The Genius of the Crowd
[Cleveland, OH]: 7 Flowers Press, 1966.
First edition, one of 103 copies. [22] pp. Bound in publisher's original green wraps with linoleum cut by Paula Marie Savarino, Illustrated with 4 linoleum cuts by Savarino, with many of the sheets for this chapbook printed on trimmed envelopes and therefore double leaves. 15.5x12 cm. Near Fine with light wear to wraps, former bookseller's heavy pencil notation erased from the first page. A legendary Bukowski rarity, and cornerstone of any collection. Though there were around 103 copies printed as per rear wrapper, Krumhansl claims it to be "circa 103." Published at the 7 Flowers Press by d.a. Levy and Jim Lowell, "most of the copies were confiscated by the Cleveland Police Department during a raid on Lowell's bookstore (The Asphodel Bookshop), conducted by the Cleveland Police Department on the charge of being in possession of and selling obscene material." Only about 40 copies are estimated to have survived, and of those, 20 are listed on OCLC/WorldCat as being in institutional libraries. Perhaps the rarest of the Top 20 Bukowski Rarities listed by Al Fogel.
Price: $9,500.00