Bukowski & Dylan Thomas (1 Viewer)

What were Bukowski's views on Dylan Thomas? (the work & the man). I think a poem begins: "America killed Dylan Thomas" (approx.). Any ideas? I suppose he admired the spirit rather than the work - but I could be wrong.

Were there any 20th C. British poets Bukowski admired?
 
This is a good question....and to be honest no British poets come to mind that Bukowski ever mentioned...or had a taste for...he seemed primarily, though not exclusively, concerned with American Poets...

I'll have a sift through the books - I know he mentions Wilfred Owen in a few poems and I'm sure he mentions other British writers - at the very least he was aware of them and no doubt had a read.

Bukowski always said that Europe was years ahead of America...i.e. Europeans took to his work a lot quicker than the U.S. or the world. I guess, being orginally from Germany, he had a close respect for the 'wayward' European spirit.

Let's hope someone can bring some information on Bukowskis thought on British poets.

:)
 
If Buk's short story "This Is What Killed Dylan Thomas" (From South of No North) is any indication, I would suggest that Buk felt some kind of camaraderie with Thomas, at least at certain chaotic moments in his career...
 
I think there are some hints in the letter books, but I am at work right now, and cannot look anything up. I'm thinking Buk did like DT.
 
in Screams from the Balcony, Buk gives an unfavourable impression, implying Thomas was just a performer trying to please everyone to get free drinks, etc. maybe he just meant late Thomas?
flipping through two other letters collections, he holds Thomas up as something he has to be cautious not to turn into.
he never really discusses his work, just the perils of the public persona.
I'll check the Martinelli letters when I get a chance.
 
the UNIVERSITY IS THE THUNDERHEAD OF DEFEAT. the young know this. so they get sucked away from this and they get sucked into other cesspools: Bukowski, [Dylan] Thomas, Dylan, Ginsberg.
Screams, 293.

[Dylan] Thomas was one of the few who could get away with what I call ultra-poeticism
, Southern California Lit Scene vol. 1, no. 1 (December 1970): 33.

I think the second quote is quite revealing...
 
from Beerspit Night and Cursing,
"...but you know, D. was only good when he was good because he took the language and ran it thriugh his personal mould, not caring how it came out, as long as the sound of it made a line across paper. But I sensed, that going on with it, he became weak, writing UNDER his name; but he was smart enough to keep drinking because he sensed that that would keep them from swallowing him completely up...He swallowed himself up, rather, and that was the end."
 
If I had time to be bored I would answer, but I don't, so pretend I'm not here...

My favorite Dylan Thomas album is Blood on the Tracks, by the way.
 
Believed Bukowski also mentioned British poet Stephen Spender on a few occasions - cant point to anything specific now but would put money on it.
 
After reading the collections of his letters I did notice a surprising silence
about modern british poets. What he did say in passing was neither
respectful or disrespectful as I recall. His belief that Dylan Thomas was
killed by alcohol was an assumption shared by most people, and I was
a little surprised that he had not given this 'fact' the benefit of his
powerful, sceptical mind. He did comment I believe that Dylan wrote
less than his talent predicted. Their styles were far removed from each
other, though of at least equal talent. Among other English poets I see
a commonality with Philip Larkin, though obviously very different in
form.
 
buk did mention an early admiration of stephen spender. and would point out one poem in particular, the truly great

"i think continually of those who were truly great." etc
 
the interview was originally printed under the title, paying for horses, in london magazine, in the 70's. the beatscene mag republished it, issue no. 28.

wld have given more details in my last post but was jumping between this a my three-week old daughter...
 

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