Bukfan
"The law is wrong; I am right"
Too late! Unfortunately, I bought it long ago. It was a big disappointment. It does'nt read as a "real" bio at all. "An English term paper..." is a pretty good description!
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Best Buk Bio(s)?
- Thread starter LickTheStar
- Start date
Too late! Unfortunately, I bought it long ago. It was a big disappointment. It does'nt read as a "real" bio at all. "An English term paper..." is a pretty good description!
Sounes doesn't hold back much at all does he? Excellent bio. The most amazing thing about Buk has got to be the fact that he never avoided any subject, idea or desire in his writing. He didn't cover up the nastier sides of who he was. Almost as if he was able to explore them in writing in an attempt to excise them...or at least understand them.
Bukfan
"The law is wrong; I am right"
very true! He did'nt hide his flaws. He was very honest about who he was. I think that's one of the reasons why we like him so much.
And yes, the Sounes bio is excellent indeed. The best Buk bio so far!
Btw, Sounes'Bukowski In Pictures, is a great companion to the bio...
And yes, the Sounes bio is excellent indeed. The best Buk bio so far!
Btw, Sounes'Bukowski In Pictures, is a great companion to the bio...
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I'll make sure to get it. Thanks!
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Father Luke
Founding member
Here is a pretty good thread about it: Bukowski In Pictures
I looked it over...great pics. I am out of the loop on the inside jokes however. Sounes pissed some people off I gather.
Read the last pages of the Sounes bio last night and felt real pain for his passing.
I must have picked up my first poetry book of his at the very end of his life or soon after his death. Don't remember seeing anything about it in the news at the time, though I didn't pay much attention to the news back then.
Reading Pulp and Last Night of the Earth Poems recently and then the bio over the past few days gave me a much better perspective on his death...from his view, and from the view others. Interesting and sad.
Read the last pages of the Sounes bio last night and felt real pain for his passing.
I must have picked up my first poetry book of his at the very end of his life or soon after his death. Don't remember seeing anything about it in the news at the time, though I didn't pay much attention to the news back then.
Reading Pulp and Last Night of the Earth Poems recently and then the bio over the past few days gave me a much better perspective on his death...from his view, and from the view others. Interesting and sad.
I've re read the Sounes bio. I find it not bad but to call it the best...it depends how do you want to compare this bio to Miles, Cherkovski... I'd say: The less weakest biography so far.
What Rekrab says: "doesn't go deeply enough into things". I agree. I find it a flat book. It has no real soul. Ok, I've never liked "only facts".
But who wants to spend 10 years going into Buk and write a 800 or 1000 or 1500 pages good bio. Nobody, or?
So- in the meantime I'm enjoying the memoires on Buk.
mjp
Founding member
If you put Sounes, Miles, Cherkovski, Brewer, Fox, et al and all the chapbook memoirs by people who knew him into a blender with all the information in this forum, you start to get within pissing distance of a real picture of the man.
But no single book has done it, and I don't think one book could do it. Before reading any biography I would say watch Born Into This. It's a better overall picture without all the tedious dates and places that some of us so love to track, debate and compile. ;)
But no single book has done it, and I don't think one book could do it. Before reading any biography I would say watch Born Into This. It's a better overall picture without all the tedious dates and places that some of us so love to track, debate and compile. ;)
yep. the last part of the last sentence tells it.
No one can put a whole life into a book. ever.
Even if someone came, would take ALL information from ALL sources - HOW will you ever pack a whole life into a given number of pages?! This will Never work.
But - what we CAN do is, trying to verify or falsify claims, trying to prove 'facts' and thus add to the whole picture.
If one writes a biography then (and I AM intending to do so someday, since in Germany we only have the Neeli-book), it has to be inside a certain frame.
[ e.g., the most valid bio of Nietzsche is a 3-volume piece by one Curt Paul Janz. But it also is obvious, that when one has to write a bio inside the publishers frame of 90-110 pages (like, say, in Germany the 'rowohlt-monographie', which is usually a VERY good start into the life of someone) you Never can cover all important things, even if you know them, even if you want to tell. ]
Besides, I do not like biographers who think they should force their writing to being 'creative' like the one, they're writing about. Their writing may look a little 'dry', but I prefer that to any 'I-want-to-write-different-and-original'-biographer. By far.
sure, that's a matter of taste.
and of target-group.
Not exactly a bio but a memoir: has anyone read "The Holy Grail: The Charles Bukowski/ Second Coming Revolution" new from A. D. Winans? If so, what did you think?
Father Luke
Founding member
Rekrab
Usually wrong.
I've read Winan's memoir and I thought it was very good. I have no idea why he's described as whining in it or blowing his own horn. I don't see any of that in the book. Those criticisms feel like they're fueled by jealousy or some sort of personal grudge against Winans. I recommend the book without reservations. He knew Bukowski and has plenty to say, and he says it well.
Father Luke
Founding member
With mjp and rekrab endorsing it, I'm sold.
Father Luke
Founding member
Rekrab
Usually wrong.
Second Coming Years is one I haven't heard of. I'll have to track it down. Also, check out Winan's great poem about Harold Norse at 90. It's a recent broadside.
it's thinner than 'holy grail' and I think I once heared, that it was the first version of more or less the same book. (but as I said, I haven't read nor compared the both) Has a green cover with Buk on it.
OK, my curiosity is piqued, if I can scrape together a couple bucks maybe I'll get a hold of it (so many books, so few bucks, and only one Buk).
You can buy the book here http://www.beatscene.net/buk.asp at
the bottom of the page.
the bottom of the page.
LickTheStar
Sad Flower in the Sand
Yeah I got a first edition of the Cherkovski's (Collins version, sadly not the BSP) for like... $8. Its next on my list to read.
But so far Sounes is the best bio.
But so far Sounes is the best bio.
