The People Look Like Flowers At Last
- Thread starter Paul Sempschi
- Start date
Picked it up at the book-store, leafed through the couple of poems. It was O.k. untill I got to People as Flowers, and Minute...These two, were just as good, as any of his best work.
Recycled Poems
I've noticed a few poems in the posthumus collections that I've recognized from elsewhere. Usually they're at least laid-out a little differently, or else you get a complete poem John Martin originally excerpted between sections, but sometimes they seem like straight reprints.
In particluar, I remember a version of AN EMPIRE OF COINS appearing in BETTING ON THE MUSE.
It would be nice if there were some notes at the end of the newer books explaining how the poems were selected. Maybe that'll happen when Linda starts letting her stash of unpublished Buk out into the world.
I've noticed a few poems in the posthumus collections that I've recognized from elsewhere. Usually they're at least laid-out a little differently, or else you get a complete poem John Martin originally excerpted between sections, but sometimes they seem like straight reprints.
In particluar, I remember a version of AN EMPIRE OF COINS appearing in BETTING ON THE MUSE.
It would be nice if there were some notes at the end of the newer books explaining how the poems were selected. Maybe that'll happen when Linda starts letting her stash of unpublished Buk out into the world.
Digney in Burnaby
donkeys live a long time
Another review:
http://www.burningshorepress.com/book_reviews/bukflowers.php
http://www.burningshorepress.com/book_reviews/bukflowers.php
HenryChinaski
Founding member
I won't be surprised to see more reviews downgrading Buk's work.
The fact of the matter is, they've milked it for all its worth.
The question we should be asking ourselves, or John Martin for that matter is, should these poems have been published in the first place?
lets face it, the last of the posthumus collections have received shitty reviews.
The fact of the matter is, they've milked it for all its worth.
The question we should be asking ourselves, or John Martin for that matter is, should these poems have been published in the first place?
lets face it, the last of the posthumus collections have received shitty reviews.
chronic
old and in the way
I'm kind of partial to these:
http://collectingbukowski.com/nyg/nyg70.html
&
http://collectingbukowski.com/books/curtains.html
http://collectingbukowski.com/nyg/nyg70.html
&
http://collectingbukowski.com/books/curtains.html
ROC
It is what it is
Are we talking about the same book?
The People Look Like Flowers... right?
:D
Worst cover ever!
M
MULLINAX
GOING MODERN No. 10, ORO MADRE, published by the friggin' RUDDY DUCK PRESS, is the worst ever Bukowski publication.
oh, you're in search for some really ugly and/or stupid Bukowski-covers?
Eat this !
(Ham on Rye - German version)
(Hot Water Music - german)
(Shakespeare Never Did This - german)
(Notes of a Dirty Old Man - german)
(Post Office - german)
(Erections... [one part of 4] - german)
and on and on ...
Eat this !
(Ham on Rye - German version)
(Hot Water Music - german)
(Shakespeare Never Did This - german)
(Notes of a Dirty Old Man - german)
(Post Office - german)
(Erections... [one part of 4] - german)
and on and on ...
... I feel like my eyes are going to be sick.
the only good poet
One retreat after another without peace.
i actually prefer the postumous poetry in the Virgin format. it suits the uneveness of the poems.
you see ... we are suffering!
but this PROOFS: to read Bukowski you have to be really tough! (at least in this country)
It's a tradition, esp. with the two publishers of paperback-editions of Bukowski (dtv and fischer) to make His covers as ugly and dump as possible. They have totally new covers designed every few years, but they never get any better - the tradition is always kept alive.
You really need to KNOW, what you want, b/c nobody would ever buy these books just because he happened to see them somewhere.
ps:
just to proof it has a long tradition - here some covers from the 80s:
mjp
Founding member
The more I think about the non-Black Sparrow covers the more it seems to be a non-issue. When many of us started reading Bukowski (those many dusty years ago) and Black Sparrow was the only game in town, the books were like little secrets, and the quality and unusual design only made you feel more like you were in on something really unique and special.
But I don't think that Bukowski can really be looked at in that light anymore. Born Into This and Factotum are showing on a cable movie channel somewhere every week, and Ecco is dropping the books into every book store on the planet. Bukowski has gone mainstream. Small "m" mainstream, sure, but the name is out there, and the dirty old man persona is out there, and the repackaging of the books was inevitable at some point, no matter what.
Bukowski and Black Sparrow will be forever intertwined in my experience, but people coming in to the party now aren't burdened with that. ;) And really it's the words that matter. As long as they don't fuck with them, who cares what the wrapper looks like.
I have some hideously covered versions of Herman Hesse (and fewer - though equally unfortunate - Mark Twain) books, but I didn't really pay attention to the covers when I was a young sprout reading that stuff. The covers were irrelevant to me. And that's probably how someone coming to Bukowski now looks at it. As they should.
But I don't think that Bukowski can really be looked at in that light anymore. Born Into This and Factotum are showing on a cable movie channel somewhere every week, and Ecco is dropping the books into every book store on the planet. Bukowski has gone mainstream. Small "m" mainstream, sure, but the name is out there, and the dirty old man persona is out there, and the repackaging of the books was inevitable at some point, no matter what.
Bukowski and Black Sparrow will be forever intertwined in my experience, but people coming in to the party now aren't burdened with that. ;) And really it's the words that matter. As long as they don't fuck with them, who cares what the wrapper looks like.
I have some hideously covered versions of Herman Hesse (and fewer - though equally unfortunate - Mark Twain) books, but I didn't really pay attention to the covers when I was a young sprout reading that stuff. The covers were irrelevant to me. And that's probably how someone coming to Bukowski now looks at it. As they should.
I agree, although the title Ham on rye is not translatable in Dutch.
The rest of the Buk titles are original but some of them are hard to find or expensive, (the second hand books that is.)
It seems in German they don't stay with the original Buk-books titles.
http://www.charles-bukowski.de/hank/index.html
On the other hand...it's great that German people are able to read many Buk-books if they don't read English or are too lazy to read in English.
Are the Danish Buk titles original, and in other countries?
The rest of the Buk titles are original but some of them are hard to find or expensive, (the second hand books that is.)
It seems in German they don't stay with the original Buk-books titles.
http://www.charles-bukowski.de/hank/index.html
On the other hand...it's great that German people are able to read many Buk-books if they don't read English or are too lazy to read in English.
Are the Danish Buk titles original, and in other countries?
chronic
old and in the way
It seems like this title would be easily translatable to any language in any country where they have pig meat and rye bread. I suppose it would probably lose its ambiguity in the translation but a literal translation should be simple.
But then, of course, I have been known to be wrong on occasion.
Bukfan
"The law is wrong; I am right"
Is that "Erections..." ("Tales of ordinary madness & "The most beautiful woman in town")?
Not "Ham On Rye", "Factotum" and "Post Office". But "Hollywood" and "Women" have the original titles. So has "Erections", although they only translated half the stories (and no other short story books have been translated). "Pulp" has'nt been translated yet. As for poetry, there's only been published a thin anthology.
"Ham On Rye" was called "All Included". "Factotum" became "All Work At Hand" and "Post Office" became "All Power To The Substitute Mail Carriers"...
Not "Ham On Rye", "Factotum" and "Post Office". But "Hollywood" and "Women" have the original titles. So has "Erections", although they only translated half the stories (and no other short story books have been translated). "Pulp" has'nt been translated yet. As for poetry, there's only been published a thin anthology.
"Ham On Rye" was called "All Included". "Factotum" became "All Work At Hand" and "Post Office" became "All Power To The Substitute Mail Carriers"...
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I really dont see what was wrong with the German "Ham on Rye", it makes sense. It's a strange painting, any idea who did it?
LickTheStar
Sad Flower in the Sand
I had to quote this, despite the fact that it was posted nearly... Oh, 8 months ago now... I actually found a copy of The Bukowski\Purdy Letters at Powell's Books in softcover from 1983 for $10.
Does it normally cost more elsewhere, or did I just get a cheap copy cuz its paperback?
Father Luke
Founding member
It's a selection of Erections..., first printing, 1980.