# Is "Notes of a Dirty Old Man" by Charles Bukowski a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Notes of a Dirty Old Man by Charles Bukowski (Essex House, 1969) is identified by: Paperback original from Essex House (An Essex House Original, series number 0115), North Hollywood, California; pictorial mass-market wrappers, 255 pages. True first is the 1969 Essex House paperback original, preceding the later City Lights edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Paperback original from Essex House (An Essex House Original, series number 0115), North Hollywood, California; pictorial mass-market wrappers, 255 pages
- Collects Bukowski's 'Notes of a Dirty Old Man' columns from the underground paper Open City
- The first edition (Krumhansl 29a) carries uncorrected misprints on pages 208 and 221
- Publisher imprint reads Essex House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Charles Bukowski |
| Publisher | Essex House |
| Year | 1969 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Paperback original from Essex House (An Essex House Original, series number 0115), North… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Paperback original from Essex House (An Essex House Original, series number 0115), North Hollywood, California; pictorial mass-market wrappers, 255 pages. Collects Bukowski's 'Notes of a Dirty Old Man' columns from the underground paper Open City. The first edition (Krumhansl 29a) carries uncorrected misprints on pages 208 and 221.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the 1969 Essex House paperback original, preceding the later City Lights edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition. The subsequent City Lights edition is a later first-thus reissue, not the true first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Notes of a Dirty Old Man* by Charles Bukowski a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/notes-of-a-dirty-old-man
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.