# Is "Pulp" by Charles Bukowski a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Pulp by Charles Bukowski (Black Sparrow Press, 1994) is identified by: Black Sparrow Press, Santa Rosa, 1994. True first is the 1994 Black Sparrow Press edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Black Sparrow Press, Santa Rosa, 1994
- Bukowski's last novel, published posthumously
- The collectible first is the trade hardcover, quarter black cloth over decorated paper boards, red spine label and red endpapers, in clear acetate dustwrapper; two-color title page (red and black)
- Also issued as a signed and numbered limited (about 750 signed copies, signed on a tipped-in sheet following the copyright page) and a deluxe issue with an original signed silkscreen print
- No statement of later printing on the copyright page of the first
- Publisher imprint reads Black Sparrow Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Charles Bukowski |
| Publisher | Black Sparrow Press |
| Year | 1994 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Black Sparrow Press, Santa Rosa, 1994 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Black Sparrow Press, Santa Rosa, 1994. Bukowski's last novel, published posthumously. The collectible first is the trade hardcover, quarter black cloth over decorated paper boards, red spine label and red endpapers, in clear acetate dustwrapper; two-color title page (red and black). Also issued as a signed and numbered limited (about 750 signed copies, signed on a tipped-in sheet following the copyright page) and a deluxe issue with an original signed silkscreen print. No statement of later printing on the copyright page of the first.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the 1994 Black Sparrow Press edition. Signed and numbered and deluxe issues are the scarcer states.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition; Black Sparrow was a small literary press.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Pulp* by Charles Bukowski a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/pulp
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.