Buk on Apostrophes... (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter rpmbuk
- Start date
the only good poet
One retreat after another without peace.
i watch the apostrophes there the other day. the translation in french drowns out what b was saying! so i cldn't here b and couldn't understand the french! wld love to know what was being said. i tell you, i felt like punching out that presenter when he told b to shut up. linda appeared to have nothing but contempt. don't know why he went on there, the bastards, but glad that he did. it was funny. i felt for him.
Cause Célébre
After viewing the show, I wonder why they had Bukowski on in the first place? He's drunk with nothing to do and trapped between two loquacious Frenchmen and no questions were ever directed at him in this sea of writers/authors or whatever"”it looked as crowded as a Star Trek convention. But even when Bukowski is told to "shut up" I did not sense major malice on the part of the host... though certainly, minor exasperation... I also found it amusing that the two French authors were engaged in their long, drawn-out conversation as if Bukowski was non-existent. Bukowski, forced to listen to this discussion while it's being translated into his earpiece, can no longer contain himself and finally makes something happen as his drunken but interesting life-force begins to erupt"”far more real and engaging than the highly intellectual French conversation that was going on in the literary foreground. The host might have started off with him as an author from across the Atlantic and given him a shot at it first, as no questions were ever directed to him in this segment.
Still, it was a fun watch either way because the animated literary discussion seems so classically French and Bukowski's no bullshit approach to things seems equally typical of his own irascible nature. The French host and his guests were too absorbed in their own conversation to notice where Bukowski was mentally/emotionally, not to mention his shit-faced level of blood alcohol. Something memorable was bound to happen.
Anyway, I enjoyed everyone's performance in this European slice of life that ended up in Bukowski's Shakespeare Never Did This (one of my favorites!) and all the personal life complications it made for Linda with her European relatives"”perfect! But again, I saw no acerbic malice from the host, only his mild exasperation to get Bukowski to shut-the-fuck-up and stop mumbling about whatever he was in his drunken stupor, with everything being so typically French, and there's nothing like a literary scandal or cause célébre to enliven the Continent. At least they genuinely care about literature there, and France has been the repository of many American expatriates, including Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway, and Henry Miller, just to name a few.
I also recall a quote by Miller's protégé Erica Jong about the French:
"In New York it was a dishonor to be an unknown writer; in Paris one could write ecrivain on one's passport and hold one's head high. In Paris it was assumed (it still is today) that an author had to have time, leisure, talk, solitude, stimulation. In New York it was, and still is, assumed that unless you fill up your time with appointments, you are a bum."
I give the French credit for at least giving a damn about the arts, no matter how artificial and contrived it may sometimes appear... and into this literary beehive was brought an unsuspecting but seemingly bemused Bukowski. Would love to have been there. "”Poptop.
After viewing the show, I wonder why they had Bukowski on in the first place? He's drunk with nothing to do and trapped between two loquacious Frenchmen and no questions were ever directed at him in this sea of writers/authors or whatever"”it looked as crowded as a Star Trek convention. But even when Bukowski is told to "shut up" I did not sense major malice on the part of the host... though certainly, minor exasperation... I also found it amusing that the two French authors were engaged in their long, drawn-out conversation as if Bukowski was non-existent. Bukowski, forced to listen to this discussion while it's being translated into his earpiece, can no longer contain himself and finally makes something happen as his drunken but interesting life-force begins to erupt"”far more real and engaging than the highly intellectual French conversation that was going on in the literary foreground. The host might have started off with him as an author from across the Atlantic and given him a shot at it first, as no questions were ever directed to him in this segment.
Still, it was a fun watch either way because the animated literary discussion seems so classically French and Bukowski's no bullshit approach to things seems equally typical of his own irascible nature. The French host and his guests were too absorbed in their own conversation to notice where Bukowski was mentally/emotionally, not to mention his shit-faced level of blood alcohol. Something memorable was bound to happen.
Anyway, I enjoyed everyone's performance in this European slice of life that ended up in Bukowski's Shakespeare Never Did This (one of my favorites!) and all the personal life complications it made for Linda with her European relatives"”perfect! But again, I saw no acerbic malice from the host, only his mild exasperation to get Bukowski to shut-the-fuck-up and stop mumbling about whatever he was in his drunken stupor, with everything being so typically French, and there's nothing like a literary scandal or cause célébre to enliven the Continent. At least they genuinely care about literature there, and France has been the repository of many American expatriates, including Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway, and Henry Miller, just to name a few.
I also recall a quote by Miller's protégé Erica Jong about the French:
"In New York it was a dishonor to be an unknown writer; in Paris one could write ecrivain on one's passport and hold one's head high. In Paris it was assumed (it still is today) that an author had to have time, leisure, talk, solitude, stimulation. In New York it was, and still is, assumed that unless you fill up your time with appointments, you are a bum."
I give the French credit for at least giving a damn about the arts, no matter how artificial and contrived it may sometimes appear... and into this literary beehive was brought an unsuspecting but seemingly bemused Bukowski. Would love to have been there. "”Poptop.
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G
grayxray
Don't forget they also showed us the way in surrender. How to artfully surrender to your enemy and that way you maybe can make him your friend. They are truly the best country on the face of the earth - sorry so many in the US hate them. Surrender is the way to peace! But that is just my opinion.
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Selective Memory
Well, since the subject was brought up...
I'm not here to defend the French, as this is a literary
rather than political newsgroup. But I will say this:
How some people forget that the French assisted the US in
breaking away from the Brits over 200 years ago...it's
rarely if ever mentioned:
"Following the Declaration of Independence of the thirteen
colonies, the American insurrection had been well received
in France, both by the population and the enlightened elites.
The Revolution was perceived as the incarnation of the
Enlightenment Spirit against the "English tyranny". Benjamin
Franklin, dispatched to France in December of 1776 to rally
her support, was welcomed with enthusiasm, and numerous
Frenchmen embarked for the Americas to help the insurrection,
motivated by the prospect or animated by the sincere ideal of
liberty and modernity, like Pierre Charles L'Enfant, and La
Fayette, who enlisted in 1776." (Wikipedia)
That counts for something... and let's not forget that the
most culturally unique city in the US has its magic because
of the influxes of Americans, French and Creole French. Without
the French influences"”a flat and tasteless New Orleans, or
what's left of it... So now, bash the French wholesale all you
want... Hugo, Cezanne, Colette, Debussy, Balzac, Monet,
Manet, Van Gogh, Flaubert, Rimbaud, Toulouse-Lautrec,
and most immortal of all... Brigit Bardot. ;-)
Poptop
Well, since the subject was brought up...
I'm not here to defend the French, as this is a literary
rather than political newsgroup. But I will say this:
How some people forget that the French assisted the US in
breaking away from the Brits over 200 years ago...it's
rarely if ever mentioned:
"Following the Declaration of Independence of the thirteen
colonies, the American insurrection had been well received
in France, both by the population and the enlightened elites.
The Revolution was perceived as the incarnation of the
Enlightenment Spirit against the "English tyranny". Benjamin
Franklin, dispatched to France in December of 1776 to rally
her support, was welcomed with enthusiasm, and numerous
Frenchmen embarked for the Americas to help the insurrection,
motivated by the prospect or animated by the sincere ideal of
liberty and modernity, like Pierre Charles L'Enfant, and La
Fayette, who enlisted in 1776." (Wikipedia)
That counts for something... and let's not forget that the
most culturally unique city in the US has its magic because
of the influxes of Americans, French and Creole French. Without
the French influences"”a flat and tasteless New Orleans, or
what's left of it... So now, bash the French wholesale all you
want... Hugo, Cezanne, Colette, Debussy, Balzac, Monet,
Manet, Van Gogh, Flaubert, Rimbaud, Toulouse-Lautrec,
and most immortal of all... Brigit Bardot. ;-)
Poptop
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G
grayxray
Yes, if it was not for the French there would be no US -- and lets not forget it was the French who taught us to make love with our mouths.
What more need be said? A great country and a great people. Lets get back to Buk!
What more need be said? A great country and a great people. Lets get back to Buk!
Maybe this thread has reached its conclusion here,
but always thought whatever beef any american, as ignorant as they may be, might have with the french might have more to do with that which we could call "the parisian attitude. "
Who knows ?there may be something to it. The parisians seem to me like that hot chick in high school who knew she was hot and wouldn't talk to you - at least to me. I always found it in me to forgive her, that hot chick.
But that's the Parisians...we're also talking about a country that has a rich Peasantry...maybe the longest lasting one...and I'm not up to judging them at all.
but always thought whatever beef any american, as ignorant as they may be, might have with the french might have more to do with that which we could call "the parisian attitude. "
Who knows ?there may be something to it. The parisians seem to me like that hot chick in high school who knew she was hot and wouldn't talk to you - at least to me. I always found it in me to forgive her, that hot chick.
But that's the Parisians...we're also talking about a country that has a rich Peasantry...maybe the longest lasting one...and I'm not up to judging them at all.
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G
grayxray
Yes Yes, and many many French chicks are hot - really hot, I love the country! Wine, chicks, tobacco - art, walking space, food to die for! Man I wish I was born there!
Whoops!
Sorry, Grayxray, for misunderstanding your comments, I do believe. They were subtle and I got off on the wrong foot. It's true that many in the US misunderstand the French. What interests me are individual acts of artistic heroism, and all nations have made their contributions. Unfortunately, France's juxtaposition to Germany didn't give them much of a chance against the Nazi war machine during WW2, but the French had their underground and courageous musicians like Django Reinhardt continued to play out boldly in Paris during the occupation. Anyway, I hope this post makes up for my misinterpretion for what you wrote... no hard feelings... and I send you my regards and renewed best wishes for happy postings. Viva la Bukowski! "”Sincerely, Poptop.
Sorry, Grayxray, for misunderstanding your comments, I do believe. They were subtle and I got off on the wrong foot. It's true that many in the US misunderstand the French. What interests me are individual acts of artistic heroism, and all nations have made their contributions. Unfortunately, France's juxtaposition to Germany didn't give them much of a chance against the Nazi war machine during WW2, but the French had their underground and courageous musicians like Django Reinhardt continued to play out boldly in Paris during the occupation. Anyway, I hope this post makes up for my misinterpretion for what you wrote... no hard feelings... and I send you my regards and renewed best wishes for happy postings. Viva la Bukowski! "”Sincerely, Poptop.
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HenryChinaski
Founding member
you can barely understand whats going on in this. it would have been cool though to have english subtitles for this. so we could at least understand what all the fuss was about.
