In Ham On Rye Tom Wolfe is mentioned but he wasn't even writing at that time. In fact he was only 14 or 15. Why do you think he is mentioned? Do you think Bukowski just really wanted to take a stab at him 'cause he overrated?
I believe that it was Glenn W. Cooper who wrote a great poem about the confusion between the two Thomas Wolfe's. I think that it was him that wrote it...
I know why:
because people don't read either of them.
They only get by last-name and hear 'Miller' - oh, yeah, I've heared of that guy! If they'd ever read them, they'd know the difference and Never intermix them.
That's why people like Bukowski, Shakespeare, Hemingway, Whitman can be happy: Their last-names will always work standing alone. And it's why I try to get rid of my last name 'Braun' (='Brown'), because I can't imagine Anybody to enter a bookstore, asking for "the latest book by Brown" and being led to mine. A simple 'Roni' is much more unique.
But there are worse things.
I even know of people, who intermix 'Martin Luther' and 'Martin Luther King' !!!
You can tell the Millers apart very easily... I doubt that Arthur Miller ever wrote "cunt" in any of his works while Henry seems to use it as often as a comma. And thank goodness.
Also... I never knew there was a Thomas Wolfe to go with Tom Wolfe. Thanks! (and yes, I do feel a bit stupid)
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