James Ellroy and Bruce Wagner on Bukowski (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Johannes
- Start date
Have White Jazz tucked under The Most Beautiful Woman in Town as my next two reads. Ellroy is a damn good read, an interesting chronicler of the LA underbelly. So what he's talking shit about Bukowski and whatever the motivation behind it. Could be it's just a Kaufman-like put on. If you've read Bukowski enough I'm sure he's taken a good rip on someone you personally enjoy but what? You stop liking them? The comments made by Ellroy seem so stock that I can't help but think they are tongue-in-cheek (could be wrong, often am) - Ellroy, no matter what you think, isn't a stupid man. Once worked in a job full of hillbillies and all they could do was talk about NASCAR. I finally had enough and told them "Fuck Nascar!! Thee most boring shit sport imaginable - cars going round and round and round I feel my teeth loosening and yearn for cheap beer and the sounds of Merle Haggard. Trust me, they weren't happy. But I warmed their blood and for a brief moment how their eyes shined! (sadly, it was brief). Honestly, I had no personal like or dislike for the sport, but it felt good fucking with the status quo. And that's one good reason I like Bukowski - he certainly takes issues with the s.q. Ellroy is the same.
mjp
Founding member
I think you're right. He's actually a genius engaged in a performance art piece where he lives every minute of his life as a pretentious douchebag, but it's all a big joke!
Yeah, that's it.
Could be, could very well be. Post is meant for that one person who may not give Ellroy a look just because he is up to talkin' shit about Bukowski. He's certainly worth reading in spite of his flair for wallowing in his own verbal acid bath.
You might like this?:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/arts/2009/03/000000_worldbookclub.shtml
Merry Xmas :)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/arts/2009/03/000000_worldbookclub.shtml
Merry Xmas :)
mjp
Founding member
Sucking?
Carlos yukked and slapped the table. His wine glass capsized. Pepper chunks flew. Olive oil spritzed.
In fairness, anyone can suck sometimes and anyone can be a douchebag sometimes, but when you sustain and combine the two, it's hard to take a consistently sucky douchebag (like Ellroy) seriously.
As I said before, Bukowski has nothing to do with my opinion of the guy. I heard Ellroy on the radio and didn't know who was speaking until later, so I came the conclusion blind, so to speak. He is, unquestionably, a pompous, egomaniacal douchebag. And the small sample of his "writing" that I have seen (from three different books) is comically bad. Just awful, stinky, bad-creative-writing-class shit, like the quote above.
There's nothing wrong with being entertained by shit once in a while, we all partake in one way or another, so don't get your holiday knickers in a twist. But call it what it is.
bospress.net
www.bospress.net
Elroy is not mocking Bukowski as much as he is mocking what he sees as the mindless, ignorant, immature drones that read Bukowski. So, yes, fuck him and his ass-licker Bruce Wagner.
Bill
Bill
P
pigmantoo
I guess I am one of the mindless, ignorant, immature drones that read Bukowski -- but so what? We still have some freedoms and we are free to be mindless, ignorant and immature. Probably most of our population is mindless, ignorant and immature. With me you have to throw in some hubris also. Have a great new year!
I think a lot of writers and critics read a smidgen of Bukowski's work and then simply write him off as crude and lacking in insight and sensitivity. No intelligent, open-minded person could read Bukowski's best poems and fail to recognize his talent.
First time I watched that video of Ellroy & Wagner, I thought Wagner was gonna say "You tell'em, Steve-Dave!"
