Round Trip - For T.H., There's People In Places Where Snow Lives - Wormwood Review No. 57 - 1974

[David]

 

[hank solo]

she knows I am one of those rare old fashioned straights
and she comes to me for strength
but all I give her are my hard-ons and hot kisses

but she knows I am one of those rare old-fashioned men
and she comes to me for strength
but all I can give her are hot kisses

Thanks for the scans David.

 

[Erik]

Yeah, thanks David.
Much appreciated.:)

And I wonder if the line:

although I have never stuck it into her

was martinized in What Matters Most...
My guess would be YES!

 

[hank solo]

Actually, no :eek:

I have suffered right along with Mimi Trochi and
her indifferent men and
although I have never stuck it into her
she keeps coming back
with stories and sobs
looking more handsome than ever

 

[mjp]

He must have dozed off while reading that stanza and dropped his red pencil.

 

[zobraks]

I need a little help from you English-speaking (English-reading, actually) people.
In "Poor Trochi" (as posted by David, up there) there's a line:

she knows I am one of those rare old fashioned...

...what? What is that last word?
Is it "straights" as Hank Solo had written?

I just finished reading What Matters Most... and braced myself for comparing the "martinized" poems with the originals found at this place, that's why I'm looking for that word.
In Martin's "Poor Mimi" it's "but she knows I am one of those rare old-fashioned men".

BTW, I enjoyed reading What Matters Most Is How Well You Walk through the Fire and I certainly wouldn't do this to my (much more flexible :wb:) copy:


:DD

 

[Skygazer]

zobraks, in this context I think it's" Straights" - as in heterosexual men - is that what you were wondering?

 

[zobraks]

Yes, that's it. Somehow it sounded odd to me and I've been trying to find some other word, a word that fits better.
Thank you, Skygazer.

 

[mjp]

I enjoyed reading What Matters Most Is How Well You Walk through the Fire and I certainly wouldn't do this to my (much more flexible :wb:) copy...

Everyone reacts differently.

Maybe there are a couple of posthumous collections that are better than the others. What Matters Most could be one of them. Only because it's difficult to completely kill Bukowski's stronger work, even if you succeed in mortally wounding it. It still limps along and accomplishes certain things.

I don't understand enjoying any of the wounded books though, once someone knows what's been done to them. But then I suppose some people would enjoy watching Goodfellas on TBS with every "fuck" cut out and 25 commercial breaks. "Well that was a good movie!" Um hm. Maybe it was. But it was infinitely better before it was domesticated and castrated, wasn't it.

 

[zobraks]

Don't get me wrong: I'm all for impaling who(m?)ever messed with Buk's work myself, but I couldn't help enjoying reading the book.
Those poems are still very strong, even after being crippled.

 

[Ponder]

I don't understand enjoying any of the wounded books though, once someone knows what's been done to them.

As soon as I heard (how long ago??) the posthumous books were terminal martinized I immeditaly stopped reading them.
I felt cheated.
On the other hand, I still read parts of Visceral Bukowski. I don't put a book down because one chapter is untrue while the rest is pretty good.

 

[PhillyDave]

@Ponder Same w/ me when it came to the "new" poetry but by the time I found out about the tampering I had already read most of said poetry. I recently picked up Bone Pallace Ballet and can hardly get through it. I, now religiously go to the Manuscripts section mjp has here. It is a true goldmine...the truth actually.

 

[Ponder]

I, now religiously go to the Manuscripts section mjp has here. It is a true goldmine...the truth actually.

How about a book, Bukowski Manuscripts only. That would be something!

 

[zobraks]

It has been thought of.

I'm all for manuscripts too.

 

[roni]

It has been thought of.

That, btw, is a very fine book. Highly recommended.

 

[mjp]

Last time I was in Prague I overheard someone in line at Kentucky Fried Chicken saying a volume II was on the way. That's just gossip though.

 

[mjp]

Replaced the images with some better scans.