We see Linda a lot because we live in San Pedro. So we see her at the grocery store or post office or just meandering down the street. San Pedro is kind of a small town, so you see a lot of the same people all the time. We spoke to her a bit at first, but now when I see her at the grocery store I just nod and smile and keep walking, leave her to her privacy. For the same reason, I never sought out Bukowski when he was alive. He made it obvious in his writing that he wasn't interested in that. And meeting people who I admire for one reason or another doesn't interest me. I assume I would be let down in one way or another, and really, how could you not be?
Michael Montfort I did have a long conversation with, and he was a nice guy. I typed in some other entry here about his opinion of Linda. Apparently they didn't see eye to eye. He asked for my address and a couple of weeks after we'd met he sent me a photo that he'd taken of Bukowski in Germany.
I've only had email correspondence with Martin, and I have to say he wasn't exactly a prince of a fellow. Long story. Funny though, many, many years earlier I wrote him a fan letter of sorts, saying that I appreciated the letterpressed covers of the BS books, asking about who designed and printed them, etc. I got a nice response when I kissed his ass, but things are not so good if you disagree with him about something. That's just my limited experience. Maybe he is a prince of a guy. What do I know.
