Just ordered a buncha books... (1 Viewer)

Got Sounes' biography on order. It certainly sounds more enticing than Miles' bio.

Also ordered a collection of Fante short stories and Dan Fante's book of poems.

Can't wait!:)
 
Which Fante book? Big Hunger or Wine of Youth? I prefer Big Hunger, but I'll probably be in the minority... A lot of the stories are weaker on the whole, but the strong ones are REALLY strong in my opinion.

Especially in comparison with what was left out. I've picked up a couple magazines that have uncollected Fante short stories in 'em and... guh. Slop.

And the Soun-arooni bio is good, even if the man himself is a jackass.
 
I'm likely to pick up the Sounes bio, also, based on comments read here but have noticed other comments unfavorable to him. Guess i could google or thread-search here the reasons for these unfavorable comments but will go ahead and ask why the sour notes?
 
He's responded poorly to people questioning his research and interviews. He also got really pissy about some photos being posted here from his book of Bukowski photos even though he didn't own the copyright to most (any?) of them.

His book is still a good read, especially for a first bio on Bukowski. And its miles better (ha) than some of the others out there.
 
And the Soun-arooni bio is good, even if the man himself is a jackass.

He's lucky in that one should always make a distinction between the art and the artist. :D
 
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Which Fante book? Big Hunger or Wine of Youth?

As I already have Wine of Youth, I have ordered Big Hunger. Have not read Wine yet. Still working on Ask the Dust. Just reading it in slow sips and enjoying the feeling of it going down my throat.

Dan Fante's book of poems is titled "Kissed by a Fat Waitress." I couldn't resist.:D

I really can not wait to read the Sounes bio. I've heard so many good things about it. And reading the overview of it made me think it would change my life much more for the better.

So of course I had to get it.
 
I only have a coupla broadsides of D. Fante's, but I enjoy what little I've read of his poems.

The Sounes bio is very good and makes a good first biography read. I still have Neeli Cherkovski's on the shelf that I haven't read since I picked it up almost a year ago... one of these days.
 
Sounes' won't be my first Buk bio. Miles was my first. Like I've said, I did like Miles' book. But Sounes' sounds like it has so much more. So I have high expectations for it.
 
[...]Neeli Cherkovski's on the shelf that I haven't read [...]

you can savely go and read it.
Just don't expect an accurate biography (esp. after Sounes'). Look at it as an interesting overview with nice anecdotes by someone who knew Hank for a long time. Then you can enjoy it.
 
There are at least two others:
- Aubrey Malone: The Hunchback of East Hollywood
- Michael Gray Baughan: Charles Bukowski

- there is also a great compagnion to Sounes' biography named 'Bukowski in pictures'. It could also serve as a biographical overview on its own. But since his (slightly earlier) 'Locked in the arms' is much more complete, this is more or less only interesting because of the MANY pics in it. (We had a thread here going, enthusiastically PRAISING that book, but uncle Howie complained about it, because we showed pictures from the book in that thread. Can you imagine that!!?? Guess how many people reading that thread bought that book because of it - and guess how many, if one, didn't buy the book, because some of the pics were to be seen here already!)



The rest depends on, what you'd like to call a 'biography'.
e.g.:

- there's something called 'The Buk-Book' by Christy and Powell, which is kind of a biographical overview and has pictures you won't see elsewhere. But it isn't a biography in the sense that it'd be based on research.

- there's a funny but not very well made (my oppinion) comic book named 'Bukowski for beginners' by Carlos Polimeni.


- Then, there are the many memoirs from people who knew him. These are also no biographies, but add to the picture.
There are some by Linda King, David Barker, Steve Richmond, Jory Sherman, Neeli Cherkovski (beside his bio), Amber O'Neill and coming out next spring at Sundog-Press: the memoirs of Pamela 'Cupcakes' Miller!
 
- there's a funny but not very well made (my oppinion) comic book named 'Bukowski for beginners' by Carlos Polimeni.

It does contain a few wrong data, such as on page 94 where it's mentioned how old Buk and Linda B. were when they met, and on page 101 where it's said "Love Is A Dog From Hell" contained much of the groundwork for "Ham On Rye". No doubt, it should've said "Women" instead. And on page 102 it says Buk and Linda bought a house in San Pedro in 1988. It should've said 1977 instead. That's the wrong data I've found so far. On the whole, it's a funny book and an easy read introduction to Buk.

Michael Gray Baughan: Charles Bukowski

I've never read that one, but Amazon says it's for 'young readers', and it's only 136 pages long.
 
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I've got a copy on myself because Powell's had it for cheap... its... not really a young readers bio. Maybe a teen at best. But it seems like its more of a reference book than an actual biography. But I gave up about 20 pages in, so I might have missed something.
 
I just got my books in the mail today!:D

Although they sat on the porch just about all afternoon and evening. My Dad got the mail from the box and drove around to the garage. Didn't check the back porch, which is where the ups guy left it.

So my books are freaking cold, but otherwise unharmed. I think Sounes' bio is the first one I'm going to devour. I've heard so much good stuff about it I simply cannot put it off. Big Hunger and Dan Fante's poems will just have to wait, for now.
 

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