How Linda saved our friend Charles... (1 Viewer)

[Josh Rock]

According to Steve Zacharias, Linda used to pour water in Buk's wine when he was at the track and possibly other places. I asked Steve in December when we got together if he ever met Buk and he said he did once at the race track in California. I can't remember correctly but I think he may have said Robert Downey Jr's dad may have introduced them. He said it was real brief and pretty random. I thought maybe you would all find this interesting to know that she would water down his drinks every now and then. So, Linda really did save him and help out his longevity.

Have any of you ever had the chance to meet Buk when he was alive? If so, please share the details!!! Have any of you ever had the privilege to meet Linda or John Martin?

I also want to point out that I received his live dvd's for xmas and I thought it was absolutely hilarious when he asked a man in the audience, "Do you write little poems at home too guy?"

Josh Rock

 

[hoochmonkey9]

my guess is Buk would've noticed if his drinks were watered down, especially wine. Linda definitely helped with his diet and got him off the hard stuff (for the most part), but I'd be surprised if the watering down happened more than once.

 

[Bill Sikes]

Agree, it doesn't make sense - She might have tried only once, otherwise she would be probably gone...

 

[Black Swan]

she probably had to put wine in her water!:)

 

[Josh Rock]

How did Buk drink his scotch and whiskey? was it on the rocks or mostly straight up?

 

[Bill Sikes]

scotch and water...

 

[mjp]

The widely-accepted idea that Linda "saved" Bukowski should probably be filed under Bukowski myths. She was, and still is, hardly the kind of person capable of saving anyone. Their relationship was not all watered-down wine and roses, as you can see if you bother to scratch the surface (or read the information available all over this site).

And not to contradict your friend, who I'm sure believes that what he told you is true, but Linda rarely went to the track with Bukowski, and I would be very surprised if he sat around between races sipping wine, watered-down or otherwise.

Just saying.

 

[esart]

Linda is also quite a drinker you know.

 

[Bill Sikes]

You've done it now. She wont invite you and your wife, for a cup of coffee anymore.

 

[mjp]

Maybe not, but JESUS told me that the truth would set me free.

 

[Bill Sikes]

Amen to that, brother! ;)

 

[Josh Rock]

scotch and water...

Thanks Bill! Now I remember him saying something about the scotch and water. Sometimes my memory fails me in my old age...

The widely-accepted idea that Linda "saved" Bukowski should probably be filed under Bukowski myths. She was, and still is, hardly the kind of person capable of saving anyone. Their relationship was not all watered-down wine and roses, as you can see if you bother to scratch the surface (or read the information available all over this site).

And not to contradict your friend, who I'm sure believes that what he told you is true, but Linda rarely went to the track with Bukowski, and I would be very surprised if he sat around between races sipping wine, watered-down or otherwise.

Just saying.

Thanks for the insight Mr. Phillips! I'll have to have Steve retell me the story to get my facts more straight on what he was told or thought he may have seen and I know Linda may have given him troubles. I should have used the words help preserve instead.

Anyhow, take care and thanks for your feedback!

j

 

[mjp]

Just to be clear, Linda had an effect on Bukowski in many ways, some good, some not so good. It's not my goal to diminish that. What I was trying to say is that I believe that her effect on his health or longevity has been overstated. Taking vitamins or herbs did not extend his life, nor did the holistic voodoo bullshit and meditating that he tried in the final months of his life.

She may well have steered him away from hard liquor and more toward wine and beer (bear in mind also though that he was almost 60 years old when he made that change, so he may have cut down on hard liquor regardless of who was around him), but whether that added any years to his life is certainly debatable. I am pretty sure that moving out of Hollywood was very good for him, as fewer people who did not necessarily have his best interests at heart had access to him down in San Pedro. But Linda was not the primary motivating factor for buying a house, his accountant was.

If she tried to get him to buy a house further away from Hollywood than he might have otherwise (which I believe he suggested she was), then yes, that was beneficial to him. As was her (relatively) consistent companionship in general. But the idea that they moved to San Pedro and lived happily ever after is incorrect. As time goes by the idea that Linda is the Mother Theresa of modern literature seems to be gaining hold, but I would be careful about putting too much stock in that.

It's easy to engage in revisionist history, and it may be comforting to look at her as someone who came in to Bukowski's life and fixed all of his problems. That is not accurate though, and a lot of what we do here is try to tell the truth about some of the myths surrounding Bukowski.

 

[Josh Rock]

and a lot of what we do here is try to tell the truth about some of the myths surrounding Bukowski.

I totally appreciate that! and I wouldn't have it any other way!!!
I know you know your stuff and that's a big reason why I come here!
I'm starting to visit this site more than I do NHL.com

 

[cirerita]

War All the Time is more about personal, marital wars than wars on TV, and there was a reason for that.

 

[Joe Batters]

I know how much the board respects Linda's privacy and I normally wouldn't ask this question, and if I'm out of line, please don't hesitate to delete this question. I mostly just lurk here and as much as I try, I do miss a lot of good threads. I recall MJP saying something about Linda having a bug up her ass about the site and I was very surprised when I read it. I used the search feature and can't really find anything to indicate that there is some kind of negative situation that came up between our board and Linda. Some type of dramatics. Would anyone care to talk about what exactly the story is on that? I thought Linda had a lot of respect for what MJP created here. If it's not something anyone feels comfortable discussing in public, please pm me. Or as I said, just delete the damn question. I don't want to get anyone riled at me.

Thanks everyone.

 

[mjp]

She took issue with this. Though I doubt she ever read it. Meloan is a friend of hers, and she told me (well, shouted at me) that what I said about him in that post was irresponsible, despicable and uncalled for. Among many other things.

Note that it was her husband who called Meloan "a jerk-off." I called him, "a terrible, meek, stumbling speaker," which is simply a statement of fact.

Read it and decide for yourself.

 

[Bill Sikes]

Oh shit...I was afraid it was the guy coming forward with the story how Bukowski screwed him in the ass, thinking it was his girlfriend - off course.

 

[Joe Batters]

She took issue with this.

Thank you for responding, MJP. Pretty interesting stuff. I'm going to read it a few more times. Get a better sense of the players involved. Thanks again.