I'm the author of « Bukowski and the Beats » published by Sun Dog Press in 2002 (translated from the French « Bukowski et les Beats», Paris, Michalon, 1998, revised and augmented 2014), translated into Italian, German, Czech, Turkish. Writer of some other books like « Kerouac et la Beat Generation », an essay published in 2012 by Presses universitaires de France (PUF), « Boston Blues » (a novel, Paris, Phébus, 2000), « L'Année où j'ai appris l'anglais » (a novel, Paris, Ramsay, 2006), « Et vous faites vous semblant d'exister ? » (chronicles and short stories, Paris, PUF, 2010), « Bref aperçu des âges de la vie » (chronicles and short stories, Paris, Michelin, 2017).
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Hi Zobraks. I just read for the first time your comment on my book « Bukowski and the Beats » (Sun Dog Press). Many thanks for what you say about it, I guess you liked it, both the essay and the interview with Bukowski. You say there are « a few slips however». But, as you suggest at the end of your comment, they are mainly due to the English translation from the French (that's why I'm grateful for those remarks, because I was not aware of such errors in the translation). In the original French edition, Jon Pinchot is correctly named Jon (and not Joe). As you realized later, Linda Lee is indeed Bukowski's second wife. About Georgia, the French edition says that she was « a passing person » (and certainly not « a casual affair » !). The photo of her and Hank was taken by Joan Levine Gannij and not Ulvis Alberts (where did you see this). Agin, regarding the American edition, your remarks are indeed quite useful. If the book happen to be reissued one day, I'll take care to have all this put correctly. Many thanks ! Jean-François
You're most welcome, Jean-Francois. I liked your book very much.
I sure appreciate your efforts to straighten out the translation of your book.
P.S. Personally, I (still) have no doubt about who took that photo and who was "the assistant" and I had said openly many times at these forums that it was Ulvis Alberts (eat your heart out, Supreme Court!).
P.P.S. I'm in no way affiliated with Mr. Alberts and his enterprises.
I sure appreciate your efforts to straighten out the translation of your book.
Check this topic. Pay special attention to this post.
P.S. Personally, I (still) have no doubt about who took that photo and who was "the assistant" and I had said openly many times at these forums that it was Ulvis Alberts (eat your heart out, Supreme Court!).
P.P.S. I'm in no way affiliated with Mr. Alberts and his enterprises.
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Thank you for this topic, but I don't think it's right, although I was not myself at Bukowski's place when the photos were taken. However, I was personally and directly in contact in 1997 (when I wrote the first French edition of the book) with Joan Levine Gannij, who lived then in Amsterdam. She told me on the phone all the story, how she happened to photograph Bukowski, etc. On that day, when Georgia came into Bukowski's place, she took not only this well known photo, but quite a series of photos. And it's to her that the rights for publishing this photo were paid by my French Publishing House in Paris (édition Michalon).
As for Bukowski's arm around Georgia's WAIST, of course you're right !
As for Bukowski's arm around Georgia's WAIST, of course you're right !
My poor life experience taught me that if you want to know the truth about someone the last person you should ask is that person.
I strongly believe the wrong person got the money, but I could be wrong just like everyone else.
Well, I fear you might be right. I've no real evidence about who took the photos... If I remember well, bak in 1997, it's Kevin Ring, the editor of Beat Scene Magazine, who gave me the phone number of Joan (he had published that photo in Beat Scene). Joan was credited. I'm sure he didn't know about this controversy.
Sage words. I've stated this in several different contexts and I've received varying opinions. I say it's spot on the truth.
I first noticed the quote in House (even think there's a similar Buk quote), but it's been exactly what I reckoned for a long long time.
House quote goes like this:
House quote goes like this:
(season 1, episode 5, if you want to check it)
Good quote, and I agree. But as all quotes (and almost everything we can say), it's only partly true I think. I mean, in such a case, it's probably no more trustable to ask anyone in the world... It's the same with aphorisms, etc: all « truths» are generally only partial (except maybe scientific ones, and even those also depends on time and place...).
But it's certainly a good quote in that it is funny. And we need such funny things.
But it's certainly a good quote in that it is funny. And we need such funny things.
Black Swan
Abord the Yorikke!
I also met Joan Levine in 2009 in Amsterdam with Jan Hallers . Of course we asked her the famous question about who took the photo.
She told us that it was her project and that Ulvis was the lighting assistant. She also showed us all the photos of Buk and Georgia that appeared in The Cruelty of Loveless Love. She also showed us several contact sheets with the other photos taken on that day with Bukowki.
She met him on another occasion for another shoot where he was wearing a flowery shirt, taken in front of his typewriter . She gave me a copy of one of those.
But again, it seems like we will never know for sure.
She also had a series of photos of Henry Miller and other interesting people. I believe that she had a few shows in Europe with Bukowski and Miller.
I do not wish to make myself the devils advocate and stir the pot of worms again but as an artist myself I do know that women often have to take the backseat in the art world. I would not want to discredit Joan’s work too fast.
She told us that it was her project and that Ulvis was the lighting assistant. She also showed us all the photos of Buk and Georgia that appeared in The Cruelty of Loveless Love. She also showed us several contact sheets with the other photos taken on that day with Bukowki.
She met him on another occasion for another shoot where he was wearing a flowery shirt, taken in front of his typewriter . She gave me a copy of one of those.
But again, it seems like we will never know for sure.
She also had a series of photos of Henry Miller and other interesting people. I believe that she had a few shows in Europe with Bukowski and Miller.
I do not wish to make myself the devils advocate and stir the pot of worms again but as an artist myself I do know that women often have to take the backseat in the art world. I would not want to discredit Joan’s work too fast.
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Great ! (to have asked her again).
