# Is "Flower, Fist and Bestial Wail" by Charles Bukowski a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Flower, Fist and Bestial Wail by Charles Bukowski (Hearse Press, 1960) is identified by: Bukowski's first book, published October 1960 as Hearse Chapbook No. True first is the 1960 Hearse Press chapbook; very scarce.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Bukowski's first book, published October 1960 as Hearse Chapbook No
- 5; edition of 200 copies
- Original wire-stitched white wrappers, front cover lettered in red with Ben Tibbs fist-gripping-a-flower illustration
- (Dorbin A1)
- A small private Author's Edition of 5 copies exists with a tipped-in signed typescript poem
- Publisher imprint reads Hearse Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Charles Bukowski |
| Publisher | Hearse Press |
| Year | 1960 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Bukowski's first book, published October 1960 as Hearse Chapbook No |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Bukowski's first book, published October 1960 as Hearse Chapbook No. 5; edition of 200 copies. Original wire-stitched white wrappers, front cover lettered in red with Ben Tibbs fist-gripping-a-flower illustration; 28 pp. (Dorbin A1). A small private Author's Edition of 5 copies exists with a tipped-in signed typescript poem.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the 1960 Hearse Press chapbook; very scarce.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Flower, Fist and Bestial Wail* by Charles Bukowski a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/flower-fist-and-bestial-wail
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.