Portions From a Wine-Stained Notebook

[Purple Stickpin]

I heard from the publishing editor (after leaving my question @ City Light's website) that the book is going to be nearly 300 pages, and if it is a success, they may do another.

I had indicated that I had some thoughts about the end product, and I suggested to him that some of us would love to see a deluxe hardcover, much like BSP, since the ecco stuff has been somewhat disappointing, but I acknowledged that City Lights almost never, or never, puts out hardbacks. No response on that yet. Anyway...sit tight until the Autumn.

 

[Bukfan]

Great! Now we have the title, page number and when it'll be released. Let's hope the book will be a success so they'll make another ...

 

[informal]

What news! and only 2 minutes past the anniversary of his day of death!

 

[Purple Stickpin]

Apparently, when it's ready for public presentation, information regarding the book will be available here:

http://www.citylights.com/publishing/

On the left-hand side, click on "Forthcoming Books."

From their website: "Here's a list of what we're working on now, and what we're planning for the immediate future. Take a look, tell your friends and sign up to receive an email alert to let you know as soon as they become available. When you place your order, you'll receive a 30% web-only discount."

So, if those of us who are interested can hit them with a bunch of orders, perhaps that would help City lights recognize the market for more Buk...plus we get a discount.:cool:

 

[hoochmonkey9]

well, it's on the website now...

http://www.citylights.com/book/?GCOI=87286100856720&fa=description

 

[Buzzcat]

Rock!

 

[Purple Stickpin]

well, it's on the website now...

http://www.citylights.com/book/?GCOI=87286100856720&fa=description

Sweet!:cool:

 

[bospress.net]

Is there someone that is trying to get them to do a limited edition hardcover? I'd pay bucks for one. I know that they could sell them out. It would not be a bad way to make some money and put out something special...

Bill

 

[Purple Stickpin]

I had sent an inquiry to City Lights from their website, asking about whether this volume was indeed going to happen, and the publishing editor responded. As you know, Bill, I share the name of a certain person who had a little something to do with Black Sparrow Press, and I received an e-mail indicating that he really wanted to talk to me about this. Well, after we got the facts sorted out (I'm not him, in other words), I mentioned that I had an idea or two about what the Buk-buying public might want to see for this publication. He e-mailed back saying that he would like to hear my idea, and I told him how I thought that Buk fans would love to see a deluxe hard cover; something akin to what BSP used to put out. I also mentioned what you said above; I bet they could sell them out because there's a pretty big market.

I never heard back from him after that, which really isn't too surprising. Apart from the fact that City Lights doesn't do many hard covers, being a scientist doesn't carry too much weight in the publishing business, apparently. ;)

Edited to add: I'm just thinking that this is where you may have heard about a possible hard cover, because I had posted that earlier. Obviously, I have nothing to do with this book other than wanting to own it. Perhaps someone is actively working on a hard cover, which would be great.

 

[bospress.net]

Hi John (from MA, not CA),
That is where I heard it. It will probably not happen, but I cannot imagine why they would not do it if they thought that there was demand for somethign like this. It would also be somethign that every Borders, B&N, etc would want to carry, so sales would not rely on walk in sales at City Lights or word of mouth...

It is funny though, that they responded that they wanted to talk to you. At least your name is not George Bush or you may have received a completely different reply...

Bill

 

[Bukfan]

That's great news! And it's gonna have 300 pages! Too bad they're not gonna publish a hardcover version, but what the hay - it's a new Buk book!

 

[mjp]

I don't care how they put it out. A lot of publishers turned it down, so we should just be happy that it is coming out at all.

 

[Bukfan]

They did? That's funny. I would think it's a sure money maker, but obviously some publishers must've thought differently since they turned it down...:confused:

 

[mjp]

Well, what I heard was it made the rounds quite a bit and City Lights was kind of the last hope. Luckily, they bit.

 

[Purple Stickpin]

Fortunate indeed. Naturally, I hope the book does well, but not just so they'll do another one. I've always liked Ferlinghetti and the mission of City Lights.

So has HarperCollins been disappointed with sales of Buk since their take-over? You'd think that if things are selling well they'd want to keep this in their Buk line.

 

[mjp]

So has HarperCollins been disappointed with sales of Buk since their take-over?

No idea. Maybe they don't have an option for prose or anything beyond the posthumous poetry books, who knows. I don't know if it was even offered to them. But I know it was shopped around, so maybe they passed on it.

Perhaps someone more familiar with the how the book came to be will shed some light.

 

[cirerita]

As I said, D. should do the talking. He's here... sometimes ;)

 

[Garrett]

New Bukowski from City Lights

Hello one and all:

My name's Garrett Caples and I've been handling a new collection of uncollected Bukowski, Portions from a Wine-Stained Notebook, published by City Lights and edited by David Calonne, who did the collection of interviews, Sunlight Here I Am. This will come out in the fall and has lots of goodies: his first and last published short stories, his first and last essays, first Notes of a DOM column, pieces on the Rolling Stones, Artaud, Pound, and so on. 300 pages worth!

Anyway, I'd like to inquire among you as I'm certain there are people here much better acquainted with Buk. What we're looking for at City Lights is appropriate people to blurb the book, living authors with some reputation. I'm really uncertain who this would be.

Any suggestions will be most appreciated! Please post here or send me an email at: g@hyphythizzgo.com.

Thanks!

Garrett Caples
Editorial Assistant
City Lights Books

 

[bospress.net]

Hi Garrett,
Of course, Ferlinghetti.....

Also, Tom Waits would be a great one.

Just don't use Bono...

Also, are you even considering doing a nice, case bound hardcover edition of the book for those of us that will buy them up like treasures? Maybe an edition of 100 deluxe hardcovers...

Bill

 

[chronic]

Most of his contemporaries (at least those who are fairly well known) are dead now. How about using older comments, such as Corrington's comment about Bukowski's writing being "... the spoken word nailed to the page." It doesn't matter who wrote it... a good comment is a good comment.

And yes please, a small hardcover edition (for us fanatics) would be fantastic.

And, no offense but, change that cover art. It's ugly. Hell, I'll design the cover for free (well, free plus a copy of the book).

 

[Gerard K H Love]

And, no offense but, change that cover art. It's ugly. Hell, I'll design the cover for free (well, free plus a copy of the book).

When I hear wine stained I think dark red like the wine Bukowski favored, RED WINE. The green seemed a little off. Chronic will do a good job and he might use the green anyway. Check out his web page, first class.

 

[mjp]

And, no offense but, change that cover art. It's ugly.

Yes, it looks inspirational. Like one of those books about learning about life from your dog named after a Reggae singer, or how to enrich your life by spending one day a week with a senile old fucker who keeps playing with his balls.

Jesus christ, do I have to do everything for you people? THIS is how it's done these days! Get out of that fucking mausoleum City Lights once in a while and see what the kids are up to. Fuck.

You can have any one of those for fifteen grand. Cash, none of that 1099 or IOU bullshit.

Okay, I'm glad I could fix that before it was too late.

 

[ROC]

The first one is the winner.
Nicely done.
Stooge my ass.

 

[the only good poet]

gerald locklin, it seems to me, has got to be the likely candidate for penning a blurb. he's alive, for one thing, and he does have the rep. oh yeh, and he knew bukowski.

i also vote for mjp's first pic to be used!

 

[cirerita]

Miller, Genet and Sartre are the best candidates. We all know that.

 

[Erik]

I know its a long shot, but Bob Dylan has mentioned Bukowski a couple of times on his Theme Time Radio Hour show. Maybe you can blurb him.

I notice they used Leonard Cohen on Pleasures of the Damned, anyone know where that quote comes from?

 

[roni]

gerald locklin,

yep. I was also thinking about Gerry.
Not only was he a friend of Buk, he was it back to Those days, when the 'Notes' column was going on.

another one would be his German translator and friend Carl Weissner.



and, er, of course the Charles-Bukowski-Society is available.
;-))



ps:
I don't find the layout to be so bad. Just change the color to deep-wine-red and everythings fine.

 

[cazart]

How about Henry Rollins? He might be up for that. What ever you do don't ask that cartoonist Roddy goddamn Doyle please!!!!! He ruined the latest Ham on Rye edition for me and I had to pick up a new copy of the black sparrow press edition to replace the one I'd lost. It's a travesty he was ever asked to do the foreword in the first place and i couldn't take another one. Good luck with things anyhow.

 

[Father Luke]

living authors with some reputation

Robert "R." Crumb

And I agree with the Gerald Locklin suggestion.

 

[bospress.net]

How about Henry Rollins? He might be up for that. What ever you do don't ask that cartoonist Roddy goddamn Doyle please!!!!! He ruined the latest Ham on Rye edition for me and I had to pick up a new copy of the black sparrow press edition to replace the one I'd lost. It's a travesty he was ever asked to do the foreword in the first place and i couldn't take another one. Good luck with things anyhow.

Rollins has publicly stated that although he liked reading Bukowski when he was young, he does not find much value in it anymore. I believe that he accused those of reading Bukowski past their early 20's as being immature. I can think of no one that I would rather NOT write a blurb. He is absolutely not a fan of Bukowski's work. He was for a very short time, but not any more. What would his blurb say? "You'll love this book if you are male and between the ages of 14 and 21. If you like it and are older than 21, then you need to grow up. --- Henry Rollins, Musician" There is a thread here somewhere about him. Clearly Rollins only scratched the surface and thinks that all Bukowski is about is drinking, fighting and screwing. It is funny as I found that many of Rollins early poetry books seemed to be poor Bukowski rip off poems. I have not read him in a while.

Bill