Bukowski, Charles

Broadside-Postcard: "Chilled Green"

Detroit, MI: The Alternative Press, 1970. Limited First Edition. Single Sheet. “I knew and liked Bukowski’s poems from before we started the press in 1969. We had been corresponding and he seemed to like our format of poetry postcards, broadsides, bookmarks, bumper stickers, etc. So it was only a natural process to get something from him and publish it. Even though the poem ‘chilled green’ was printed, we did something unique for the illustration on each postcard. We hand dipped each card in an ink/water solution, which was a form of marbelizing that was supposed to suggest the green jello referred to in the poem.” (Ken Mikolowski, Alternative Press editor, from A Catalog of Ordinary Madness) This poetry postcard featuring Charles Bukowski’s (1920-1994) “chilled green” comes from Detroit’s Alternative Press, the fabled independent imprint founded & conducted by our good local friend, the renowned poet-educator Ken Mikolowski, & his late wife Ann (1940-1999), a noted artist. The Mikolowskis bought the Detroit Artists Workshop’s letterpress to get started, first by making poetry broadsides, distributing them for free on the street. (For a deep dive on the subject, we recommend visiting the Alternative Press Records, acquired from the Mikolowskis, at the University of Michigan Special Collections Research Center in the Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library.) As described by Ken Mikolowski, each of the “chilled green” poetry postcards has a stylized bottom border created by dipping the cards in an ink/water combo. Recto includes a line “An Alternative Press Postcard” and stylized stamp location. While there is no date or limitation found on the piece, all Alternative Press ephemera such as this was printed only once in limited quantity, and Debritto lists the run as limited to 400 copies. (Debritto, A36, pg. 21-22) Single sheet (6 ½’ x 4”). Limited Edition, though not explicated. In Very Fine condition with a few very tiny dots and specks, likely from ink transfer; edges jagged by design; light age-tonining. Very Fine. [Item #8464]

Price: $50.00