A Depressive State of Affairs for Kings, Witches, and Elevator Boys - 1964 essay (1 Viewer)

[cirerita]

Taken from 4 Poets, synaesthesia press chapbook #2, 1995.

 

[hoochmonkey9]

well, he fell out with Purdy (I don't know why, I don't own a copy of the Bukowski/ Purdy letters), and he forgot about Layton. I do know that Purdy turned him on to Layton.
being Canadian, I've read a lot of these two writers...Purdy was closer in spirit to Buk, and he wrote about the same things fairly often.
Layton was a larger than life character, loved life, women, talking and being the centre of attention. kind of a Canadian Dylan Thomas, but with a longer life span. the media loved him, he was spirited and engaging and long winded.
but , to steal a phrase from Buk, when they were on, they were very good, both of them.

 

[Bukfan]

Very funny essay! Thanks c... "the difference between an artist and a performer is the difference between God and a neck-tie salesman" LOL

hooch: I have a copy of the Bukowski/Purdy letters but it does'nt say why they had a fall out...

 

[mjp]

Bukowski/Purdy is probably the dullest of the letter books. I waited a long time to get my hands on a copy, and it was kind of disappointing. I can see why it didn't have a wider release.

 

[cirerita]

you nailed it there, mjp. I read the book and felt vastly unimpressed and kind of disappointed because I expected the fire and spark I read in the other volumes of letters. Too bad, really.

 

[HenryChinaski]

hmmm...well now i want this book less. thanks for the input.

 

[Paul Sempschi]

Layton was a blowhard, not much there, very boring. Much Leonard Cohen is the Canadian Jim Morrison. Though I like Purdy, Nowlan is where it's at (in Canadian letters). In Canada, no one's gotten as close to the bone as Nowlan (IMHO).
Buk was right, the Beats had their moment and the English Doctorates are simpering, gutless cowards.