# Is "It Catches My Heart in Its Hands" by Charles Bukowski a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of It Catches My Heart in Its Hands by Charles Bukowski (Loujon Press, 1963) is identified by: Loujon Press (Jon and Louise Webb), New Orleans, 1963; edition of 777 copies, subtitled New & Selected Poems 1955-1963. True first is the 1963 Loujon issue, a landmark fine-press Bukowski.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Loujon Press (Jon and Louise Webb), New Orleans, 1963; edition of 777 copies, subtitled New & Selected Poems 1955-1963
- Letterpress on multiple colored papers, stapled into thick white card covers with a cork front-cover panel and title block; wrap-around outer jacket
- High production values; copies typically signed by Bukowski
- Publisher imprint reads Loujon Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Charles Bukowski |
| Publisher | Loujon Press |
| Year | 1963 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Loujon Press (Jon and Louise Webb), New Orleans, 1963; edition of 777 copies, subtitled… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Loujon Press (Jon and Louise Webb), New Orleans, 1963; edition of 777 copies, subtitled New & Selected Poems 1955-1963. Letterpress on multiple colored papers, stapled into thick white card covers with a cork front-cover panel and title block; wrap-around outer jacket. High production values; copies typically signed by Bukowski.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the 1963 Loujon issue, a landmark fine-press Bukowski.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition; the 777-copy limitation and varied papers are the points.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *It Catches My Heart in Its Hands* by Charles Bukowski a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/it-catches-my-heart-in-its-hands
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.