Since I've read the whole manuscript of the book, I may add some thoughts:
1st: There's no doubt it is worth publishing! It's no big 'literature', but isn't meant to be anyway. It is especially a very fine addition to the first part of 'Women' and some of the short-stories of that time. We see the same things happen from the viewpoint of the other person involved. That's a phantastic chance, since Buk's work, however auto-biographical is meant to be literature, so we never know what truly happened. I wouldn't, of course, believe everything someone says just b/c it's meant to be 'true', but sure this spreads perspectives.
2nd: The Bukowski-Society is intending to publish it. (That's why I've gone through the whole thing.) Yet, at the moment, we lack the capacities to go ahead. So maybe some other publisher will come first. (I hope not.)
3rd: Linda King is a very friendly person (these days). I didn't know her in the early 70s, but guess I couldn't have stand her then. Any person who dares throwing out my writings and books and paintings out of the window would have to leave the country and change their names immediately! But times may have changed her a little. She is a nice old lady.
4th: an anecdote: When Linda King was at Andernach, someone asked her if it's true, what Buk wrote about her trying to drive her car over him in jalousy. She was leaning her head a little and very charmingly answering: "Well, er, yes." You shoulda seen her then - it was sweet!
5th: trivia: as far as I know she is the only person, Buk has ever dedicated two books to. ('Erections' and 'Mockingbird')
6th: Her book does not only consist of Buks letters to her. (besides her own prose-text, it has also her letters to him and poems from both of them from that time) So if they were to be left due to copyright reasons, it would still make a book. I don't know about US-rights but what had been stated here about the 'excerpt' rights is most likely to be true - not in the way Bukfan was joking about, of course. The point is to save people who need to quote in order to do researches (goes for ANY kind of 'science' btw). It's questionable if the big amount of original work will go as necessary excerpts at a court. But on the other hand, I don't see why anybody would want to go to court at all for such a thing.
(and I'd add my personal view about the discussion, who has the copyright in letters: sure the author will always have the copyright since it was his/her creation - but the 'copy-right' should also be with the person who received it, since it has been a gift. Like: when Andy Warhol was giving a picture to a friend, could the Warhol-estate come now and claim any rights? - sure, this is only an oppinion.)
7th:
contributions to the next yearbook r welcome! Suggest a topic (new thread or via email)!
Love, roni