# Is "Erections, Ejaculations, Exhibitions and General Tales of Ordinary Madness" by Charles Bukowski a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Erections, Ejaculations, Exhibitions and General Tales of Ordinary Madness by Charles Bukowski (City Lights Books, 1972) is identified by: Pictorial wrappers; Bukowski's first collection of short stories, edited by Gail Chiarello. True first is the 1972 City Lights wrappered original, first printing (4-72 ad-page date code).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Pictorial wrappers
- Bukowski's first collection of short stories, edited by Gail Chiarello
- The first printing is identified by the date code 4-72 on the last page of ads at the rear
- No statement of later printings
- Later split into two paperbacks (Tales of Ordinary Madness and The Most Beautiful Woman in Town) in 1983
- Publisher imprint reads City Lights Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Charles Bukowski |
| Publisher | City Lights Books |
| Year | 1972 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Pictorial wrappers |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Pictorial wrappers; Bukowski's first collection of short stories, edited by Gail Chiarello. The first printing is identified by the date code 4-72 on the last page of ads at the rear. No statement of later printings. Later split into two paperbacks (Tales of Ordinary Madness and The Most Beautiful Woman in Town) in 1983.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the 1972 City Lights wrappered original, first printing (4-72 ad-page date code).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Erections, Ejaculations, Exhibitions and General Tales of Ordinary Madness* by Charles Bukowski a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/erections-ejaculations-exhibitions-and-general-tales-of-ordi
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.