Bukowskis typewriter paper (1 Viewer)

[Johannes]

This might be a completely dull subject but I wonder what kind of typewriter paper(s) Bukowski used. Where he bought it, how much, at what price and so on.

Considering the enormous amount of poems, prose, letters and also the fact, that Bukowski used this sort of paper for his paintings also, it's obvious that he must have bought huge packs of paper regularly for decades. Yet I don't recall one interview/letter/poem/whatever where he speaks or writes about this.

This too wouldn't be so astounding, because how many writers write about the fucking paper they write on? But as we all know Bukowski was the one writer who put his typewriters, typewriter ribbons, kitchen tables, grocery stores, cars, laundries and so on in his work and turned it into art.

Only thing clear is, looking at his manuscripts, that he used different types of papers at different times.

Do you think he picked it up at the post office while he was working there? Together with stamps and envelopes? Does anybody recall him mentioning his working paper somewhere in poems or letters? Or do you think picking up the stuff was simply such a dull routine task that he never thought it was worth mentioning?

 

[mjp]

There is a mention in a poem or two...and I'm pretty sure he says he bought it at the drugstore. But then he also bought underwear and socks at the drugstore, so it shouldn't be too surprising.

You can walk in to an office supply store now and buy a case of paper in reams, but it wasn't always like that. Before the computer printer, most normal humans had no use for a ream of paper. You bought typing paper in little packages of 25 or 50 sheets.

- - -

Well, you made me curious, so I went and looked at letters and manuscripts from 1964, 71, 73, 74, 75, 79 and 83, and there are no watermarks on any of the paper. It's just inexpensive typing paper. But you can see that his manuscripts from the 60s are more discolored than later ones, so he was either using really cheap paper then, or all typing paper was more cheaply made then.



And with that we are one step closer to sniffing bindings.

 

[Johannes]

You can walk in to an office supply store now and buy a case of paper in reams, but it wasn't always like that. Before the computer printer, most normal humans had no use for a ream of paper. You bought typing paper in little packages of 25 or 50 sheets.

That's what I mean, Bukowski was one individual who needed a shitload of paper.

For some reason I can't imagine him picking up a couple of packages before or after his shift at the Terminal Annex. But maybe he did, who knows. Maybe it was even cheaper to get there.

But you are right, probably he just got it from drugstores between driving to the track, laundry, liquor store and so on.

I came upon this while watching Born into this again, when Neeli talks about Bukowski producing more poems than anybody else during the 50's and 60's and the discipline that took with going to the store to get the stamps and envelopes and everything.

 

[christopher]

He either:

Had it delivered by female receptionists that he seduced

OR

Stole it from wherever he was employed at the time.

But seriously, interesting thread / thoughts.

 

[Johnstone]

i heard he got a giant scroll of wallpaper and typed POST OFFICE in three nights, fueled on bennys.

 

[Black Swan]

you might be thinking of Kerouac's On The Road, which was written on a scroll in 3 weeks.

 

[BUKFAN78]

Yep, that was Jack with the bennies and scroll. Buk had beer and fear if I remember correctly.

 

[Hosh]

you might be thinking of Kerouac's On The Road, which was written on a scroll in 3 weeks.

I saw the scroll when it was on tour (its owned by the owner of the Indianpolis Colts, if memory serves)...and I think it was a scroll of teletype paper. The 3 weeks on bennies thing rarely mentions that it was Kerouac's 3 or 4th pass at the book, having written loads of that material a few times until it finally came together for him.

And, for future reference (even though I can't afford it), I want everyone to know (believe) that I type on Mohawk Via Felt...it's like butter!

 

[mjp]

$231 per ream, plus shipping? Sounds reasonable.

 

[skiroomalum]

Ulysses was written on the back of a matchbook cover in 14 hours while Joyce was high on crank and PBR at Don Simpson's house while he was doing rewrites for Die Hard 2.

 

[bospress.net]

$231 per ream, plus shipping? Sounds reasonable.

That has to be for parent sheets. If so, at 25x38, you can get 10 reams out of 500 parent sheets, or about $23 a ream.

 

[mjp]

Yeah, those are parent sheets. I was just trying to be outrageous and controversial.

 

[Purple Stickpin]

Well, you made me curious, so I went and looked at letters and manuscripts from 1964, 71, 73, 74, 75, 79 and 83, and there are no watermarks on any of the paper. It's just inexpensive typing paper. But you can see that his manuscripts from the 60s are more discolored than later ones, so he was either using really cheap paper then, or all typing paper was more cheaply made then.

Interesting. I have an original manuscript from 1970 with a clear watermark of MILLERS FALLS EZERASE. Here's the poem:



and here's the watermark:

 

[Hosh]

$231 per ream, plus shipping?

I usually pick it up myself direct from the supplier. Saves me almost $11.

...about $23 a ream

Man, I get WAY MORE than $23 for one of those. You need a new pimp!

 

[mjp]

I have an original manuscript from 1970...

And I have to hear about it on the street? I see how it is.

 

[Purple Stickpin]

It's one of the cut-down versions so I didn't want to hear the ridicule. :wb: