On being a virgin - 1974 interview (1 Viewer)

[cirerita]

Sorry about the crappy quality... I thought his first affair was with the infamous 300 pound whore...

 

[Purple Stickpin]

Poetic license, I suppose. This reads more like an honest narrative, but one never knows.

 

[Erik]

Not only the alcohol helped Buk survive life's blind absurdities.
His ability to analyze and understand himself and other people helped just at much, in my opinion.
He sure as hell didn't need a shrink.
That's for sure.

 

[Bukfan]

There goes the 300 pound whore story...or does it? I wonder which of the two stories is the true one, but I guess we will never find out.

 

[Purple Stickpin]

Much in the way that Dylan impersonates Dylan, Bukowski impersonated Bukowski. At the end of it all, it's about the poetry, short stories, and novels. Sure, I have passing interest in what typer he used or where he lived while he wrote a certain book, but I don't really need the truth, nor do I expect it from such a strong character. As I posted above, I got the sense in reading the '74 interview that it came across as a fairly honest account, but I still don't believe anything outside of the poems, short stories, and novels, and I only believe them because I'm in a world other than this one when I read them (in other words, I accept the premise that what the writer is writing is true for the sake of immersing myself in the work). I take the words as gospel because to read Bukowski is to go somewhere else - into his mind, whether the made-up part of the genuine part. He's not writing history books (a subject that may actually be largely bereft of association with truth, but that's another thread someday), so who cares how factual they are? Point is, the writing is top-shelf and good writing and truth-stretching often go hand-in-hand.

 

[Johannes]

There goes the 300 pound whore story...or does it? I wonder which of the two stories is the true one, but I guess we will never find out.

I don't think this disproves the 300-pound-whore-story. He wrote about both of these incidents, the "He's beautiful!" and the "bus affair" at other times in different variations.

Personally I believe it all happened in one way or another. An "affair" on the bus could be anything, from some girl smiling to him to them talking and her showing attraction to making out or whatever.

Thanks for posting, cirerita!

 

[Bukfan]

True, the affair on the bus could be anything. Maybe it was just kissing and petting. It would certainly be difficult to have an actual intercourse in a bus full of people, so maybe the 300 pound whore really was the first woman he had an intercourse with.

 

[Purple Stickpin]

It would certainly be difficult to have an actual intercourse in a bus full of people...

I wouldn't actually be that difficult doing it, but getting away with it is a completely different matter.

 

[zobraks]

Perhaps he made it with a 300 pound whore on a bus.
He had done weirder stuff in his life.

 

[Johannes]

If you lose your virginity with a 300 pound whore while traveling in a bus full of people you can rightfully claim to have kicked the universe in the nuts.

 

[zobraks]

Sexual intercourse is kicking death in the ass while singing.

:DD

 

[skiroomalum]

The way he spoke about the chubby whore in Born Into This had a real ring of truth to it. Especially the aftermath when be got 86'ed from the bar for treating her badly.

 

[Black Swan]

Who has never said that they were a virgin more than once? ;))

 

[Bukfan]

That reminds me of W.C. Fields who once said, "I knew Doris Day from before she became a virgin." :D