Bell Tolls for No One

The Bell Tolls for No One is a book of previously uncollected short fiction by everyone's favorite dirty old man, Charles Bukowski. Beginning with the illustrated, unpublished 1947 story, "A Kind, Understanding Face," continuing through his famous underground newspaper column, "Notes of a Dirty Old Man," and concluding with his hardboiled contributions to 1980s glossy adult magazines, The Bells Tolls for No One encompasses the entire range of Bukowski's talent as a short story writer, from straight-up genre stories to postmodern blurring of the line between fact and fiction. Designed not only for Bukowski fans, but also for readers new to his work, the book contains an informative introduction by editor David Stephen Calonne that provides historical context for these seemingly scandalous and chaotic tales, revealing the hidden hand of the master at the top of his form. Also included are several of Bukwoski's own illustrations. Born in Andernach, Germany, and raised in Los Angeles, California, Charles Bukowski published his first story when he was twenty-four and began writing poetry at the age of thirty-five. His first book of poetry was published in 1959; he would eventually publish more than fourty-five books of poetry and prose. He died of leukemia in San Pedro, California, on March 9, 1994. David Stephen Calonne has edited three previous books of uncollected prose by Charles Bukowski for City Lights Publishers. He is the author of several books, including the critical study Charles Bukowski, and the editor of Charles Bukowski: Sunlight Here I Am/Interviews and Encounters 1963-1993.