Buk FBI File (1 Viewer)

[David]

I'm curious if anyone knows whether the dates Bukowski gives in the FBI file (on pp. 3-4) for his residences are accurate?: i.e.
Jan 1937-Dec 1941 2122 Longwood L.A.
Jan 1942-August 1945 Philadelphia
Sept 1945-Oct 1947 LA
Nov 1947-August 1949 LA
etc.
I know this has come up previously, but the FBI file says "On a Standard Form 85; "Security Investigation Data for Nonsensitive Position," dated December 26, 1957, BUKOWSKI lists the following addreses for the indicated dates..."
What's strange here is he was apparently in San Francisco I believe around 1942, but he does not list this.

 

[roni]

I remember Neeli claiming, that Bukowski wasn't able to recall all the cities he lived or in which order he did during the 'lost years'.
I know I could not recall all these dates and places.
Maybe Bukowski fed the FBI with just enough material so they would leave him alone.

 

[mjp]

You should trust the timeline on this question. The information in there is the result of verification from many different sources over a long period of time, not just the FBI address list. And it is always being updated. It isn't perfect because there are still gaps where Bukowski claimed to be wherever, but his presence wherever has never been verified.

But generally speaking, the timeline is as close as you'll get to knowing where he was at any given point in time.

 

[David]

OK, thanks. I had wondered if he "forgot" he was in SF, or just didn't want to tell the FBI, or just didn't want to wrack his brain to try to remember where he was living. But I think I figured out what puzzled me. I had assumed that this was data Bukowski had reported directly to the FBI so I had assumed he would tell everything he knew/remembered about his whereabouts (i.e. try to be as truthful as possible?) but now I noticed that what I quoted above--the "Standard Form 85; Security Investigation Data for Nonsensitive Postion", dated December 26, 1957, BUKOWSKI lists the following addresses"--is NOT info he gave to the FBI in the Sixties. So this was information he gave (perhaps to the Post Office?) back in 1957, NOT to the FBI.