"Portions" Book Review Help (1 Viewer)

[CarversDog]

I'll be reviewing "Portions" for my Pop Matters book column shortly, and need a little help from the Buk purists here ... we know Bukowski loved Fante and Celine, Artaud, et al. But has anyone ever come across any Bukowski comments on F. Scott Fitzgerald, either on his work or his career? I would wager that Bukowski was not an FSF fan but that's why I'm posing the question -- I want to make sure before I made the assertion in print.

Thanks in advance for anything you might be able to find.

 

[Hosh]

I vaguely recall something in his letters...talking about how F. Scott Fitz wasn't telling stories for the everyman...not at my house or I'd try to find it...anyone else remember reading something like that?

 

[CarversDog]

Well, I did find a quote from an NYT review by Jim Harrison where he said that Bukowski "despised Fitzgerald because to a man from the lower depths, Fitzgerald seemed sensitive only to the sufferings within the upper class." If true, however, this would represent a total misunderstanding of FSF, just as the many who dismiss Bukowski as a writer whose singular obsession was whores and horse racing.

 

[Bukfan]

I've checked the four letter books from BSP. Fitzgerald is mentioned once in Screaming From The Balcony and three times in Living On Luck, but Buk only mentions Fitzgerald in passing and does'nt express any opinions of his work.

In, Sunlight Here I Am, there's a short reference to Fitzgerald on page 271:"Yeah! Raymond Carver, I liked him a lot more than someone as overrated as Fitzgerald,..."
So. at least we now know that Buk thought Fitzgerald was overrated.

Pivano mentions Fitzgerald in her Buk interview book, Laughing With The Gods, in connection with writers who were alcoholics (page 69), but Buk does'nt respond with any opinions about Fitzgerald.

Where else could we look?

 

[CarversDog]

Thanks, Bukfan, that helped, particularly the "Sunlight" contribution

 

[Bukfan]

You're welcome, CarversDog!

I've checked the index of the bio's by Sounes, Miles and Cherkovsky too. No luck!
Miles does mention Fitzgerald as part of the "modern" writers, but that's all...

 

[slimedog]

I have no idea where I read it but in some place of his writing I am sure that Buk says he didn't like Fitzgeald as a writer.

 

[Purple Stickpin]

On pages 10-11 of Hollywood, Buk writes:

"At one time I used to refer to Sarah and me as Zelda and Scott, but that bothered her because she didn't like the way Zelda had ended up. And I didn't like what Scott had typed. So, we had to abandon our sense of humor there."

Although less of a direect comment than the preceeding, on page 14, he writes:

"Maybe you ought to write a screenplay," Sarah suggested.

"Look what it did to F. Scott Fitzgerald."

"You're not Fitzgerald."

"No, he gave up drinking. That killed him."

 

[CarversDog]

Thanks, PS! Great stuff. Whether FSF actually did get sober in 1939-40 has always been an contentious issue. Most of the biographical material related to that matter comes from the self-serving Sheilah Graham who wanted to paint herself as Fitzgerald's redeemer in his last years on earth and in Hollywood. The strain of working his ass off to support a wife in the looney bin and a daughter at an Ivy League college -- not to mention the previous heart attack(s) -- is what killed F. Scott Fitzgerald prematurely.

 

[Bukfan]

I believe Buk mentioned Fitzgerald in some of his poems, but which poems, that's the question. It's quite a task to sift through all the poems...

 

[roni]

I believe Buk mentioned Fitzgerald in some of his poems, but which poems, ...

'You get so alone ...' :

'their night' (p.197f):

"never could read Tender is the night [.....]"

'working it out' (p.19f):

"[...] Greg Peck pretending he's F. Scott [...] she'll be reading Tender is the night."

 

[Bukfan]

Great detective work, Roni!

 

[roni]

it's one of my favorite poetry-books. that's why.
i guess Mr. Rainman Solo would have known even without looking up the page-numbers.

 

[Gerard K H Love]

i guess Mr. Rainman Solo would have known even without looking up the page-numbers.

He has been quiet lately. I hope Mr. solo is okay.

 

[Bukfan]

it's one of my favorite poetry-books. that's why.
i guess Mr. Rainman Solo would have known even without looking up the page-numbers.

I see! - Yes, our own Mr. Rainman Solo would just sift through his inner database and spit out the poem titles. The rest of us will have to do it the hard way...

 

[roni]

He has been quiet lately. I hope Mr. solo is okay.

indeed ...

 

[hank solo]

No, thank you, I'm quite all riiiiiight!

 

[Gerard K H Love]

To prove it answer the little trivia question.

 

[hank solo]

He he... I've banned myself from that thread ;)

Here's a couple more F Scotts refs...

Dreiser wasn't so hot either (Bone Palace Ballet)
a poetry reading (Dangling in the Tournefortia)

 

[David]

Mr. Solo, will you PLEASE play? Otherwise, we are going to be stuck at this question for the next three months!!!!

 

[CarversDog]

Dreiser ... oh God, he was awful. The whole Chicago renaissance produced some horrible "socially aware" writing.

 

[Gerard K H Love]

Mr. Solo, will you PLEASE play? Otherwise, we are going to be stuck at this question for the next three months!!!!

A big hint....
Here David off thread....it is a poem that is only in the Works database-I love the Works database. The title of which has to do with the subject of the question.;) This is so cheating.