Bukowski famously wrote and finished his first novel P.O in a month, does anyone know wether the original draft was also the ultimate and final version that we have today or were there subsequent rewrites or any edits after BSP first received it?
completion and publishing of 'post office' as requested (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter alonewiththegods
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On page 1 of Women, Buk indicates that he finished Post Office in 21 nights. In an inscribed copy of P.O., he indicates 20 nights. Just an FYI. I have a photo of that inscription, but since the book is not mine, I'd prefer to let the owner make that decision.
As to your question, there may have been some typo cleanups, but I am not aware of any rewrites. The first edition of Women is notorious for having beenedited watered-down significantly by Martin much to Buk's chagrin. He let Martin have it in a letter that is collected in one of the three primary letters volumes from BSP and the text was revised back to Buk's original for subsequent printings. One of the very few cases where you could refer to one of Buk's BSP books as a second edition (although I don't believe that it is referred to that way in the second printing - there was a thread about this a few years back). Now, it's possible that Buk wasn't paying as close attention to P.O. as he did to Women, but I doubt that; if anything, he would have looked over his first novel quite closely.
Maybe some other folks here with more knowledge than I will have more to add.
As to your question, there may have been some typo cleanups, but I am not aware of any rewrites. The first edition of Women is notorious for having been
Maybe some other folks here with more knowledge than I will have more to add.
Interesting stuff! obviously writing a novel can be an arduous task in itself let alone in twenty days so i was curious to find out more about this inpressive literary feat also wether it being his first attempt at a novel wether he Got it right first time round with the initial draft and was something of a virtuoso or wether martin had him further develop it. I guess buks legendary work ethic and output over the years and writing experience prepared him some what to get stuck right in. thanks for your informatice response on the matter.
Which publication are you referring to here?
bospress.net
www.bospress.net
Women
there's something that doesn't proof, but indicate, that he didn't revise his first version of 'PO': at several occations he complains about the fact that it took over a year for the book to get published after being written. That would mean, he considered the version he delivered in the first place to be the final.
In a letter to Neeli Cherry on September 1, 1970 he indicates that he did quite a bit of editing himself:
The final book is nowhere close to 90,000 words, though. Either he was being generous in his estimate of the original length or someone did a lot more editing - both of which are very plausible.
The final book is nowhere close to 90,000 words, though. Either he was being generous in his estimate of the original length or someone did a lot more editing - both of which are very plausible.
Indeed. However, neither scenario indicates whether he did the self-editing prior to or subsequent to submission to his
At almost 43,000 words I'd say he was most likely just being very generous in his estimate.
mjp
Founding member
That's beyond generous or overstatement. It would seem to be solidly in utter bullshit territory.
Not saying 120k words in 20 days is impossible. It isn't. That comes out to roughly 25 typewritten pages a day. But even though it's possible, 6,000 words would be a good day's work, for sure, and pretty hard for anyone to maintain that kind of pace for three straight weeks uninterrupted.
It's a reasonable assumption though that he ditched a quarter of the pages (in keeping with his claimed numbers), which would make the initial draft closer to 60,000 words - or half of what he claimed to Neeli.
I don't know it for a fact, but at that time in their working relationship I don't imagine that Martin would be doing a lot of wholesale chopping of text. But who knows. I'm sure a few versions of the manuscript are in a university library somewhere. Santa Barbara or USC.
bospress.net
www.bospress.net
My guess is that they are at the Huntington. I now that they have the original typescript of Women...
Aaah!
The master-scholar is back!
Thanks, cire, for making this clear. What manuscript is that page from? Where is it located? Do you have the whole thing in copies?
pLop:
that makes a very impressive first post!
welcome baby!
cirerita
Founding member
I'm more of a lurker now, which is nice.
I think there are several P.O. manuscripts scattered in 2-3 libraries. I never copied the complete mss, just a few pages.
mjp
Founding member
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Last edited:
Digney in Burnaby
donkeys live a long time
There's a 72-hour book writing contest. Been going on (it says) since 1977. I tried, back when I thought I could try those sorts of things, to do it. Must have been over twenty years ago. Got 12 pages done as I remember. Old yellow paper, manual typewriter. Something in me snapped and I stopped.
Glad I've got all those writing aspirations whipped out of me now. (And I've got the scars to prove it.) Saw a story in one of the local newspapers about it last year and I just shuddered.
Glad I've got all those writing aspirations whipped out of me now. (And I've got the scars to prove it.) Saw a story in one of the local newspapers about it last year and I just shuddered.
Purple stickpin you mentioned martin watering down buks work and buk nót being happy about it- i have just read a short called ten jack-offs and near the end buk writes "writing this down by myself, leaving a few things out (i have been threatened by various powerful forces for doing things that are only normal and Gaga gladful to do)" do you think think this is a reference to john martin censoring buk? If not does anyone know what the powerful forces he refers to are? I found this short story in a virgin books print of The most Beautiful woman in town, if this helps identity the story i refers to.
mjp
Founding member
I don't think being "threatened by...powerful forces" would refer to Martin. Martin declined to publish some of Bukowski's more raw prose, and that's why things like ten jack-offs are in City Lights books and not Black Sparrow books, even though Bukowski had an "exclusive" publishing deal with Black Sparrow.
As far as Martin "watering down" Bukowski's work, that happened to the poetry after Bukowski was conveniently dead and wasn't around to complain about it.
I had initially mentioned the watering down in the context of Women - that's the only case I know of where it happened while Buk was still alive (well, happened to the extent that Buk did something about it).
