Wormwood Review 102 -- Signed by Charles Bukowski (1986)

Charles Bukowski always felt Wormwood Review was the best small magazine out there and was grateful that they were one of the first to recognize his work. In return, Bukowski continued to contribute to the magazine right up until his death in 1994.

Published in 1986, this is a signed copy of Wormwood Review 102. Although not called for, Bukowski has signed it on the cover.

This copy has a significant amount of toning to the light blue covers, but it’s fairly light. There’s a bump to the lower spine impacting the pages and a pencil notation on the front cover that says “Signed Copy” -- in case you couldn’t notice.

This issue features two Bukowski poems:

The Lucky Ones
This Is Free, Take It, And Feel Better

The Lucky Ones would later be collected in The Night Torn Mad With Footsteps (2001).

This Is Free, Take It, And Feel Better has yet to be published again.

Wormwood Review was published by the legendary Marvin Malone (1930-1996). Malone was a pharmacologist, scientific researcher, educator, artist, poetry collector, and editor. Upon arrival to Storrs, Connecticut in 1960, Malone discovered the second issue of Wormwood Review and soon took over the publication as the sole editor, publisher, and designer (alias A. Sypher), producing quarterly issues until his death in 1996.

Wormwood Review ran for 144 issues (1959-1997). Christa Malone, Marvin's daughter, co-edited issue 144 after Marvin's death, and released issue 145/146 as a special tribute issue to Marvin in 1999.