Notebooks? (1 Viewer)

Joseph K

Joseph K

I wonder if anyone knows if CB kept a notebook (wine-stained or otherwise). I guess he was the sort of writer who would sit down and actually write what came to his mind rather than research adn plot and try out phrases. Are we right to assume CB didn't kept notebooks?

So, any ideas? "Notebuks", anyone?
 
That reminds me ... did you know Hunter S. Thompson used to literally carry an IBM Selectric around with him when he was on assignment? Those fuckers aren't light and easy to carry.

I image Buk did keep notebooks, especially in the days before he had a typer.
 
There's an interview with Buk called, "Do You Use A Notebook", in which he says that he don't carry a notebook around!
The interview is on a cassette available from Amazon (A Moveable Feast #3 - host, Tom Vitale)...
 
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i've seen a photo of him carrying a pen in his shirt pocket. i almost got excited. but then i realised that the pen was probably used to score the racing form.
 
He had/used/kept many notebooks. I think a lot of them are in the Santa Barbara collection. I doubt he carried them around with him. But he used notebooks at home.
 
I'm pretty sure to remember letters from the 60s (in 'Screams') where he tells about EXCESSIVE use of notebooks at a certain time.

then, as Ponder said, we have a notebook mentioned in 'Women'. Probably made up for the fun of the scene, when he gets lost and his last words to be found there.

yes, the (many!) pens in his shirt pocket where usually used for the races. He even was buried with them.

But I'm pretty sure, that the biggest amount of time (before San Pedro that is), he did Not use a notebook regularly. But that's just a guess.
 
I saw quite a few spiral notebooks at UCSB, and I even copied a few poems from those notebooks, but not many. After a while, I would become dizzy trying to figure out what the hell B. was saying there. The scribblings of a drunkard are not easy to follow...
 
Linda Lee made sure to slip an extra one in his
pocket in the casket. He had one, and she made
sure to put in another.

"He always had more than one, in case one broke"

I can find the citation, and the exact quote, if necessary.
It's from "That's it".

2406381882_80473c41cf_o.gif
 
Thanks a lot, for clearing up this pen "Mystery", Father Luke! - "That's it"? - What's that? An article?
 
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cirerita said:
The scribblings of a drunkard are not easy to follow...
Click to expand...

yes, i could believe that. i would love to see those notebooks, however illegible. of course he used a notebook: writing proved to himself his self-worth: it's not always practicable to be at the machine.
 
Father Luke said:
Book.
Click to expand...
Ahh, I never read that one! Is it any good? I've read two pages from it that was included in the Buk interview book, "Sunlight, here I am", but they were not enough to get an impression of the book.
I'll try and look it up on Amazon...
 
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Bukfan said:
Ahh, I never read that one! Is it any good?
Click to expand...

i don't know this version. only have the original German version with MANY pics from Michael Montfort. this german one is out of print, unfortunately. but assuming the English version is (beside the lack of the pics) the same as the german one, i can tell you this:

the author, Gundolf S. Freyermuth, is a longtime friend of MM. He first met Buk in the mid 80s, when MM was still married with Frances Schoenberger.
His (Gundolfs) first meeting with Buk was at a party of Frances' in the mid 80s. Buk met A. Schwarzenegger there and called him for a fight [!], which, of course, he (Schwarzenegger) denied.

Then, in 1993, MM called Freyermuth, saying something like: The old man is about to die, we have to visit him and make a final image/picture/somethingthatwillLast.

now, the book is a copilation of Freyermuth's first meeting with Buk, the interview, that Buk gave him on August 16, 1993 ; the birthday-party at a bookstore in San Pedro that day, plus some remarks, quotes, etc that Freyermuth collected elsewhere.

i find it a good read.
but, sure, the german edition with all the pictures in it is a different thing.



ps:
in case you doubt that Schwarzenegger-thing: in the german edition is a pic that shows them, standing face to face, at that party. In this pic, however, nothing looks like confrontation. they look 'pleased' like just been introduced. but at least - they truly met there.
 
Thanks a lot for the "review", Roni! Unfortunately, my German is'nt good enough for reading a book, because I would really like to have the pics too. Well, it's sold out anyway.
From your description it sounds like a good read. I think I'll try and see if Amazon has the English edition...
 
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You can still order that book in English from the source (xlibris or alibris - one of the bris family). There's a link in another thread around here. Search for "Freyermuth."

It is strictly a translation, no pictures, and Bukowski sounds bored. That is where the title comes from. After every second or third answer he would give, Bukowski would say, "That's it?" as in, "is this over yet?"

In German it is Das Wars, right? I have that on my shelf, I'll have to pull it out. I don't remember the picture with Swartzenegger...
 
Thanks, mjp! One of the bris family - ok!
Have you read it? And did you like it?

Yes, the German edition was called Das War's!
 
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Thanks for the link, mjp!
So it's not so great in your opinion. I think you may well have a point in regards to the pics. They would certainly add to the popularity of the book. Too bad they're not in the English edition...:(
 
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Can anyone post that Buk/Arnold picture. I have no doubt that it happened, but would love to see the photo. I can not find a copy on the net...

Thanks,
Bill
 
One more book in the world I have to own. My house it full of stuff, my wallet is lean. Too bad the English version lacks the photos. Still, I gotta have it.

long off topic aside you can skip:

BTW: Uncharacteristically, I spent $200 on rare books last week. It wasn't like I wanted to. It was a stack of stuff that, if I did not snag, would disappear forever and never be seen again because very few people would notice what I noticed; they're all from the library of a man closely connected with someone I'm doing research on (who that is, is a secret), and had his notes and markings. It was a simple choice: spend more than I want and preserve the information, maybe find something important in his notes, or, save $200 and the information is lost forever. No choice. Got out the plastic and did it.
 
Ditto. If it was going to disappear, you did the right thing.

A lot of my purchases are impulsive (am I alone here?). I rarely "have the money" for most of the books I see and want.
 
Mine have been, pretty much all the time. Mainly because I waited too long on... at least two or three rare books that I wanted and lost 'em.
 
I've never regretted money spent on books. never will, I don't think. well, I hope I never do.
 
hoochmonkey9 said:
I've never regretted money spent on books.
Click to expand...

yep. me neither.
it's because some things LAST.
so it's worth suffering for a wile. you still have these things. I'm not (financially) able to be a collector, but own some things (not only Buk), I'm very happy to have. (oh well, just yesterday I missed a non-Buk-item on ebay due to not-being-online in time. It woulda been worth the price. dammit.)
 
yes appreciate that roni. i wonder what's going on behind those smiles. who is this old guy?

Bukfan said:
There's an interview with Buk called, "Do You Use A Notebook", in which he says that he don't carry a notebook around!
The interview is on a cassette available from Amazon (A Moveable Feast #3 - host, Tom Vitale)...
Click to expand...

that's a wonderful interview. b sounds relaxed and on form. the reading he gives of the poem (and the poem itself: Do you use a notebook?) is inspirational.
 
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Bukfan said:
There's an interview with Buk called, "Do You Use A Notebook", in which he says that he don't carry a notebook around!
The interview is on a cassette available from Amazon (A Moveable Feast #3 - host, Tom Vitale)...
Click to expand...

I did a check, it doesn't seem to be available.
Do you actually have a copy of this?
 
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i have the interview on a fanzine product (audio tape). it's a mish-mash of material: segments from the buk tapes, readings, interview, barfly - all of which are separated/punctuated by three loud, extremely LOUD, burbs, then a resounding fart. i kid not. i'd take the piano in the buk tapes any day...

i've seen this buk-zine stuff in Foyles bookstore, charing cross road, but i've searched and found nothing doing on their website.
 

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