WRITE magazine (1 Viewer)

[the only good poet]

I wonder if Montfort sold my beer bottle poems with his collection?

S.A. Griffin visited Montfort's collection and mentioned, among other items, "bottles of beer with poems floating in them." i assume these were the items you gave to Montfort. maybe you could tell us something about them...what poems were used? what beer? was it beer,eh?

 

[bospress.net]

Hi,
I once saw a photo of Montfort holding that bottle of beer. I beloieve that mjp was maybe in the photo also?

If I remember, the poem was "Cows in Art Class" from 8 Story Window?

If you have that photo, could you post it?

Bill

 

[the only good poet]

If I remember, the poem was "Cows in Art Class" from 8 Story Window?

i know that poem from MADRIGALS. must have been a tight fit! on a personal level (yawn now), that collection kept me afloat unlike anything else since MEXICO CITY BLUES...consensus be damned: tyros are intrinsic.

 

[mjp]

It was an excerpt from cows in art class. I letterpressed it on acetate using the completely wrong kind of ink, so it didn't want to dry, but it worked out somehow.

I don't remember how Montfort found out about it, but he emailed me a few days before the show and said he was coming by and asked if I would hold one for him. He was the first one there, so holding one wasn't really necessary.

He convinced me to number and sign them on the bottom, then took #1/24 (of course ;)). I think I ended up giving him #2 as well, and a week or so later he unexpectedly sent me a print of one of his Bukowski photos, so I considered it a good trade. Ha.

The bottles were free for the taking anyway, for anyone who came to the art show. All the artists made inedible "food" items that people could take home.

Yes, it's really beer. I think it was Natural Light or something. The cheapest 12 pack I could find.

 

[the only good poet]

thanks, mjp - those "food" items almost make me heave.

 

[poptop]

Yeah, WRITE Magazine: the magazine for amateurs by amateurs is someday going to turn up, the Bukowski issue, and the story could be god-awful. Just trying to keep things lively on a slow Sunday night in Sedona! ;-) Okay okay... it would turn out to be a major find. But so far my Ouija board says...

"Yours truly, Cathleen Wheeler and Helen E. Cook, from the Bukowski Home for Retired Editors"

ok, I'm speculating here, but the title of the journal was Write, the monthly magazine... They had published 3 issues in Dec. 1940. B probably was published sometime in 1944-45. That means that the journal had prob. published over 40 issues by then. And you say you haven't seen anything at all but that single 1940 issue? Really weird! Where is the rest of the issues? I'm not talking about the one where B was published only, but all of them.

That is a good point... that is, if Bukowski was indeed published in the mid-'40s, unless the magazine was more about pushing its commercial ads for services than for its amateur but good writing... But if the writing was poor and people subscribed to it more for the ads it contained, why would anyone keep any of the monthly issues? So far, it looks like hardly anyone did.

 

[bright]

How high was the mags circulation?
I mean if there were only 80 copys a year, it seems possible that they all vanished.

 

[HenryChinaski]

surly a few survived? thats a damn shame.

 

[zoom man]

surly a few survived?

I'm sure of it, Tho I'm no longer on the case (as of about a month + ago).
I checked all of one Atlanta bookstores when I was there....
Yeah, find me a new assignment.
Got the big L on my forehead, Just didn't have the time (Chattanooga was too much fun).
Now I'm in a San Mateo Fairgrounds parking lot (my 4 year University loan co-signees would be so proud)....
But I'm determined.

It's good to have direction, HA :)
(it's either this or prison)

 

[Paul B.]

i hear tell out west there might be a maltese (tease) falcon flying around that HOLLYWOOD sign. i could be wrong. ive been wrong before. they say he has a wounded wing.

 

[Bukfan]

Are you sure it's not a black sparrow?...:D

 

[Paul B.]

ah, yes - perhaps. life is so full of mystery. and my eyesight is getting a little blurred around the edges.

 

[roni]

"I am trying to locate the WRITE Sparrow."
"The WRITE Sparrow? What the hell is that?"
"I'm sure it exists, I just want to find it, I want you to locate it for me."
*haha*

o.k., back to business:
next time I talk with Montfort, I will ask him for tips. Maybe he helps.

 

[mjp]

It was an excerpt from cows in art class. I letterpressed it on acetate using the completely wrong kind of ink, so it didn't want to dry, but it worked out somehow.

Here's a scan of the insert that floats in the beer:

 

[Short Bus]

The archivist I spoke to said that this issue has ads for goods and services throughout the state, so it is likely the mag had (at least) statewide distribution.

Perhaps a backward check of the companies/services that advertised in the magazine my turn up older issues if not the issue in question.
Perhaps some of the companies advertising still exist and have their own archives-closet with a lot of old shit in it.

Poetry and marketing who would think they had so much in common.

 

[hanzpolilla]

well, if someone has this write mag I'm sure that we never can see this!
excuse moi ce inglish bad

 

[HenryChinaski]

those are the coolest beers ever.

 

[cirerita]

If -a quite unlikely if- a copy of Write would surface now, which price would it fetch, roughly? Yeah, I know, whatever collectors would be willing to pay... but are we talking about a few grand? Maybe 10 grand? More? I think A Signature #1 is valued 10 grand or so, and there are six copies available, which is six times the number of available issues of Write right now.

 

[bospress.net]

There were only 6 copies of Signature made. There would have been more or Write made, and are probably in some attic in the house of the former editor. When it is found, I would guess a value on it of about $3000-$4000 (assuming that only one copy is found. If the entire print run was boxed and never sold, we will all be able to afford a copy), but there are really only a handfull of people that would pay that. I would not pay it. As much as I would love to have one, If I found one in a thrift shop, I would almost certainly sell it. I can think of only maybe 5 or 6 people that are obsessive enough to HAVE to have that and have the means to pay for it.

I would rather have Signature, any day...

Best,Bill

p.s. To make my point above; Anyone remember when "Peace Amongst The Ants" sold for $300 a copy on abe and there was only one copy available? Fogel valued it at $175.00. That was before a massive cache of mint copies showed up in Anaheim, CA. I assume that they were from the publishers stash and that very few copies ever made it out at the time of publication. They probably sat in a box for almost 40 years and then the publisher decided to unload them. I have 10-15 copies of that here and know others that bought 20 or more at $24.95 each.

 

[mjp]

Well that goes back to the issue of rarity, and as Bill pointed out in the case of Ants, that rarity status changes (as does the value) dramatically when a number of copies are found and distributed.

I think Write will eventually be found. I don't think it would go for $10k+ though - it's very early, yes, but it's not the "first" anything. It is notorious only because it's never been seen by collectors.

I wouldn't buy it myself, but I would hound the buyer endlessly to copy or transcribe the poem and story. ;)

 

[cirerita]

Time to revive this thread:

Here's the list of contributors to Write v.1 no.3 (Dec. 1940):

The Guiding Star - Odessa Grist Clark
A Carol of the Holy - Katharine Simons
The Nation's Only College-Community Theatre - Jeanne Patterson
Rastus and the Angels - Nelle Womack Hines
Age to Youth - Euri Belle Bolton
Maizie Wept - Thomas J. Tobias
The Tryst - Helen Coburn Drummond
Askosh Ambulates Again - Winnie Bevis Adams
Floating Indebtedness - Flora Buffington
The Dorway - Ruth Spepherd
Christmas Eve - Fred W. Schaefer
This Old Year - A.G. DeLoach
In a Cafeteria - Harriett V. Bush
Gale in Darkness - Alice Austin Sheffield
Inefficient? Democracy - Kenneth E. Palmer
Final Word - Sarah Lemon
Good Luck - Frances Donehoo
First Aid for Beginning Writers - Robert Sprague Parrish
Love and Devotion - Frances Bodie
Return Trip, Prize Story - Margaret H. Donald
A Prayer - Etta J. Pugh
Seven Poems - Gerald Chan Seig
Complete the Records, Son - Hazle Hancock
Aunt Sarah Prefers Slavery - Emma W. Gaillard
Aiding Prosperity - R.E.L. Whitworth
Return to Happiness - Robert Sprage Parrish
Gratitude - Elizabeth Fitten Goldsmith
Why be Educated? - Grace Pope
Marlain in New England - Katharine Simons​

Any familiar name? I Googled all these names last year, and found out that one of the contributors was alive. Well, at least I found her email online, but she never replied to me. Oh, well...

 

[Joseph K]

I think the best way of locating a Write (as has probably already been said) is to find a descendant of one the writers published in Buk issue or a relation of an editor... Good luck - tough considering we don't even have contents list of that issue.

 

[cirerita]

I did find the grandson of one of the contributors to v.1 no.3, but no luck. He didn't have the Write material.

Oh, I forgot something: The Nelle Womack Hines and Euri Belle Bolton Papers are available at some library, but that library didn't have a single copy of Write. Quite a few libraries have tons of unprocessed collections, and that material does not show up online. You have to call them or bombard them with email messages until they get back to you. It's a painfully slow process.

 

[bospress.net]

This Old Year - A.G. DeLoach.

This is not Allen DeLoach is it? If so, I know his daughter. I'm sure that many others here also know her.

Best,
Bill

 

[cirerita]

I don't think it's him, but no harm in asking her.

 

[bospress.net]

It seems like 1940 is too early, but just asked her if it is possible that A.G. DeLoach is her step-father.

I assume that someone (probably Cirerita) has checked the Dr. Marvin Sackner archives. I cannot imagine him not having one...

Bill

 

[cirerita]

Marvin Sackner?
http://www.rediscov.com/sacknerarchives/ ?

 

[bospress.net]

http://www.rediscov.com/sacknerarchives/

They mostly dealt with concrete poetry, but collected a shit load of small press stuff. I have heard that this was the largest collection of concrete poetry in the world. If there was a concrete poem in Write Magazine, I would think that it is in their archives....

Nothing may ever pan out from this but you never know...

Bill

 

[cirerita]

Bill,

let us know if Allen DeLoach is actually A.G. DeLoach.

The Intrepid/Allen DeLoach Papers are at Buffalo.



Apparently, the search page does not work on the M. Sackner site.

 

[hoochmonkey9]

I thought i was in luck, but all i did was get info that we already had.
here's my conversation with a librarian at the University of Georgia...

meeboguest494562: Gerald Chan Sieg was a poet and former professor at UofG.
meeboguest494562: she passed away a few years ago.
ugalibsref: Ok...do you have a question about her?
meeboguest494562: do you know if her archives are located at your library, or if there are archives, where they might be?
ugalibsref: Let me see what I can find out...
ugalibsref: from my cursory search
ugalibsref: I only see three books in our collection by Gerald Chan Sieg
ugalibsref: But I am not fully versed in our archival holdings
ugalibsref: If I were you, I would call the Hargrett Rare Book & Manuscript Library during their operating hours, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Mon-Thurs
ugalibsref: Friday 8-4:30
ugalibsref: Sat 1-5
ugalibsref: Their phone number is
ugalibsref: (706) 542-7123
ugalibsref: These are the titles I saw in our catalog
ugalibsref: Far journey
ugalibsref: Recollection : the Poetry Society of Georgia 1923-1998
ugalibsref: Chinese Christmas box
meeboguest494562: thanks very much. very helpful
ugalibsref: Was there some particular information on the author you were looking for?
meeboguest494562: I'm trying to locate a copy of write magazine from dec. 1940 that she appeared in.
ugalibsref: Well, let's see...
ugalibsref: Was the title "Write Magazine" or just "Write"?
meeboguest494562: I believe just "Write".
ugalibsref: you're in luck
ugalibsref: it seems that's the only issue of Write we own
ugalibsref: Write; the monthly magazine for amateur writers.
Publisher: Atlanta.
Location: .Main 3rd floor Georgia Room (Hargrett)
Call Number: Ga Room AP2 .W956
Volumes Owned: v. 1, no. 3 (1940:Dec.)
ugalibsref: Dec.
ugalibsref: And we seem to be the only library I can easily locate that does own this.
meeboguest494562: wow. you don't know how glad i am to hear that.
ugalibsref: :)
ugalibsref: Since this is located in the Rare books & Manuscript Library
ugalibsref: the best thing to do would be to call them tomorrow
meeboguest494562: you made my day. thanks.
ugalibsref: You're welcome. Just make sure to give them the call number and title of the magazine you're looking for, and if you need them to scan or copy the article, they should be able to help you out
meeboguest494562: super. thanks again.

I confused the Dec. 1940 issue with Buk's issue that would have come a few years later.
so, there ya go. I'm a twit. but with good intentions.

 

[bospress.net]

does anyone else find it odd that a "monthly" magazine only seems to have appeared four times spanning a few years?

 

[cirerita]

There are many odd things about this Write. Apparently, the last issue -v.1 no.4- came out in 1941-1942. Maybe Bukowski was in Atlanta in 1942, maybe not. If he was, and he was published there in 1942, then it would contradict what he says in the Portfolio bio -he says he was first in Story and then in Write. Unless, which is not impossible, he wanted to give more importance to Story and placed it first, even if Write might have been his first true periodical appearance (besides the The Collegian letters, that is).

Sometimes I think the Write he mentions it's not this Write, but some other periodical simply titled Write. But no USA library has any mag titled Write published in the 1942-1946 period.

 

[Rekrab]

Great research, you guys. So close, yet so far away. Someobody will find it eventually. I came across a stash of copies of a little mag from the late 40s, multiple copies of several issues, at a library book sale, for 10 cents each. I bought them all because otherwise they were headed for a dumpster. Not great literature, and I don't recognize any names, but someday I'll put them on eBay and maybe someone will be glad to have them. Could be the only copies left on earth. This stuff turns up when someone dies and their kids clean out the place. Same could happen with Bukowski's issue of WRITE.

 

[bospress.net]

What if the magazine is actually called RITE?

Really with such an vague name, it is nearly impossible to locate, which is what makes Abel's progress so incredible.

Next we'll find out that he was in a small press magazine called "poems" and then we'll all go crazy looking for that.

Of course the fact that he mentioned it in 1946 makes it an incredible find if it exists.

Bill

 

[Ponder]

What if the magazine is actually called RITE?

Next we'll find out that he was in a small press magazine called "poems" and then we'll all go crazy looking for that.

Funny.

 

[Carterofmars]

What would its value be ya think?


joe

 

[Purple Stickpin]

I think that the numbers bandied about here are ~$4,000-$6,000. But if it came up for auction on PBA, I'd wager for close to $10,000. Unless there are multiple. Hell, if I found 50, I'd sell the first one for $10,000 and then give the rest away for $10 here on Buk.net. Be warned. ;)

 

[bospress.net]

Yeah. $4,000 - $6,000 is probably fair, if it predates "Story Magazine". At PBA the key would to get two or three rabid Bukowski completists interested and you could see someone take this one much higher.

Imagine if this was the first published piece and only one copy is known to exist? If so, and you got really lucky, I cannot even imagine what it would go for.

Assuming that a copy is found and it is pre-1944, it wold be impossible to gauge as it would be unique.

Bill

 

[cirerita]

Just an update: the AG DeLoach listed as contributor to v.1 no.3 is not the Allen DeLoach who put out Intrepid.

Also, I contacted the grand daughter of one of the other contributors to v.1 no.3. Alas, she said she couldn't find Write in her grandmother papers.

This is a tough one.

 

[Bukfan]

Still, nice detective work, cirerita!