Bukowski's attempted suicide? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter theog
- Start date
the only good poet
One retreat after another without peace.
SOMETIMES IT'S EASIER TO KILL SOMEBODY ELSE a poem in SEPTUAGENARIAN STEW springs to mind. there's probably in that poem as much description of the attempt as anywhere else in his oeuvre.
HenryChinaski
Founding member
i know I remember reading about it i think. theres just so much fucking buk work ive been reading that I have no recolection at all of as to where it was. sorry my friend. perhaps i will stumble upon it again because I seem to find myself not intending to retrace my steps when it comes to reading hanks work.
the only good poet
One retreat after another without peace.
excuse me, mjp, HC, is my above post incorrect? like they said of li po in his lifetime, my post seems to have walked through this thread with an other-worldly ease...:confused:
mjp
Founding member
Oh no, you're correct. There are a lot more references to suicide, that's all I was trying to say. Dozens, probably.
Here's the manuscript for the poem you mentioned:
https://web.archive.org/web/2020/ht...poem-unknown-sometimes_its_easier_to_kill.jpg
He mentions the address, Kingsley Drive, he was there in 1956 and 57.
Here's the manuscript for the poem you mentioned:
https://web.archive.org/web/2020/ht...poem-unknown-sometimes_its_easier_to_kill.jpg
He mentions the address, Kingsley Drive, he was there in 1956 and 57.
Didnt he also write about this suicide in "Slouching Toward Nirvana"?
the only good poet
One retreat after another without peace.
very likely. i'm not as familiar with the postumous stuff, having lost interest at a certain point (bone palace ballet, i think). nevertheless, my bookshelf seems to have acquired the late collections by themselves (albeit, mostly in british paperback releases.) ok, back to suicide...
Bukfan
"The law is wrong; I am right"
He talks about committing suicide by gas in the short story "The way the dead love" in the book "South of no north" page 149. I remember having read about another suicide attempt of his, also by gas. He turns on the jets and lies down on the bed, then loosing his nerve he leaves the bed and opens the windows. Just can't remember where I read it...
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There's an essay/story in the book "Notes of a Dirty Old Man" that is focused on suicide attempts - his own and others'. The gas attempt is mention, as well as an attempt that was thwarted by Milton Berile's cousin's head being hit by a rock. Good stuff. Don't have my copy by my side, so I can't give a page number, but it's definitely in there.
Bukfan
"The law is wrong; I am right"
You're right! The suide attempt I couldn't remember is indeed the one you mention. I looked it up. It's in "notes..." page 95. And he talks about being saved by the news of Milton Berles cousin's head having been hit by a rock, as he also does in "The Way The Dead Love". So it's the same suicide attempt being described in two different books.
But as we know, it was quite common for Buk to repeat himself in his books...
I see this is your first post. Welcome to the forum!...
But as we know, it was quite common for Buk to repeat himself in his books...
I see this is your first post. Welcome to the forum!...
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bospress.net
www.bospress.net
And that was a hell of a fine first post, I must say!
Bill
Bill
HenryChinaski
Founding member
YES! thats the one i was thinking of. damnit man, youre a walking talking bukowski reference. LOL . good work bukfan.
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No that was John Martin who wrote about it.
