estate of Red Stodolsky, owner Baroque Book Store and a close friend of Charles Bukowski. Bukowski would go by Red’s shop regularly and the two would go to lunch at Musso & Frank Grill. But first Bukowski would sit and sign a pile of books for Red to sell. The great thing about these copies is that Bukowski actually held the books as he signed them. With the limited-edition Black Sparrow Books, Bukowski would sign individual pages that were later inserted into the books.

“Cindy + Arnie” were likely friends of Red who (for whatever reason) never received the book.

This copy is in Fine condition with some spotting to the top of the page ends.

File Box 2