Renaissance – May–June No. 1 (1967) – Charles Bukowski “A Picture Book for Marina Louise Bukowski” – Signed & Inscribed

Description

Renaissance was a short-lived, bi-monthly arts magazine published as an offshoot of John Bryan’s Open City, a Los Angeles underground paper at the heart of the 1960s counterculture. In this debut issue (May–June No. 1), Charles Bukowski contributes “A Picture Book for Marina Louise Bukowski,” an illustrated prose-poem featuring his unmistakable line drawings and blunt, often humorous commentary. Printed on newsprint in large-format, the piece sprawls across two full pages (front and back cover) and exemplifies the fusion of literary grit and visual whimsy that made Bukowski’s illustrated work so distinctive.

The piece is addressed to Bukowski’s daughter, Marina Louise Bukowski, born in 1964 to Bukowski and Frances Smith. Though his relationship with Marina was complex, his work for and about her is among his most personal, mixing tenderness, humor, and an unflinching view of the world he imagined she might inherit.

A signed and inscribed example of one of Bukowski’s most appealing illustrated works from the underground press era. Scarce in any condition, and truly rare signed—an essential addition for serious Bukowski collectors.