Favorite Bukowski You OWN (1 Viewer)

I assume, most of us are BUK collectors here. :rolleyes:

I have a laundry list of Bukowski that I own, like many peeps here. It's taken me a long time (almost two decades), but my collection is pretty dang cool. So those who are just starting to collect, cheers, move forward, and you will enjoy it down the road - trust me (my best Nixon impersonation in reverse).

But I'm just curious, what is the favorite BUK book or piece you own? Not the most expensive, just one that you couldn't dare to part with, for any reason. A signature, a piece of art, a mangled copy that was the first one that turned you on to Sir Charles...anything. Hell, I have a Barfly VHS tape that is basically worn out (and DVD, too).

Mine: "It Catches My Heart In Its Hands" - note: there is no apostrophe on the cover for "It's," which those who own probably already know. (Anyone know why? - Hank Solo?) I have pieces that cost more, but are not worth more to me.

You would need more than an army of electrified crowbars to remove it from my dead, clutched hands. Flamethrowers would work, as we would burn together...

I love the backstory, the printed color pages, the cover, the printing press who took the chance and printed it "” everything, including the fact I didn't even know about the skeleton inside the front cover until I joined this forum. I sometimes don't open the rare books I own, :o , but prefer to read the paperbacks or other copies of the book in other books (you know what I mean) that I own. (I don't rub my fingers over valuable paintings/art either, if that makes more sense. I view them upon a wall.)

Back on topic.

Does anyone else feel this way about a BUK book or piece that he or she owns? Why?

Just curious. I believe, along with other surveys/published lists (mods, please fill in the link, if that's possible) here, may help people decide upon what books or pieces he or she wants to collect "” first, or down the road. If you are a beginning collector, getting ready to fork up some big BUK bucks, this will hopefully help. I used to buy blindly, without the help of a great place/forum like this. My random purchases worked, as I bought everything I could. But today, it makes more sense to get input. From here; not eBay input...:D

In closing, this is not about price, but about love. IMO, buy what you truly love; and you will never regret it. Then buy some more. Put them in your treasure chest. Or like me, an antique cabinet or two.

So, what are your favorites pieces???

Pax
 
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My first: a coverless copy of Run With The Hunted. A very young guy that I worked with 10 years ago found out that I didn't know Bukowski; handed it to me and said, "read it".
It didn't take at the time, but I still have it, somewhere in a box, the ONLY Bukowski book not on my favorite bookshelf.

My favorite/semi-collectable (HB) 'Shakespeare Never Did This.' (The photos. are out of this world!!)

3 weeks ago I bought the most horrible booze stained copy of 'You Get So Alone', I'd read it for over a week and then one night, picking it up off the floor for a night-night read, the cover tore off. It's still my favorite read, and it's not worth a dime! :)CRB
 
i've posted pictures of this book before. not the rarest buk item i own, but it is my favorite and i seem to post pics of it any chance that i get...:)

it catches my heart in its hands

CIMG2897.jpg
 
I've been wanting to reply to this thread since it was posted but... I just can't pick a favorite.

If someone put a gun to my head and said pick ONE Bukowski book out of your collection to have forever or I'll make you read Jewel for the rest of your life... it would probably be It Catches also.

But I would have to be able to read all the BSP books as well... otherwise, Jewel, here I come!
 
The Day It Snowed In LA. The spine is cool and the story is hilarious. I also like the Paget Press thing. I don't know why - but it just seems to be my favourite - although not even close to as beautful as the Loujon books.
Also I really love the South of No North BSP first with the crazy spine ... but I'll stick to the very controversial choice of The Day It Snowed In LA!!
 
[...] "It Catches My Heart In Its Hands" - note: there is no apostrophe on the cover for "It's," [...] (Anyone know why?)[...]

Not to be a smartass being no native-speaker and all, but the reason is: it's the right way to spell it.
Writing "it's" with an apostrophe, the meaning would be "it is" or "it has", which obviously makes no sense.
 
:D In my experience, non-native speakers are far better at using English with respect to its current conventions and guidelines than natives.

I think that's very funny... but I'm probably in the minority.

Nice one Roni. :D
 
Brain fart.

It's would be wrong... And you are totally correct. I could laugh and dance around it, make excuses, but I won't.

My bad. And I probably got this incorrect, too.

Thanks for pointing it's out.

Now let's expand this list, ladies and gentlemembers...would dig knowing what you dig!?!

Pax
 
:D In my experience, non-native speakers are far better at using English with respect to its current conventions and guidelines than natives.

I think that's very funny... but I'm probably in the minority.

Nice one Roni. :D

Nah, I speak English natively and find it hilarious that I and millions of others suck at using it.

In relation to the topic at hand...

My favorite book is At Terror Street and Agony Way. I bid on it on eBay with a penny bid over the asking price (which was pretty good at $300) not expecting to win and about a week later... SURPRISE!

But I like the book a lot. I've been hunting for one ever since I saw one at The Strand in NYC and couldn't afford it...
 
My favorite book is It Catches, for all the obvious reasons. It's Buk's first real book. It's hand printed and bound by the famous Loujon Press. It has a beautiful layout and simply looks great. And the beautiful clamshell I got from Bill adds to the pleasure...
 
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Famous?
Ask the first 1000 people you see on the street about the Loujon Press. You'll be met with blank stares.

But, then, people do suck.
 
Famous in the right circles.

Mention Random House to most people on the street and you get the same blank stare.

People do suck.

Bill
 
Famous in the right circles.

Mention Random House to most people on the street and you get the same blank stare.

People do suck.

Yes, famous in the right circles. That's what I meant.
People do suck? As Linus, from the Peanuts comic strip, once said, "I love mankind. It's just people I can't stand!" :cool:
 
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LP:

I don't own "Horsemeat," but I've sure felt like it recently. ;)

That's on my radar screen, if the right one becomes available.

Why is that your fav? And what others rate up there with H-meat?

Pax
 
Well, its was 30 degrees, I was on vacation, had endless amounts of cold beer when I read Ham on Rye, sitting outside cooking in my own juices with bloodshot eyes and a perma-grin, so that reminiscence is probably weighing against why its is my favorite Bukowski read in retrospect... I plan on picking it up again soon after I'm done with Portions rom a Wine Stained Notebook
 
I take it you mean 30 degrees Celsius. Those of us using Fahrenheit have a hard time doing the mental conversions.

When I was in Tunisia a sirocco blew up from the Sahara one day. I walked outside and said, "Jesus Christ, man, what's going on?!" and our Tunisian promoter said, "Yes, it is sirocco! It is 43 degrees!" Which struck me as quite funny at the time. You know, 43 being cold in these parts.

Never mind.
 
Yeah. What IS the conversion? It's like 20 degress here with snow and ice and wind and snow and ice and wind... it's cool to know that somewhere this temp. might actually be bareable!
 
Thanks mjp! I added that page to my favorites, fuck the math!:) I'd KILL for 68 degrees. It really sucks out here right now, with more on the way!
 
In my opinion, Horsemeat could have been better, but it is my favorite. It suffers from a lack of cloth binding, for starters (the binding looks cheap compared to other BSPs), and the dust jacket is very susceptible to wear because of the cover photo.

Other than that, it's spot on. The poem sequence Horsemeat was among my favorites once I bought War All the Time back in 1989 or so. Throw in the photos, and you have a masterpiece.
 
Very true about the spine. Mine has shelf-wear from the previous owner (I've had it since about 1990-91). That book was the holy grail for me for a long time, so when I found one and was able to buy it I did. I also bought a copy of The Curtains are Waving..., but ended up selling that one. Stupid move. It was inscribed to John Thomas and was a neat little early BSP publication. It was just so delicate I could never really hold it and enjoy it for fear of ripping the damn thing.
 
When I was in Tunisia a sirocco blew up from the Sahara one day. I walked outside and said, "Jesus Christ, man, what's going on?!" and our Tunisian promoter said, "Yes, it is sirocco! It is 43 degrees!" Which struck me as quite funny at the time. You know, 43 being cold in these parts.

It is 43 today in Melbourne.
It was 43 yesterday.
40 the day before.
37 tomorrow. Northerly winds off the central Ozzie desert.
No rain for 27 days... not a drop.

Do the conversion...

Days of 40+ temp = grumpy ROC
 
I have owned a bunch of Bukowski but have recycled most of my books. My favorite that I owned is, Notes Of A Dirty Old Man. I think I need to go and get a copy and reread it.
 
my favorite bukowski book i own is the publisher's copy of "what matters most is how well you walk through the fire." incredibly strong collection, and probably the 2nd most collectible copy of the book (behind the author's copy).
 
My favorite is War All the Time with a painting, but that's just because of the painting, so maybe that doesn't count. My favorite book type book is At Terror Street and Agony Way. It's unique in BSP history (I think Martin was going for a smaller scale Webb book), and it's kind of a little mystery, with poems not listed in Krumhansl, and some stuff that wasn't reprinted to death.
 
looks like bospress has now merged with letterpressed.com ;)

that's not even a bukowski book, bill!

and you don't OWN it! gah
 
I must say that I'm intrigued but he amazing work that ltr Prssd does. Check out the two color letterpress cards. Really amazing with perfect registration.
Hey, thanks. I can't take credit for the art prints, other than publishing them. I farm out the printing to a really great fine art printer in Rhode Island. He can do a better job (and cheaper) than we could here. The shop here is slowly but surely figuring out the finer details of letterpress printing, as opposed to foil stamping, which the owner has done for a quarter century at least. All the cards are done here at the shop, the prints farmed out to Rhode Island. Hope to do them all here soon.
 
MY second fav is "Terror." As posted previously, I own. #16. Rockin. Would really dig hearing what other peeps have and dig... Thanks to all who have commented already!

Pax
 
My favorite is War All the Time with a painting, but that's just because of the painting, so maybe that doesn't count. My favorite book type book is At Terror Street and Agony Way. It's unique in BSP history (I think Martin was going for a smaller scale Webb book), and it's kind of a little mystery, with poems not listed in Krumhansl, and some stuff that wasn't reprinted to death.

If you like, you can send me the painting. Then you'll know for sure.
 

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