Rogue No. 29 (April 1971): I Just Write Poetry So I Can Go To Bed With Girls (1 Viewer)

Pogue Mahone

Officials say drugs may have played a part
This is a fairly cheap magazine compared to the Knight publications -- the paper, including the cover, is super thin. The story was uncollected until Absence of the Hero in 2010. According to Abel, the story is a stab at Coastlines editor Gene Frumkin. (I don't suspect the illustrator went on to do much.)

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The poem Something for the Touts,... is mentioned in this story. A question to the native speakers: What exactly is a "tout"? And is this term still used?
 
A "tout" hung around the racetrack offering questionable tips on "sure things" (which usually involved you spending money on a bet). A schemer, a scammer, a tout. I'm sure someone who knows more about the ins and outs of the track can give a better explanation.

I don't know if it's still used in that way. It's a legit word with a meaning unrelated to horse racing, but I'm sure Bukowski was referring to the racetrack touts.

For a poem that became so well known, it's funny that he didn't even remember it when Webb mentioned it...

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Thanks a lot. The German translator of Absence of the Hero called them 'Spione' (spies) which sounded very odd to me.
Yes, I've read this letter before - ...I'd like to see it. Do you have an extra page?
 
The German translator of Absence of the Hero called them 'Spione' (spies)...
...and grocery clerks became grocers. If I'd re-translate the title of the poem it would read: 'One for the Spies, the Nuns, the Grocers and You'.
I know it's hard, if not impossible, to reach the level of Carl Weissner, but this is just poor. Every schoolboy could have done a better job.
 
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