What other writers have you read because Bukowski told you so?

[the only good poet]

two writers i've found through my interest with b are edward bunker and harry crews. they were mentioned in a b fanzine. there's a character in a poem in dangling who awakes every morning with the words, "how do you like your blue-eyed boy, mister death?" that made me think of crews, who has that quote tattooed to his arm.

 

[the only good poet]

how about ben hecht? he's mentioned in a funny little poem in Mockingbird.
can't remember the title (and we're visiting folks for xmas), just remember, "who's forshafts, ma?"
"somerset maun, yo asshole!"

something like that.

 

[Skarving]

Fante...Hamsun...Li Po...Céline...

Read those writers before reading Buk...Not looking for a mr Myagi

 

[Jack Tilt]

The usual suspects...

Fante and Celine, Hamsun (I liked Mysteries best), and Dostoyevsky. Notes from underground is an amazing book, quite possibly the best I've ever read! I heard some mentions of Hesse... he's a fantastic writer. What about Sartre? Always like reading him. I'd put him next to any of the above... and I'm going to read James Thurber next. Any thoughts on him?

Anyway, been trying to post a thread for two articles, but for some reason they're coming up "Invalid." So I'm giving up... but if you want to read something interesting, check these out:

a) Newyorker.com article called "Smashed" (interesting take on Buk)

b) Exile.com article called "A Million Pieces of Shit" (by John Dolan, about James Frey's book... anyone who appreciates literature will appreciate this article)

 

[hank solo]

Links for anyone too lazy to search for what Jack is talking about...

a) Newyorker.com article called "Smashed"

b) Exile.RU article called "A Million Pieces of Shit"

 

[mjp]

Anyway, been trying to post a thread for two articles, but for some reason they're coming up "Invalid." So I'm giving up...

FYI - new users cannot include URLs until they have more than 5 posts. When you try to post a URL, the post goes into a moderation queue and is not visible on the forum.

I understand that that may be an inconvenience for some new users, but it keeps the lowlife, shit-eating, scumbag, pig-fucking spammers at bay. I clear 20 spam posts a day out of that moderation queue, but no one ever sees them becasue of the no URLs until your 6th post rule.

And no, I'm not afraid that the spammers will read this, because they aren't here to read, just to post. And for some reason they all post in "Unpublished and Uncollected." Every one of them. Go figure.

 

[Jack Tilt]

Ok good, so I'm not an idiot... thanks for the clarification... I was getting frustrated... and I understand completely the need for it...

 

[bospress.net]

One more post, Jack Tilt, and you are ready to post URLs!

Best,Bill

 

[Bukfan]

Yes, then he can (h)url all he wants...:)

 

[chronic]

Ok good, so I'm not an idiot...

We have yet to rule on that, but so far so good.

:)

 

[Ona Nizm]

'Crime & Punishment' is certainly a masterpiece.

'The Hunger' by Hamsun is also rather good.

Ditto anything by Hemingway. I really enjoyed his last unfinished book, 'The Garden of Eden' Highly recommended.

By far Hemingway's best in my opinion. Fuck, he left it unfinished. No wonder why. The writing was on the wall long before his brains were.

 

[Domator]

I read Celine's , Dostojewski (funny, we write Bukowski in every language the same, but Dostojewski it's in English Dostoevsky or Dostoyevsky), Hemingway. Soon I'll read Fante's Ask the dust and Celine's Death On The Installment Plan. It's true, Celine it's genius, Dostojewski too. Hemingway's most famous book - The old man and the sea was in my opinion boring. I prefer The green hills of Africa or For Whom the Bell Tolls. A lot of his book it's very good but i don't know how The old man... get a Nobel price.
What's about Walt Whitman? I though that Whitman was on list. Whitman for me its one of the greatest poets in history, really.

Perhaps, if not Bukowski I've never read those writers.

 

[Ona Nizm]

I read Fante, Celin? & Anderson...

Holy!

 

[roni]

I clear 20 spam posts a day out of that moderation queue, but no one ever sees them becasue of the no URLs until your 6th post rule.

Another reason to thank god, there's an mjp to help us all make our lifes bearable!
Baby, I dunno, how many hours a day you spend, just to keep this place clean and keep yourself informed of all posts and answer questions and add to the forum yourself and so on, but it sounds like a HELL of work!
You're amazing! Thanks.

 

[mjp]

Thank you, I consider myself to be an example of better living through unhealthy obsession.

 

[Ninjerk]

Ok, I'm a little drunk right now so I skipped the most recent posts, but I bought a Fante book last week (I think), but I haven't even touched it. It's Ask the Dust I think with the intro by Buk.

EDIT: Oh yeah, I picked it up because someone took the ONLY COPY OF FACTOTUM my university library carries. I wasn't hapy with that, but it will allow me to take a Buk break so I don't burn out all of his good fiction in a year.

 

[Burroughkowski]

Is Dan Fante worth reading?

 

[mrbgoode]

I first heard of John Fante from Bukowski, so I read 1933 Was A Bad Year because it happened to be the easiest of his books to get when the mood struck me. I think it's a great book, has feeling and is truly hilarious, too. I laughed out loud alot. It's a short novel published after Fante's death. I'll read more Fante eventually.

 

[the only good poet]

i haven't read 1933, but i could say the same for FULL OF LIFE and the novella MY DOG STUPID (from WEST OF ROME.)

 

[roni]

Yeah, but Burroughbuk was asking us for DAN Fante wasn't he? I haven't read him, so cannot answer on this one.

 

[the only good poet]

i haven't read dan fante either - that's why i responded to mrbgoode. :) jeez!

 

[genta]

I've been meaning to start reading Fante.
I think I had read most of the writers mentioned in this thread before reading Bukowski.

 

[Sean Maher]

Anybody have a preferred English translation of Celine's Journey to the End of the Night? Mine is by Ralph Manheim and I never got interested enough to work through more than 50 or 60 pages, though I'd be happy to reconsider since I still own it.

 

[dogdice]

"Ask The Dust" is a book that nobody would have read if it weren't for Hank. Dan Fante is alive & well and writing the kind of thing that Dan Fante writes.

 

[Purple Stickpin]

Anybody have a preferred English translation of Celine's Journey to the End of the Night? Mine is by Ralph Manheim and I never got interested enough to work through more than 50 or 60 pages, though I'd be happy to reconsider since I still own it.

I have the New Directions, Ralph Manheim translation, but I've not seen another. Hard book. Wicked freakin' hard. I bought it because Buk mentioned it as being his only good work, although "Death on the Installment Plan" is a great title.

Someday, I'm a-gonna call in sick to work and get through that fucker. Someday.

 

[TheSilkPig]

I think I need to go back to Crime and Punishment. I missed it. I think i lack patience. I want a writer that kicks me in the bollocks first. Fydor didn't do that to me. Who kicks you in the balls (other than hank)?

 

[Father Luke]

Who kicks you in the balls (other than hank)?

erm...


Check out these threads:

Favorite Authors

if you like bukowski

So, what other poets get you like Bukowski does?

 

[chronic]

Who kicks you in the balls (other than hank)?

My wife, and I wish she would stop.

 

[Gerard K H Love]

Who kicks you in the balls (other than hank)?

Miranda July, Garrison Keillor

 

[LickTheStar]

Funny... I actually found out about Fante BEFORE Buk... Random rec from someone I was chatting with online. Read Buk because he intro'd Ask the Dust... Read Dostoyevski because Fante mentioned him in... Brotherhood of the Grape, I think.

Read Hamsun because of his numerous mentions in Fante... I dunno if I've read anything specifically because I read about it in a Buk poem. Yet, anyhow. There's time though. At least 30 other books of poems to go still.