I've read a fair amount of Bukowski's poetry and prose and I would like to get a taste of his letters. Unfortunately, I am not even aware of what the collections of his letters and correspondences are. I know that some cataloges of Bukowski's work have been posted before, but I don't know where to start letters-wise. Do any of you knowledgeable folks have any suggestions?
Bukowski's Letters (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter taxidriver
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Yes, start here: http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/Sea...y=2&sts=t&tn=screams+from+the+balcony&x=0&y=0
The second volume is called: Living on luck and the third volume is called: Reach for the sun
You will not regret reading them.
It depends on your budget, but I do prefer the original Black Sparrow press versions.
The second volume is called: Living on luck and the third volume is called: Reach for the sun
You will not regret reading them.
It depends on your budget, but I do prefer the original Black Sparrow press versions.
Thanks for the suggestions. Right after I made my initial post I remembered I had saved a Buk catalog including the collections mentioned as well as Beerspit Night and Cursing and The Bukowski - Purdy Letters. Now at least I know to start with his general letters before reading his letters to specific people.
Petey
RIP
Well talking about letters there is also a german editon from an underground publisher called " Ariel " available.
The title is : Los Angeles - Andernach Letters to uncle Heinrich
http://www.ariel-verlag.de/html/bukowski.html
They printed the " family " letters from Bukowski to his uncle Heinrich Fett sen. in Andernach bilingual german/english from 1965-1982.
Buk wrote often in a polite and well behaved way but it is an interesting information in my opion.
The title is : Los Angeles - Andernach Letters to uncle Heinrich
http://www.ariel-verlag.de/html/bukowski.html
They printed the " family " letters from Bukowski to his uncle Heinrich Fett sen. in Andernach bilingual german/english from 1965-1982.
Buk wrote often in a polite and well behaved way but it is an interesting information in my opion.
Petey
RIP
I dunno exactly but i doubt this.
Petey
RIP
No need for a translation.
Again: they printed the original letters in english AND the german translation
so it is readable for all your guys outthere!
I know 18,- Euro plus freight is not less but : Support the underground !
Ah, I forgot.
2 languages for 18 euro isn't that bad...They didn't ask for shipping costs.
I AM the underground. Support me!
Bukfan
"The law is wrong; I am right"
Me too! - I accept Paypal, Visa, Mastercard, cash and empty beer bottles...:D
I find the letters GREAT. It gives you an at-home-Buk-peek ( the gardening back to nature, Buk), his deep love for Marina and the first signs that he loves Linda.
That they are printed as the original is a beautiful bonus.
19 letters full of the real Charles Bukowski: Sentimental & Emotional.
bospress.net
www.bospress.net
There are many inexpensive copies of his books to be found.
LickTheStar
Sad Flower in the Sand
Yeah I've paged through Vols 1-3 and they're much better than the Martinelli letters... Though I kinda enjoy what I've read in the Bukowski\Purdy letters... Though that may be because I got it cheap...
I'm just glad the books exist. I often shudder to think of the "e-mail collections" we'll be looking at a few years down the line... Ugh...
I'm just glad the books exist. I often shudder to think of the "e-mail collections" we'll be looking at a few years down the line... Ugh...
Father Luke
Founding member
There have been books of collected AOL chats.
I mean, like duh?
They weren't big sellers.
heh.
Father Luke
Founding member
Father Luke
Founding member
Bukowski was quite human, and also tender.
You might enjoy reading what he wrote when a love died . . .
For Jane: With All the Love I Had, Which Was Not Enough
Hi All- what an incredible letter writer Bukowski was! His correspondence is one of the things that got me really hooked into him. The honesty and straightforwardness of his poetry shines all that much brighter when you read his letters. I only have the Virgin trade editions, and I've yet to read the Martinelli(?) book. I do believe that in years to come, as Bukowski becomes more and more recognized for his art, that the letters will be a huge part of his cannon,(no pun intended:D). CRB
Beerspit Night and Cursing is a volume of correspondence between himself and one Sheri Martinelli, Ezra Pound's last fling. They share all kinds of philosophy and lit crit, and all the while she's trying to preen him. He broke it off, but I'd say the conversation often was pretty good while it lasted.
about as expensive as buying original banksys. i love your banksy avatar
reasonknot
Founding member
are the Bukowski\Purdy Letters cool or are they as flat and lame as the Martinelli letters?
reasonknot
Founding member
there is a bid for that book on e bay now for $20. I just remember buying Beyond Remembering
the collection of Al Purdy and being really disappointed. Unless you were traveling to a place he mentioned, his words lost meaning and impact.
the collection of Al Purdy and being really disappointed. Unless you were traveling to a place he mentioned, his words lost meaning and impact.
LickTheStar
Sad Flower in the Sand
I think the letters are sorta interesting... But I think most of what I liked still came from Buk... not as tedious as the Martinelli letters seemed to me, but not as good as the other BSP collections either.
Rekrab
Usually wrong.
I made the mistake of selling my only copy of the Purdy/Bukowski letters, but I remember enjoying them. Unlike most here, I actually like the Martinelli letters. Buk and Sherry keep trying to one up each other with the bizarre word play Martinelli learned from Ezra Pound, with Buk trying to impress Martinelli and she not being all that impressed. I find them entertaining, but I can see why many wouldn't. But then, I read the dictionary from cover to cover for fun as a kid, so I guess I'm just like that. Probably undiagnosed Aspergers.
mjp
Founding member
Oh, he's responsible for that beatnik claptrap? Far from bizarre wordplay, that dropping of vowels, etc., is just moronification (see there, that's wordplay! ;)). Nothing particularly interesting or inventive about it. In my ever-humble opinion. But I'm uneducated, and never sucked Ezra Pound's cock or gave Kerouac a sponge bath, so what do I know.
But that's the reason those letters ring false to me. Bukowski was just trying to get laid (which seemed to be the driving force behind almost all of his correspondence with women), and he looks like an asshole doing it. If they had interspersed some of those letters in the other letter collections it would be more obvious. They would stick out like the sore thumbs they are.
Smug letters written by a couple of people who are very impressed with themselves. They left me very cold, which is the opposite of what I want or expect from a book with Bukowski's name on the cover. Is it interesting to see that pandering side of him? Sure. Doesn't make it any less unpleasant though. I have it, I've read it, but I would never voluntarily read it again. I didn't even buy a hardcover copy.
I think the problem with the Martinelli and Purdy books is that the other letter books are there to compare them to, and they both fall far short of the fire on display in the other collections.
wow, that's impressive. my dictionary fun was seeing how many pages of it i could shoot a pellet gun through.
Rekrab
Usually wrong.
Well, sure, he was. That comes through loud and clear. But I think he was also trying to score some cred with Martinelli, who -- as Pound's former protoge (err, mistress) -- had more literary clout at the time than the unknown Bukowski did, although she was pretty obscure herself. I don't get the feeling he scored on either account. She didn't want to sleep with him, and didn't think he measured up to Pound, so to speak.
As for the Beats getting moronic claptrap from Pound, I don't know how many of them even read him. Ginsberg did, but he read everything.
But it was stuff like reading the dictionary that got me beat up by the hoods at school.
yeah but they're probably pumping gas now while you're an immortal poet!
