When did you discover Bukowski?
- Thread starter mjp
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cirerita
Founding member
can't recall now, that was loooooong ago. maybe Notes or Erections. way back then B's poetry wasn't translated into Spanish and I couldn't read English then, so the only available stuff was the fiction. now we have 3-4 books of poetry available, but I don't need them because I'd rather read them in English. I'm a professional translator and I know what's "lost" during the trip from England/U.S. to Spain :D
Domator
Founding member
Hot water music. I read first story and I thought "No no, I wanted read this bullshit. It's so dirty." I read earlier Roland Topor and sex or dirty words in book was something new for me. Like from space. I put Hot water music under the table and after two weeks I read this in one night. I don't know why, I read one story and I just must read next. It was incredible! :)
mjp
Founding member
Funny you should say that. I had correspondence with someone from Austria who said Carl Weissner's translations (the ones that put Bukowski on the international map) are simplistic and riddled with errors. The "official" biography printed in the back of every book lists such jobs as sports-reporter(?) and pimp(!). So you have to wonder what he did to the poetry and prose.cirerita said:
Charlie
Founding member
Sifting Through the Madness. I bought it at the George State library. And I the first poem I remember reading of his, and the first I probably ever read, was one that I can't remember the title, but I do remember he's reading a book review or something and then Buk gets up, runs to the crapper, and takes the best dump he's ever taken in years.
I laughed out loud when I finished it and I remember thinking "this old man won't let me down."
I laughed out loud when I finished it and I remember thinking "this old man won't let me down."
Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame.
And then I reread it. And in the morning I went out and bought all I could.
And then I reread it. And in the morning I went out and bought all I could.
mjp
Founding member
You can get lesser quality copies of some of the rare, older books for a lot less than perfect "collector" copies.
My copy of It Catches My Heart In Its Hands is ex-library, so the cork covers are missing, and it's bound in a generic leather library binding. Since it isn't a perfect example of the book, I was able to buy it for less than $200, which is a fraction of what a nice copy goes for.
Same thing with Fire Station - I found a copy that had a stain on the cover and a couple of creases, so it was very affordable.
To me it's the words anyway, not the covers. I always thought the LouJon books were too damn fancy and precious. I have a nice copy of Crucifix in a Deathhand, and people are afraid to touch it. But I whip out the funky library copy of It Catches and no one feels like they need to wear white gloves to read it. ;)
My copy of It Catches My Heart In Its Hands is ex-library, so the cork covers are missing, and it's bound in a generic leather library binding. Since it isn't a perfect example of the book, I was able to buy it for less than $200, which is a fraction of what a nice copy goes for.
Same thing with Fire Station - I found a copy that had a stain on the cover and a couple of creases, so it was very affordable.
To me it's the words anyway, not the covers. I always thought the LouJon books were too damn fancy and precious. I have a nice copy of Crucifix in a Deathhand, and people are afraid to touch it. But I whip out the funky library copy of It Catches and no one feels like they need to wear white gloves to read it. ;)
zoom man
Founding member
Love is a Dog From Hell,..... I remember I was in San Fran the year Buk died, and had never heard of him..... Was bumming out over a failed love, and walked in this used book store, and started looking at authors alphabetically..... and loved the title,... said the author was alive and well in San Pedro, and for the next few years, I always bought Buk books used (b/c i think that is the way he would have wanted it) and they all of course said he was alive!..... Needless to say, I was shocked and felt like an idiot come some 5 years + later, when I learned he was dead.... Then I decieded to only buy copies of his books that said he was alive! Toast,
HenryChinaski
Founding member
post office then mocking bird wish me luck. after that ham on rye, then south of no north. been reading him ever since
mine was Women...It was given to me by my brother before I left San Francisco. I read it on the bus ride back to Texas. I had lived a fairly sheltered life up until that point. I had never read anything like it before. I kept looking around to make sure that no one was reading over my shoulder. I felt so dirty! No other author has ever inspired me that way.
bmcg
Founding member
You Get So Alone
Mine was You Get So Alone ? a friend handed me a copy and I read the first few poems ? after finishing Red Mercedes I remember thinking that this is what I imagined poetry could be, this is what I wanted it to be after the poetry I had been exposed to in my 18 years living mostly in Ireland. I ran out and bought all the short stories and novels and Buk quickly became one of my favourite writers. I didn?t come back to the poetry for some time, something which after years of therapy I have finally been able to forgive myself for. I then revisited my independent bookshop in Belfast, Bookshop at Queens, and spent money made, borrowed or stole on Buk?s poetry and haven?t looked back ? great forum, great site, loads of great info, thanks to all concerned.
Mine was You Get So Alone ? a friend handed me a copy and I read the first few poems ? after finishing Red Mercedes I remember thinking that this is what I imagined poetry could be, this is what I wanted it to be after the poetry I had been exposed to in my 18 years living mostly in Ireland. I ran out and bought all the short stories and novels and Buk quickly became one of my favourite writers. I didn?t come back to the poetry for some time, something which after years of therapy I have finally been able to forgive myself for. I then revisited my independent bookshop in Belfast, Bookshop at Queens, and spent money made, borrowed or stole on Buk?s poetry and haven?t looked back ? great forum, great site, loads of great info, thanks to all concerned.
HenryChinaski
Founding member
Stealing Buk material, elite isnt the right word but it's the first that comes to mind.
Days Run Away
I was a freshman at University of Southern Maine in Portland and a guy in my German language class handed me a copy of The Days Run Away.... I read it in like a couple of hours and went straight to the school library where much to my surprise they had several by Bukowski and so I immediately checked out South of No North, Mockingbird Wish Me Luck. From then on, I started to buy them and no matter how poor I was (and I was usually very very poor) I always found enough for the latest BSP paperback release. Years later, I began collecting signed limited editions. I know this sounds crazy, but I never read those. I buy a paperback version to read.
I was a freshman at University of Southern Maine in Portland and a guy in my German language class handed me a copy of The Days Run Away.... I read it in like a couple of hours and went straight to the school library where much to my surprise they had several by Bukowski and so I immediately checked out South of No North, Mockingbird Wish Me Luck. From then on, I started to buy them and no matter how poor I was (and I was usually very very poor) I always found enough for the latest BSP paperback release. Years later, I began collecting signed limited editions. I know this sounds crazy, but I never read those. I buy a paperback version to read.
purdy bluebird
Founding member
another student in a sophomore college creative writing class said to me that he liked bukowski's novels but not his poems. and there was only the two at the time, i think. anyhow, i didn't know who bukowski was and something about how the guy said it made me think it was a put down of the stuff i did for the class. so i remembered the name and went and found post office, then for the next couple years read everything i could get my hands on at any college or city library that i could get to easily or could borrow via a library's network system; which turned out to be quite a bit, i've been filling in the rest over the years.
ClassIntellectual
Founding member
I remember standing in a musty, cramped bookstore on the "main drag" of Bar Harbor, ME last summer while I was on a family vacation. I always scan the poetry sections of bookstores for interesting things I'd never seen, and I'm surprised it took me so long to find Bukowski. I forget exactly which book it was, but I distinctly remember reading that poem about the literary critic's article followed by the "best shit" of his life or something; also remember the one about sitting out on his roof and wanting to fly, finally trying it one day by jumping off and breaking his ankle, only to have his father hit him with the strop when he came home because they "can't afford fucking doctors."
I was hooked on those two poems alone.
I was hooked on those two poems alone.
Charlie said:
Just curious, who is the youngest member on this board? Just curious to see if there are any other young readers reading Bukowski like myself. I am only 16 years old. But anyways, the first book of his I read was Post Office and then I went on to read Play The Piano Drunk... and I just recently finished Factotum and I am looking for some money to scrape up so I can buy Women and read it so I can finish the Henry Chinaski Trilogy...
G
gonesean
run with the hunted back in 95'. who the hell is this guy? laughed my ass off. got alot to go..
G
gonesean
wish i was sixteen again. do your parents know what your reading? if they dont you better tell them their missing out!
Hahaha, my mom is a huge a reader but, she's into the sci-fi dragon slaying stuff and a little bit of the romance stuff. I don't know if she will really approve or even like this kind of stuff, haha.
HenryChinaski
Founding member
i wish i would've found out about buk back when i was sixteen. i would've been such a badass.