Dating Undated Manuscripts (1 Viewer)

[bospress.net]

Hi all,
A question was brought up to me by a friend of mine. It refers to the earliest manuscripts by Buk. I know that for the most part, he sdid not sign AND date manuscripts before 1971. I have one here that I believe is older. It is not dated, but is cigned and it is a carbon. Also, it was typed on a damaged typewriter. If you notice the lines, they are above every "e". I believe that this was from his old typewriter before BSP bought him a new one. It was an old manual, I believe. Has anyone else seen any manuscripts with this odd flaw? If so, what is your best guess at a date? This poem is unpublished.
Best,
Bill

p.s. There is NO doubt that this is authentic. I know that the signature looks a bit odd in the scan, but it is 100% real. In the original, there is an impression next to the signature where he clearly was signing a stack of these and the signature above left an impression.

[Dead image link, please attach images. -ed.]

 

[nymark]

Bill, I have two a manuscripts of this ilk . One is bound into my copy of COLD DOGS and another bound into my copy of ALL THE ASSHOLES. There is a ghosted capital "L" above each lower case "e." Bukowski's return address on these manuscripts is DeLongpre, which would place them in the early 70s. You did not include the address on your pic above, but that may give you an indication of when the poem was written. The signature on my two manuscripts are identical to the signature above, although, unfortunately, neither one is dated.

 

[bospress.net]

Hi nymark,
You are right. It is DeLongpre. I'm an idiot for not thinking about looking at that! Anyone have a date for when exactly he lived there. It is probably in a bio, but I have not checked.....

 

[mjp]

From 64 to 73:

1964-05-01 5126 1/4 DeLongpre Avenue with pregnant Frances Smith
1964-12-00 moves to 5124 delongpre, 90027
1973-02-07 moves in with Linda King - 2440 Edgewater Terrace, LA 90039

 

[mjp]

Also, late 1970/early 1971 he switched from an Underwood that he typed on for many years to a Royal (Quiet De Luxe). What you have there may be the last days of the Underwood, which further helps date it.

I had a file that I made a couple of years ago based on typewriters and manuscripts, and I spent a lot of time researching it and providing examples, but then I lost the file somehow, and never took the time to recreate it. Because it was crazy to do it the first time, so the second time would be, what, twice as crazy? ;)

 

[bospress.net]

Hi mjp,
The address is 5124, so that would make it post 1964, pre-1973, and the underwood theory make sense, so let's say that the ms is from pre-1971. What I am confused about is this... In nymark's two books that have this same flaw, both were published in 1965. Could these be special editions made by Bukowski a few years after publication? I have heard if him adding paintings after the fact, but never manuscripts...

All best,
Bill

 

[mjp]

I don't remember which bio mentioned it, but apparently he had several copies of most of his older, rare books for many years, and was prying apart the staples on the early chapbooks and dropping in goodies like manuscripts up into the early 70's.

 

[nymark]

I concur with mjp. I believe it was John Martin who suggested that he create special "author editions" to help sell these. As we all know, Martin was well aware of the increasing interest in Bukowski rarities and I'm sure Bukowski would do whatever it took to raise a few bucks.

 

[zoom man]

Yeah, I think it was torn from some special "author edition"
Like the broadside 'Crime & Punishment' I see on e-Bay now...
That was only printed to be included in the deluxe edition of Krumhansl's Bibliography.....
Unless there was a serious run-over,
That broadside offered alone means some deluxe copy of Aaron's book
Isn't as deluxe.
I bet it's the same with that poem, ripped from something else.....

 

[bospress.net]

HI,
My poem does not have staples. Do I understand that yours are bound in, nymark?

Best,Bill

 

[nymark]

Yup. They're bound in. I cannot detect a second set of staple holes in the book, so it is likely he straightened the staples, inserted the manuscript and closed the staple (vs. trying to line up new staples in the exact same holes).

 

[mjp]

The great and mighty Bukowski, perched over his writing desk - - - prying open staples on $1 chapbooks in order to stick in a typescript to make them more valuable. Then he sold them for what? Three bucks? ;) Ha - I like the image.

I would have liked to have known him then. I would have been a great customer.

 

[bospress.net]

I would have liked to have know him then. I would have been a great customer.

And VERY rich right now....