The Meanings Behind Buk Titles (1 Viewer)

Hello. First Post. Onward.

I read Bukowski, think Bukowski and am just generally enthralled with Bukowski.

Sometimes I begin a new Buk title, such as Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame, and find myself searching for the meaning behind the title while moving through the pages.

Sometimes I can't find them and feel that I have failed to grasp the concepts. Very unsatisfying.

This topic is for explaining any/all of Buk's titles.
 
Many times the titles are culled from a poem in that book. Sometimes the titles can be pulled from a great line in a poem that was not up to par.

It would be an interesting project to find the original poem for each book title.

Anyone up to it?

Bill
 
Buk Titles

The meanings of the titles are often"double" ( or "triple") and "crossed". You don't burn in water, you drown; you don't drown in flame, you burn. "Ham on Rye" apparently is the sandwich, a comedian high on whiskey (rye) and I think I read somewhere also a pun on "Cather in the Rye." "Roominghouse Madrigals"--a roominghouse is a place where poor people live; madrigals are an intricate form of Renaissance classical music. etc. "Hot Water Music" probably a play on Handel's "Water Music" and I believe Bukowski said there was a play on the idea of being in "hot water"--that is, in trouble, and then music. (This is in one of the documentaries).
What matters is how you walk through the fire. That one is clear.
Bone Palace Ballet--more surreal ghoulish fun play on things that don't usually go together.
He compresses meaning-which is what a metaphor is--and he also adds a "surrealistic" aspect sometimes by skewing away from reality.
Women, Factotum, Post Office, Pulp, and Hollywood are straight up.
Buk admired Saroyan and I think the LONG, WITTY titles of alot of his works may come from the influence of Saroyan. For example, Saroyan has memoirs titled "Days of Life and Death and Escape to the Moon" and "Sons Come and Go, but Mothers Hang in Forever" and "Don't Go, But If You Must, Say Hello to Everybody." Compare "A Rambling Essay on Poetics and the Bleeding Life Wirtten While Drinking Six-Pack (Tall)", etc.
This is a fun game.
Maybe we should start a new thread: BUKOWSKI TITLES AND WHAT THEY MEAN TO ME :)
 
"Hot Water Music" probably a play on Handel's "Water Music" and I believe Bukowski said there was a play on the idea of being in "hot water"--that is, in trouble, and then music.
I always thought this one was kind of obvious. Older buildings had steam heat, and used the big old cast iron radiators under the windows. The older the plumbing in the building, the more the pipes feeding the radiators clang into each other, and that noise rings through the pipes and right into your room: hot water music.
 
That's funny. Hot Water Music was translated into Spanish as Música de cañerías, literally meaning "Pipe music" (and not "piped music", I think, though I'm not sure.)
 
Unrelated, but difficult to resist: do you know how James Joyce got the title of his first book of poems? His wife was pissing in the bathroom, and he said: "Ah--I've got the title for my poetry book: "Chamber Music." True story.
 
I think I just figured out the meaning behind the title Burning in Water, Drowning in Flames... it might refer to being in hell, more specifically the lake of fire mentioned in the Book of Revelations where the water in the lake would burn and the fire of the lake would drown you, figuratively speaking. This may be completely wrong but I thought I'd give it a try.
 
There are religious/Christian/Buddhist references throughout Buk's work. "At Terror Street and Agony Way", "The Silver Christ of Santa Fe", "Crucifix in a Death Hand", etc etc.
 
Bone Palace Ballet always struck me as sexual. Though I've not read it, so am only judging by title.
About 2 years ago my teenage daughter saw my copy of 'Burning In Water, Drowning In Flame', and said, "Wow, I love that title". Me too.:)
mjp, your insight into 'Hot Water Music' is great! I had never looked at the title from his/the 'physical enviroment' aspect of it.
Saroyan's long titles are beautiful. It is a great part of both of their styles.
The titles are poems/stories in and of themselves. CRB:)
 
mjp, your insight into 'Hot Water Music' is great! I had never looked at the title from his/the 'physical enviroment' aspect of it.

Me neither. I always thought it was a humorous combination of "Hot Water" and "Hot Music", but mjp's interpretation makes a lot of sense...
 
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Who is responsible for naming all the books that came out, and continue to come out since Bukowski's death?

Does anyone know if these were all approved/written titles by Buk to be used for books once he died? Or does anyone know that it's Linda, or the publishers naming them?
 
Bukowski named all the books who came out in his lifetime, and I believe John Martin is responsible for the titles of the posthumous books...
 

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