I'm looking for a work by Bukowski that alludes to, or explicitly mentions what one would consider a major historical event. The only things I've found is 'Treason' about Colyngbourne's execution. Hook me up fans.
BUK and major historical events (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter electrowilly
- Start date
Ham on Rye ends with Pearl Harbour / America's entry into the Second World War.
B
BicycleTragedy
Damn, you beat me to it. I actually just finished that book today.
Also though, in that book, I think he mentions Dillinger's murder. Or maybe that was just in a poem I read in POTD...
Also though, in that book, I think he mentions Dillinger's murder. Or maybe that was just in a poem I read in POTD...
There, you've got your homework done...
I am sorry. I just saw a question I could answer and got all excited ;)
Bukoski actually makes lots of 'historical refrences' in his stories, especially poetry. Whether is be recounting the tale of some mock communist army pillaging a village or a sentence or two commenting on Hitler, Stalin, burning Buddhists or references to 'important' literary figures and thinkers of the years.
They are amazing as well, because he just notes them or makes interesting comments which often lead people to investigate these people/things further, without having to have some grand lecture from a professor.
The greatest historical fact he every recorded was the great anticlimax and anonymity of just about everyones everyday suffering and life and death. Everyone is either great because they amount to nothing or amount to nothing because they weren't great.
Mind, Bukowski was certianly not the type to write a novel about 'A young man struggling with testicular cancer set against back drop of 19th Century miners strike during the reign of margaret thatcher.' It wasn't what he was writing for and quite right at that.
They are amazing as well, because he just notes them or makes interesting comments which often lead people to investigate these people/things further, without having to have some grand lecture from a professor.
The greatest historical fact he every recorded was the great anticlimax and anonymity of just about everyones everyday suffering and life and death. Everyone is either great because they amount to nothing or amount to nothing because they weren't great.
Mind, Bukowski was certianly not the type to write a novel about 'A young man struggling with testicular cancer set against back drop of 19th Century miners strike during the reign of margaret thatcher.' It wasn't what he was writing for and quite right at that.
Thanks much
I appreciate the help all. I have to analyze a poem that was written with reference to a major historical event, I'm not all that into reading poetry beyond Bukowski and EE Cummings so I wanted to stick with that.
It's pretty awesome that there is such an active forum devoted to Bukowski.
I appreciate the help all. I have to analyze a poem that was written with reference to a major historical event, I'm not all that into reading poetry beyond Bukowski and EE Cummings so I wanted to stick with that.
It's pretty awesome that there is such an active forum devoted to Bukowski.
Let me suggest the meaty nine page poem, WW2, in Bukowski's Mockingbird Wish Me Luck -- the event you may be looking for. If you like him at all, you won't be disappointed. It's a highly charged, galloping narrative that recounts his experiences with the draft board and beyond during the rabidly patriotic period of the 2nd World War -- what he went through as an outsider. A personal favorite. Unforgettable.
Lolita Twist
Rose-hustler
There's that scene at the end of that one short story with all the bestiality in it where LA is hit with the A bomb.
shhhh... i want him to fail his report.
shhhh... i want him to fail his report.
