A few short stories where he mentions taking pills. And I can think of two where he discusses coke. Seems like a man like Bukowski wouldn't go for the coke. No reason to say that, but I think with his fondness for the alky, the coke wouldn't get him where he liked to be. And probably would prefer pills that would mellow you out. And who is the rockstar of 1970, living off royalties that visited Buk and turned him on to coke?
Bukowski and drug use (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Joe Batters
- Start date
imo most hardcore alch-ies get into speed, coke, or crack (the smokeable version of coke), or some form of speedy drug, so that they continue drinking for days even weeks...
mjp
Founding member
Oh that's what crack is! Thanks, I've been wondering since, like, 1980.
I eat coke for breakfast.
with milk? or right out of the box?
With a side plate of coke.
number6horse
okyoutwopixiesoutyougo
It's 8 in the morning. Go to bed.
If you can.:D
If you can.:D
Gerard K H Love
Appreciate your friends
I knew a guy who loved coke. He was 39 years old with 4 kids when we buried him. We cried for his children. The insurance company coughed up the $600,000. on a one year old policy. His wife and her new boyfriend went through the money quickly.
Yep, enjoy that breakfast while you can. They say the damage done to your heart can only be detected during an autopsy.
If Bukowski was into coke he would not have written most of his best work.
Many comments in interviews, essays, stories about his preference for beer/wine and sometimes scotch/vodka and 7 over drugs. He dabbled in pills once in a while and grass but the overall verdict seems to have been that alcohol is the "blood of the gods." He also connected drinking with writing, but again only beer and wine, and said whiskey was good for a while but then flattened you out. Drinking, writing, and listening to classical music are obviously all solitary activities for him--and enhance each other when done together.
He switched to good German white wine later in life, buying cases of Bernkastel.
For a good book on writers and drugs, check out Marcus Boon, The Road of Excess: A History of Writers on Drugs.
He switched to good German white wine later in life, buying cases of Bernkastel.
For a good book on writers and drugs, check out Marcus Boon, The Road of Excess: A History of Writers on Drugs.
Lolita Twist
Rose-hustler
Sympathies about your friend (was he a friend?) Ger...
Gerard K H Love said:
Meh, well... see, I have kind of an off-the-wall belief here. I kind of agree with you, in the sense that, I believe that if we (could) go back in the past and change just one (even if it be very small) thing, it changes, or can change every single thing in the present.
(I study religions, don't take me all that seriously, I'm an atheist at heart.)
Though... on the contrary, we don't know if he ever was for sure, and if it ever came out that he was, then his alleged "best work" would still be there and it still would've been written. The past can't change and the present can't change the past. That sort of thang.
I'm sure I could divulge more into this theory, but my mind moves too fast for my fingers. It's awful, get awful headaches, insomnia, anxiety. Humbug.
Also: Re: Everyone
See: Prozac Nation; Elizabeth Wurtzel
Not saying much for her writing ability in my opinion, but the whole drug/past/present/work ethic/writing belief/whatever thing is conveyed sort of in the movie/book.
Dr. Sterling: Have you had any drugs in the last 24 hours?
Elizabeth: No. Well... I guess I snorted some coke and smoked some pot but uh, you know, that was just to make the ecstasy last longer.
Dr. Sterling: Sure you're not forgetting anything?
Elizabeth: Maybe a few beers?
Dr. Sterling: Did you ever think you might have a substance abuse problem?
Elizabeth: The only substance problem I have right now is that I need you to get me some trank so I can come down off this fucking coke.
And, RE: PILLS
I could see Buk having took pills. As a recovering alky/narc addict myself, booze and narcotics had a very similiar, numbing affect on me. I only ever took downers though, I hate(d) uppers. There should be another thread where we break down the psychology of it. That'd be fun.
There are a couple of poems where Buk writes about being at someone's place and taking a few pills with them. But they are few and far between. Probably early, mid-70s.
Gerard K H Love
Appreciate your friends
Lolita:My point was he would have died many years earlier. Does anyone know an old cocaine head?
I didn't think so. Although the guy I mentioned was a friend he was not a nice guy unless he wanted something, like many people.
We went to Santa Anita once, I lost $20..
Lolita Twist
Rose-hustler
Well... an old coke head that's still heavily active? No. Old recovering addicts? Yes... recovering addicts that still smoke weed, yes. Though, even though this isn't the question, we all know that alcoholics can live into very old age, some how.
Opening day at Saratoga this past summer, a recovering coke head (ex friend of mine) gave me 20 to put on the 3 to win... the 3 placed.
Opening day at Saratoga this past summer, a recovering coke head (ex friend of mine) gave me 20 to put on the 3 to win... the 3 placed.
Did I say I consumed coke for breakfast? I meant filet mignon, sorry, typing error. I guess I should stop using radium in my shaver though.
We're rehearsing for a 1950s instructional film to be shown in High Schools nationwide. Apparently. Gents: grab your pipes and tweed jackets. Ladies: souffles and ironing boards at the ready!
I agree, coke makes you overthink/overtalk/overwrite. All ability to be concise flies out the window; look at Stephen King, his novels tripled in size when he started doing coke.
P.S.To any S.K.fans, I'm not picking on King, I have enjoyed alot of his work, especially when I was younger.
My Grandmother adored him, and for that reason he holds a place in my reading heart. CRB:)
Don't forget your homosexuality inoculation.
bospress.net
www.bospress.net
Ah, it's a futile but enticing thought, but if Bukowski didn't drink as much or didn't get Lukemia, he would be alive today. He realistically could still be alive today but he is not. But that he could be is a small consolation for a man who dedicated himself to recording life as he saw it, as others brought it to him, and as it revealed itself.
I wonder O I wonder what thunder he might have written
had he stayed to weather the storm a decade longer.
I wonder O I wonder what thunder he might have written
had he stayed to weather the storm a decade longer.
Cocaine and speed offer the slower suicide compared to heroin, at least that's what an ex junkie told me. Some people with low self confidence, problems in relating to their emotions, sometimes abused people who were raped as an infant use coke and speed to play the big winner, according to my experiences. But they're overdriven and often can't remember how they told you stories about the loss of their mother, how much they like you...for hours. Or what kind of egocentric asshole they were acting like. I don't think Bukowski appreciated cocaine and speed on a high level for himself, many have taken a dose once or twice because they were curious, but alcohol was his main demon.
In my opinion, for everything boiling inside of him, he used his writing as a catharsis. Such cleansing can't be achieved by snorting.
In my opinion, for everything boiling inside of him, he used his writing as a catharsis. Such cleansing can't be achieved by snorting.
bospress.net
www.bospress.net
it is not that Sounes is not reliable ever, but that he is sometimes wrong and then instead of learning from it, he lashes out at anyone that disagrees with his assumption. There are a couple instances of this on this forum where very knowledgeable people discovered important information, only to be told that they must be wrong. These are not people that make quick judgments and their research was very, very thorough.
Bill
Bill
I'm no expert on this, but from my recollection there are scattered comments about taking pills occassionally with John Thomas, there is a recurrent preference for alcohol over all other "drugs," there are scattered references to marijuana use, and the story "Distractions of the Literary Life" is about cocaine. What about mescaline and LSD? I'm guessing Buk tried a little of all of it, but probably not heroin or anything you put in your veins...
Ambreen
Sordide Sentimental
Ok, I take due note of this ;)
Bukowski on drugs, at 5:00:
"They just end up, 'Heeeeey, Heeeeeeeeaaay.' I don't like that. I like drunkards man, they come out of it, and they're sick, they come out of it, they spring back and forth. But even the light drug freaks, they're like 'Okaaeeeey. Okaaeeeeeey'. It's like all mind circulation, all spirit has been cut off."
"They just end up, 'Heeeeey, Heeeeeeeeaaay.' I don't like that. I like drunkards man, they come out of it, and they're sick, they come out of it, they spring back and forth. But even the light drug freaks, they're like 'Okaaeeeey. Okaaeeeeeey'. It's like all mind circulation, all spirit has been cut off."
Gerard K H Love
Appreciate your friends
Did anyone else notice how (in part 5 video) as he was driving down the street Bukowski says, "Hey man, what's happening?" when he sees black guys? When I worked in a factory most of the guys I worked with use to do the same thing. We always did it if we were driving down the street with a black friend in the car. It may be racist but we were smoking pot and showing that we knew how to communicate with the people, man.
That made me laugh.
That made me laugh.
G
Garret
I've always believed Bukowski had a good eye for these type of things;)
Dear Pessimist, thanks so much for posting this. I've not seen much of these tapes and this was brand new to me.
I LOVE Bukowski!
He was just so damn personable when you get right down to it- he hated and loved people at the same time- combined with his excellent humor and drunkard's heart- well, in my book-he will always be the tops!
