Bukowski on Sartre (1 Viewer)

[GDPR 9650]

I read on a blog (Link below) that Bukowski liked Sartre.

It's no surprise to me that the man was interested in existentialism. He put some money on that horse himself. However in my little research - very little research - I wasn't able to find anything to validate the claim that he liked 'Nausea', or any Sartre for that matter. Could anyone give me evidence(s) to such claim ? Or not, maybe it's bullshit. I don't know.

PS : I'm a little tight with my work. So I couldn't look deep into matter. That's the reason for the 'Very little research'. Also, I like asking questions in the forum. ;p

Thanks for your time !

The Blog post (If I may) : http://www.bukowskidrankmedry.com/2012/04/charles-bukowski-influences-writers-and.html

 

[the only good poet]

I seem to recall Bukowski was asked at a gathering, a "symposium" of L.A. writers, if he knew what existentialism was. He replied, "Sartre's farts." Is there any surprise? Read SCREAMS FROM THE BALCONY. He mentions Sartre there, he liked "early Sartre." The late Sartre would involve a medium.

 

[Purple Stickpin]

Buk mentions Camus in a positive light more than once, so it stands to reason that he might view Sartre in a similar way (although Camus would likely disagree with me).

 

[GDPR 9650]

I remember him talking about his admiration for 'The Stranger' and how awful - he thought - it was Camus' french academy speeches. Would you care to tell me about other instances where he mentioned Camus ? I love them both, but I can't recall Bukowski mentioning him again. Maybe I haven't read it, yet. Or I just completely forgot about it (which is even worst - self-criticism).

I going off the thread now, but I didn't thought about it that way. Bukowski admired some Camus' work; so why the hell would he not feel the same about Sartre's ? Duh! They kind of played in the same team - for a while. I think.

 

[Purple Stickpin]

It's been a long time since I've read those passages and there aren't that many, but enough for me to conclude that, in general, Buk thought fairly highly of Camus. I know there's a line or three in poems, but I can't remember which ones.

 

[Black Swan]

Bukowski mentions Sartre quite favourably in many instances. I tried to find what he had said exactly about Sartre, but there are too many to mention here. This is one that I liked.

think of it

think of it, there were fellows like
Kierkegaard and Sartre
who found existence
absurd,
who battled against
anxiety and anguish,
nothingness,
nausea,
and death hanging over them
like a
Damocles sword
while there are other men
now
so empty of concern
that their first thought of the
day is
when are they going to have
lunch?
granted, it could be more
comfortable
to live, say, as a fly, an
ant, a mugwump,
but as a human,
just think,
as a human
to live
thusly, as millions do
again and again.
of course, hell is other
people,
the waste, the waste,
all flushed away
like
it, like
that.

the garage mechanic
walking toward you
with dead
eyes.

 

[Johannes]

I too remember him mentioning somewhere in the letters that he liked Sartres early short stories and commenting on Sartres rejection of the Nobel prize in passing.

Also there was the made up Sartre quote that Bukowski was "the greatest poet in America" which he wrote about in several letters. Jon Webb created that one, if I remember correctly.