Any poets like Bukowski...? (1 Viewer)

...or at least similar ones that any of you know of or like?

To tell you all the truth: I never liked poetry growing up, especially when it was foisted upon us at certain points in English class. Just wasn't ever my 'cup of tea'.
 
Every poet says the same thing. Bukowski simply re-wrote DH Lawrence’s insights (he nearly admits this) but in the language of *now*. So until there’s reason to update language and how we talk to one another, there’ll be no new Bukowski. The old insights are the same as forever. Every poet, every religion every philosopher has always staked the same thing.
 
Don't quit too soon!

All you have to do is rename the thing to dhlawrenceforum.com.


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OT: Not poets like Bukowski, but I personally like parts of the work of the following people very much: Robinson Jeffers, Richard Brautigan, Philip Larkin ("This Be The Verse"), Allen Ginsberg ("America"), Dylan Thomas, Anne Sexton, W.H. Auden, Robert Frost, Lord Byron, Charles Baudelaire ...

Generally there is a lot of crap in poetry. But try dat shit, there is some really nice stuff too.
 
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There's quite a lot out there. I would have a look at Raymond Carver's poetry and the 'machine poet' Fred Voss wrote some excellent poetry about working in an airplane factory. English artist/musician/poet Billy Childish has similarities in subject and style. William Wantling was a big inspiration for Bukowski, so check him out too. If you have a look at some of the small presses like Bospress.net and eatmytangerine.com then you'll almost definitely find new work that might interest you there. I'm putting a book out with Henry Denander later this year and his poems capture the humour of life as well as having that simplicity that is so hard to achieve.

At the racetrack
By Henry Denander

On eBay I bought four whisky glasses from
Santa Anita Park; this was Charles Bukowski’s
favorite race track and he spent a lot of time there.

I’ve never betted on the horses myself but there was
a race track close to our summer house in Sweden
and I went there when I was a kid.

I never really liked to watch the horses run but
I came to see my uncle Allan who was a
regular at the track. I liked him a lot and he
always gave me money for ice cream,
so even without betting I came out ahead.

And now, 45 years later, here I am
with my large Santa Anita whisky tumbler
with the engraved horses and jockeys,
a couple of ice cubes and a large splash
of Glenlivet whisky.

Maybe I’m slowly
beginning to understand
the art of horseracing
after all.

http://henrydenander.com/At_the_racetrack
 
Google "bukowski like writers " you will immediately see a very long list of portraits of writers along with a book and a discription of it.from the list I picked "the book of disquiet " by Fernando Pessoa. Just finished Buks "you get so alone at times it just makes sense. " Sarapna, maybe type into google, bukowski like poets.
 
sarapna, I found a book that i think might really interest you! ITs called " The Outlaw Bible of American Poetry" edited by Alan Kaufman. and its very thick ...676 pages!! it has hundredes of different poets and poems. I think it would be great book for you to get to find some poets you might like. I checked it and hopefully will find some good new Bukowski like poets in there.
 
, my pleasure Sarapna, you got me headed in a good direction, so thanks for starting this thread!!
im impressed so far with what I have read in "The Outlaw Bible of american Poetry ,
I read a brilliant poem by David Lerner called" Mein Kampf" on page 8. Very impressed.
In the publishers note in the beginning of the book he mentions he was unable to get the permission from Bukowski to be included in the book. Was Bukowski alive to give the "no ", was he alive at the time this book was getting put together? or who said he shouldn't be included in this book I wonder, because he certainly belongs in this book.
 
The Outlaw Bible of American Poetry appears to have been released in 1999. With Buk's passing in 1994 and with Black Sparrow in full stride with the posthumous editions (for whatever they're worth), it's easy to see why they wanted to retain everything.
 
If you want to read the best poets of the last 50 years, Hank included, go to eBay and ABE books and start buying copies of the Wormwood Review.
cool, thanks, I found Anne Menebroker . Did not know about her and that Buk remembered her the dedication in South of No North.
 
im impressed so far with what I have read in "The Outlaw Bible of american Poetry , [...] In the publishers note in the beginning of the book he mentions he was unable to get the permission from Bukowski to be included in the book. Was Bukowski alive to give the "no ", was he alive at the time this book was getting put together? or who said he shouldn't be included in this book I wonder, because he certainly belongs in this book.
The book was NOT edited by Alan Kauffman, it was co-edited by Kauffman and S.A. Griffin. Because the publisher decided to later abridge the editorship of this is no reason to be fooled. The 1st and 3rd printings have both editors listed. They had Bukowski in there and Kauffman blew it and caused his poetry to be pulled by the estate. Some co-editor.... Don't trust Kauffman on this...
 
The book was NOT edited by Alan Kauffman, it was co-edited by Kauffman and S.A. Griffin. Because the publisher decided to later abridge the editorship of this is no reason to be fooled. The 1st and 3rd printings have both editors listed. They had Bukowski in there and Kauffman blew it and caused his poetry to be pulled by the estate. Some co-editor.... Don't trust Kauffman on this...
Oh , I see. The book was so large and thick it became very cumbersome to handle and read . I gave up and returned it to the library before completing it. Thank you! I need to go to the library and find a new book to read.
 
In terms of the plain everyday-ordinariness of Bukowski, I would recommend M.A.Griffiths. She's much more twee, and polished, but I still find her poetry very enjoyable to read. Take the last couplet from her poem "For Sarah".

When Sarah's shagged across a stranger's bonnet,
She'll not give a fuck for this dumb sonnet.
I also like R.S.Thomas. I think that Bukowski and R.S.Thomas share a similarly bleak, misanthropic, feeling of loneliness. Take the poem "The Other" for example.


E.Bronte is also very dark and lonely in mood. Below is a reading of one of her most popular poems.


However, I do agree with you that there is a dearth of popular, non-academic, poets writing about the bleakness of existence.

If you can't find any poets to read, you could always read Studies in Pessimism by Arthur Schopenhauer –– it's, possibly, even better than Bukowski.

Also, you might enjoy Matsuo Bashō. I've not heard any academics talking about the connection between Bukowski and Haiku, possible because I don't mix in those circles anymore; however, I always thought there was a strong parallel between the banality of Bukowski and the plain everydayness of haiku, and other, similar, Japanese poetic forms. I know that many people would disagree about this aforementioned point –– in particular those drawing connections to Zen and Haiku –– however, I think Bukowski is more Zen than any monk I've ever met. Zen Masters and Bukowski are, in my opinion, very similar, in that both are misidentified as being iconoclasts when in actual fact they are probably just mentally disordered, relative to the general population.

As for the aforementioned banality of Bukowski, I often read a poem by Bukowski and get to the end thinking what was his point. I don't mean to be cruel; however, much of the time, Bukowski never had a point. I'm not even sure he had a story to tell –– he certainly had plenty of anecdotes to share; however, they were, at least it seems to me, always fragmented and without purpose. Not that a poet/artist has to have a story to tell, or anything such as that –– one of my favourite painters is Francis Bacon, and he stated, clearly, that he "had no story to tell". In fact, I'm not one for stories myself. I prefer stuff that speaks about the moment of existence, and I feel this is why people so often dislike Bukowski –– I feel it's as though people are, from an intellectual perspective, often looking for some grand narrative that is intellectually overwrought in style. When you say that you enjoy reading poetry that is plain and simple, such as Bukowski, Haiku, or whatever, certain people start to feel sorry for you –– as though they pity you, because you "just don't get it". I, personally speaking, think it's an element of class snobbery. I also feel that his indecorous behaviour was much the antidote to the ideology of politeness that leads to so many humans engaging in servile and obsequious behaviour that is wholly destructive to the human soul. Sure, there are examples of writers who have written in a plain, simple, and direct style having being integrated into the canon of English literature; however, I can't think of any who managed to do it without being sanitised in the process. I can't ever imagine Bukowski being integrated into the mainstream academic culture, simply because he stands for everything the middle-classes despise: someone truly being themselves. I guess that's what I look for in poetry: a pure and honest, almost spiritual expression, of a soul –– even if that soul is demented.
 
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I'm not sure, but he talked about liking James Thurber. Judging by the year Thurber was born I would have a wild guess that he might have had an element of rawness/realism about his writing. Tell me what you think. I haven't read him, but I'm going to soon!
 
Wow! Not heard of him until now; however, I'll definitely be chasing up more of his work. Thanks for the recommendation, the only good poet!

His work is free to purchase on the Bloodaxe website too; however, you still need to add your credit card details. I think it's a mistake on the Bloodaxe website. Strange coincidence though.
 
Free! How does that work?
Fred is married to Joan Jobe Smith and the two of them seem to travel to Europe quite a bit. As poets they probably get more opportunities to attend readings/literary festivals, etc. than they get book sales, especially with their connections to Bukowski. As a result it may actually be more beneficial to have the work readily available. That is complete guess work on my part. I met them both at a reading in London a few years back. Very cool cats.
 
I own both Carnegie Hall with Tin Walls and Goodstone (purchased!), and I also subscribed to Penniless Press, where Fred Voss was included in practically every issue, if i'm not mistaken. I seem to recall they attended the Wessex festival, Dorset, possibly in 2001.
 

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