1966 letter to Harold Norse - Bukowski the Clairvoyant

[cirerita]

It seems that the $100 scheme was on his mind well before Martin actually made it true.

And POEMS WRITTEN WHILE GETTING A BLOWJOB. Ouch, that hurts!

 

[hoochmonkey9]

excellent.
thanks.

 

[LickTheStar]

Very good stuff! Wonder where that book ever went to?

 

[Bukfan]

Interesting letter! So Martin wasn't the first to come up with the idea of $100 a month.
Thanks for sharing, cirerita!

 

[bospress.net]

Wonder where that book ever went to?

I thinkthat it was a joke. "Poems Written Before Jumping Out Of An 8 Story Window" was actually supposed to be published in 1965. It was supposed to be published by Mel Bluffington's Mad Virgin Press. I believe that the insides were printed by Mel & Charles Potts, but the book was never completed. In 1968 Potts asked Mel if he could complete the covers and publish the book. Most of this info is from the book "Valga Krusa" by Potts.

So, Buk was probably making a joke on the title of a book that had been delayed for a year and would be delayed another 2 more....

Bill

p.s. Cirerita can probably clear up my details.

p.p.s. This would mean that the title page had to be reprinted as the publisher would be listed wrong.... Maybe I'll ask Potts if it becomes a sticking point about timelines.

 

[mjp]

In 1968 Potts asked Mel if he could complete the covers and publish the book.

Well that's interesting. It would seem to explain why you sometimes see copies of it with the cover not attached (and why the cover was glued on rather than stapled on). That never made sense to me, since a chapbook like that would be stapled all in one bite, rather than stapled pages and glued cover. But if the pages were done first - long before the cover - that could explain it.

 

[cirerita]

Potts told me the story a while ago, but I can't recall all the details and I'm too lazy to find his emails right now. I do recall, though, his telling me that his only input was basically financing the book. All the "hard" work was already done.

And, of course, that Poems Written While Getting a Blowjob title was a joke.

 

[LickTheStar]

I think I needed a winking face in that last post... I figured it was a joke (tho not so unlikely a title for Buk.). But on the plus side, my omission allowed for back story I didn't know about.

That's one helluva delay on a book, tho I suppose not for a small press. You people are treasure troves of information!

 

[bospress.net]

Yeah, the story is probably true. I'll get the full story from Potts in May, when I see him in Berkley.

Three years is a long delay, but for the small press, it is not unheard of....

Speaking of Berkley... There is a cool reading in May there. I'm flying out for the long weekend. Father Luke may be coming up. Also, anyone else in the area gonna come by?

Bill

 

[Ponder]

Who's gonna read in Berkeley, is it a poetry festival?

 

[bospress.net]

Hi,
Yes, it is a few days of poetry readings. This is the poster for one of them (below). Also there will be other readings, and I believe that in addition to the three guys below, Hugh Fox will be there...

This is the 40th anniversary of the Berkley readings in 1968.

I met all of these guys in Northampton, MA last year. Great people. I had met Richard and Mary Krech the year before that in Berkley and stayed at their place while I was there.

Yes, anyone that is in the bay area would probably enjoy coming to at least one of these readings.

It is a reading of Berkley poets, but that does not mean that you will not run into many others that are not too far from Berkley. I'm trying to talk Annie Menebroker into coming from Sacramento....


Bill

 

[Father Luke]

I'm trying to talk Annie Menebroker into coming from Sacramento

That would be so great.