# Is "Play the Piano Drunk Like a Percussion Instrument Until the Fingers Begin to Bleed a Bit" by Charles Bukowski a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Play the Piano Drunk Like a Percussion Instrument Until the Fingers Begin to Bleed a Bit by Charles Bukowski (Black Sparrow Press, 1979) is identified by: Issued in the usual Black Sparrow multi-tier format: a trade paperback in wrappers, a trade hardcover in cloth, a signed and numbered limited hardcover (about 300 copies in decorated boards with acetate), and a signed deluxe issue of about 100 copies with a signed silkscreen print bound in. The 1979 Black Sparrow edition is the true first; the signed numbered and deluxe hardcover issues are the premium states.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Issued in the usual Black Sparrow multi-tier format: a trade paperback in wrappers, a trade hardcover in cloth, a signed and numbered limited hardcover (about 300 copies in decorated boards with acetate), and a signed deluxe issue of about 100 copies with a signed silkscreen print bound in
- First-issue points: color title page and no statement of later printing on the copyright page
- Publisher imprint reads Black Sparrow Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Charles Bukowski |
| Publisher | Black Sparrow Press |
| Year | 1979 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Issued in the usual Black Sparrow multi-tier format: a trade paperback in wrappers, a… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Issued in the usual Black Sparrow multi-tier format: a trade paperback in wrappers, a trade hardcover in cloth, a signed and numbered limited hardcover (about 300 copies in decorated boards with acetate), and a signed deluxe issue of about 100 copies with a signed silkscreen print bound in. First-issue points: color title page and no statement of later printing on the copyright page.

## Is this the true first?
The 1979 Black Sparrow edition is the true first; the signed numbered and deluxe hardcover issues are the premium states.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition; Black Sparrow did not issue book club printings.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Play the Piano Drunk Like a Percussion Instrument Until the Fingers Begin to Bleed a Bit* by Charles Bukowski a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/play-the-piano-drunk-like-a-percussion-instrument-until-the
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.