Penguin Modern Poets 13 — Charles Bukowski, Philip Lamantia, Harold Norse (1969) — Bukowski’s Breakout

Description

By the late 1960s, Charles Bukowski had built a small but devoted following through chapbooks and appearances in underground literary magazines. With Penguin Modern Poets 13 in 1969, the Los Angeles poet broke into a broader readership, joining the ranks of Philip Lamantia and Harold Norse in a prestigious, internationally distributed series from a major publishing house. For Bukowski, whose work until then had largely circulated in mimeographed or small-press editions, and Martin’s Black Sparrow Press was in its nascent stage, Penguin’s recognition signaled his arrival on the larger literary stage.

This inclusion not only amplified Bukowski’s reach overseas but also paved the way for his productive 1970s, when he published some of his most enduring poetry collections and, in 1971, his first novel, Post Office. Seen in hindsight, Penguin Modern Poets 13 stands as a key transitional moment — a bridge between the raw, self-published outsider and the widely read, globally recognized author he would become in the following decade.

An important milestone in Bukowski’s publishing career — the first time his poetry appeared under the banner of a major, internationally recognized imprint. Exceptionally desirable with such a contemporary inscription, this volume captures a pivotal moment just before Bukowski’s leap into literary notoriety.