Charles Bukowski (39 page)
Authors: Howard Sounes
Linda Lee Bukowski described the background to the making of
The Charles Bukowski Tapes
, Bukowski’s return to Longwood Avenue and the circumstances surrounding the occasion when he kicked her off the sofa. I also referred to an essay Barbet Schroeder wrote for the
Elms Lesters Celebrates Charles Bukowski
exhibition, in London, in 1996. The quoted exchanges between Bukowski, Linda Lee and Schroeder are taken from
The Charles
Bukowski Tapes
.
The primary source for the making of the film,
Tales of Ordinary
Madness
, was my 21 June, 1997, interview with Ben Gazzara. I also referred to the following: my 14 Jan, 1997, interview with Lawrence Ferlinghetti; Bukowski’s unpublished correspondence with John Martin; Bukowski’s books
The Most Beautiful Woman
in Town
and
Tales of Ordinary Madness; Halliwell’s Film Guide
(6th edn),
Adam
magazine (Feb 1972 edn); and the film itself. Details of the Los Angeles première are from my interviews with: Linda Lee Bukowski; Lionel Rolfe (3 June, 1997); and Gene Vier (3 June, 1997). Details of Bukowski’s behavior after the première are from Rolfe’s book,
In Search of Literary LA
. Details of Bukowski’s drunk driving arrest are from my interview with Linda Lee Bukowski; from Bukowski’s poem, ‘the star’, published
in
War All the Time
; and his short story,
Mad Enough
, published in
Septuagenarian Stew
.
All comments by Linda Lee Bukowski on Bukowski’s alcoholism, and their relationship, are from my interview with her. I referred to my interviews with John Martin and Joan Smith, both of whom allowed me to see their unpublished correspondence with Bukowski. I also referred to
Play the Piano Drunk/Like a Percussion
Instrument/Until The Fingers Begin to Bleed a Bit
, and Joan Smith’s book,
Das ist Alles
.
For the publication of
Ham on Rye,
I referred to my interview with Linda Lee Bukowski; to Bukowski’s unpublished correspondence with A.D. Winans, held at Brown University, Rhode Island; to the 3 Oct, 1982, edition of the
Los Angeles Times
and to
Ham
on Rye
. Derivations of the
Ham on Rye
title are from the book,
Das
war’s
, by Gundolf S. Freyermuth; and from John Martin comments in the documentary,
The Ordinary Madness of Charles Bukowski
. I also referred to the book,
Charles Bukowski
, by Gay Brewer. Regarding the writing of
Women
, Bukowski wrote to John Martin on 13 Sept, 1976, that, ‘my nose might be too close to the mirror at the moment’. The letter is published in
Living on Luck
.
Extracts from Bukowski’s introduction to
Ask the Dust appear
courtesy of Black Sparrow Press. The poems, ‘the film makers’ and ‘the secret of my endurance’, are from
Dangling in the Tournefortia
. The poem, ‘the star’, is from
War All the Time
. The poems, ‘blue moon, oh bleweeww mooooon, how I adore you!’ and ‘mermaid’, are from
Play the Piano Drunk/Like
a Percussion
Instrument/Until the Fingers Begin to Bleed a Bit
.
The description of Bukowski at the track is taken from the many poems and prose pieces he wrote about the subject, particularly from the following books:
Horsemeat, Bone Palace Ballet
and
The
Captain is Out to Lunch and the Sailors Have Taken Over the Ship
. I also discussed the subject with friends who accompanied him to the track, including FrancEyE, Linda King, Taylor Hackford, Michael Montfort and Liza Williams.
Details of Bukowski’s income in the 1980s comes from Bukowski’s tax records and calculations for the Internal Revenue Service. Details of the changes to his will are from his unpublished correspondence with a confidential source.
Bukowski’s splits with Linda Lee are based on Bukowski’s unpublished correspondence with Linda King, a confidential source, Joan Smith and A.D. Winans; from my interviews with Linda Lee Bukowski, and John Martin; and from The Charles
Bukowski Tapes
. I also interviewed Joan Smith (26 July, 1997).
The publication of
War All the Time
was described by John Martin.
I corresponded with R. Crumb in March, 1997, about the books
Bring Me Your Love
and
There’s No Business
and quote from the latter.
The circumstances of Bukowski’s proposal of marriage to Linda Lee are from Bukowski’s unpublished correspondence with a confidential source; from interviews with the confidential source and Arthur Applebaum’s widow, Sheila (5 April, 1997); and from Bukowski’s book,
The Wedding
. Linda Lee also described her decision to marry Bukowski. Details about the preparation for the wedding are taken primarily from
The Wedding
. I also interviewed guests: John Martin, Michael Montfort (23 July, 1997), and Steve Richmond, and further consulted Bukowski’s unpublished correspondence with Steve Richmond. For additional background material I consulted Richmond’s book,
Spinning off Bukowski
; Gerald Locklin’s book,
Charles Bukowski: A Sure Bet
; Neeli Cherkovski’s
Hank
; and the marriage certificate.
The events surrounding the death of Barbara Frye are based on interviews with her cousins, Tom Frye (28 Oct, 1996), and Sunny Thomas (3 Dec, 1997); correspondence and interviews (1996–1997) with her aunt, Leah Belle Wilson; and with Linda Lee Bukowski. I also referred to Barbara Frye’s unpublished correspondence with Bukowski, held at UCSB.
The section on the making of
Barfly
, and Bukowski’s involvement
with the film industry, is based on my interviews with the following: Linda Lee Bukowski (25 Oct, 1996); Mick Collins (18 Aug, 1996); Elliott Gould (27 June & 7 July, 1997); Taylor Hackford (5 Feb, 1997); John Martin; Michael Montfort (23 July, 1997); Mickey Rourke (16 Dec, 1996); Harry Dean Stanton (31 July, 1997); and John Thomas (1 Jan, 1997).
I corresponded with Norman Mailer (27 Nov, 1996). I referred to Bukowski’s unpublished correspondence with John Martin. I also corresponded with Sean Penn, ‘I loved the guy’ (21 Oct, 1997).
Secondary sources for the making of
Barfly
were as follows: the Sean Penn quotes ‘Everybody was excited …’ are from the documentary
The Ordinary Madness of Charles Bukowski
; the Faye Dunaway quotes are from her autobiography,
Looking for
Gatsby
(HarperCollins, 1995); Bukowski’s encounter with Arnold Schwarzenegger is from
Das war’s
by Gundolf S. Freyermuth and Michael Montfort. I also referred to the following newspaper and magazine articles: an interview with Charles and Linda Lee Bukowski by Chris Hodenfield published in
Film Comment
(Aug, 1987); Sean Penn’s interview with Bukowski published in
Interview
(Sept, 1987); the
Los
Angeles Times Magazine
interview with Linda Lee and Bukowski by Paul Ciotti (22 Mar, 1987); the (London)
Guardian
(31 Jan, 1987);
People
magazine (16 Nov, 1987); the (London)
Evening Standard
(Feb, 1988); and an interview with Menahem Golan published in the (London)
Independent
(15 May, 1997).
I also referred to the film,
Barfly
; and the books:
The Movie
‘Barfly’
;
Hollywood; Madonna
(Sidgwick & Jackson, 1989) by Robert Matthew-Walker;
Charles Bukowski: A Sure Bet
by Gerald Locklin; and the
Time Out Film
Guide
(Penguin, 1989).
The poem, ‘horse fly’, appears in
Bone Palace Ballet
.
Bukowski’s bout of tuberculosis is recorded primarily in his
unpublished correspondence with the following friends: John Bennett, John Martin, Steve Richmond, Ed Smith and A.D. Winans. The Bukowski quotes about the illness are from Thomas Schmitt’s 1990 documentary,
I’m Still Here
; and I referred to a 1990 Danish documentary made by the Mette Fugl company. Both were viewed at
Elms Lesters Celebrates Charles Bukowski
, and I am grateful to the organizers of this exhibition. I also referred to my interviews with Linda Lee Bukowski, Michael Montfort and John Martin.
John Martin discussed his working relationship with Bukowski and the publication of
The Roominghouse Madrigals
.
Michael Montfort told me the story about Bukowski and the vet (23 July, 1997).
Katherine Wood (née Bukowski) described her 1988 reunion with Bukowski (29 Dec, 1996 & 12 Jan, 1997).
Bukowski’s use of the Apple Macintosh computer was described forme by Linda Lee Bukowski (25Oct, 1996); Marina Bukowski (21 July, 1997); Neeli Cherkovski and John Martin. I also referred to Bukowski’s unpublished correspondence with John Martin; and
The Captain is Out to Lunch and the Sailors Have Taken Over
the Ship
. John Martin discussed Bukowski’s less successful poems and showed me the archive of unpublished work.
For the passage about the completion and publication of Bukowski’s fifth novel,
Hollywood
, I consulted the following sources: his unpublished correspondence with John Martin and other friends (as listed above); the novel itself and articles in the
Los Angeles Times
(4 June, 1989);
The Times
(8 July, 1989); and the
Toronto Star
(undated cutting).
Details of Bukowski’s success, his attitude to money and his income from royalties are primarily taken from his unpublished correspondence with John Martin and others. I also interviewed Linda Lee Bukowski, Neeli Cherkovski, John Martin and Michael Montfort. I referred to a 27 Jan, 1990, letter from Bukowski to
Beat Scene
editor Kevin Ring which reveals he had turned down $10,000 to read in Amsterdam. The quote, ‘I have nothing against money …’, is from
The Charles Bukowski Tapes
.
The story about the proposed Bukowski sit-com, and the U2 concert, is based on
The Captain is Out to Lunch and the
Sailors Have Taken Over the Ship
and my interview with Harry Dean Stanton (31 July, 1997). I also consulted
Zooropa
by U2 (Island, 1993).
Bukowski’s attitude to his fans is drawn from my interview with Linda Lee Bukowski; from Bukowski’s unpublished correspondence with John Martin; and from
The Captain is Out to Lunch and the
Sailors Have taken Over the Ship
. I also interviewed Ed Smith (8 Jan, 1997), who allowed me to read his unpublished correspondence with Bukowski. I further consulted
Sure, the Charles Bukowski Newsletter
(issues 1 to 10). Special thanks are due to Ed Smith for giving me a copy of
A New Year’s Greeting from Black Sparrow Press
(1993). The Bukowski autograph at the start of the chapter is from the book, which he signed on the day described at the end of the chapter.
The story,
The Life of a Bum
, is from
Septuagenarian Stew
. The poems, ‘Dinosauria, we’, ‘pulled down shade’, ‘transport’ and ‘we ain’t got no money, honey, but we got rain’ are from
The Last
Night of the Earth Poems
.
Details about Bukowski’s leukemia, and treatment, are taken primarily from my 25 Oct, 1996, interview with Linda Lee Bukowski and my 15 Oct, 1997, interview with Marina Bukowski. I also referred to my interviews with Michael Montfort (23 July, 1997); FrancEyE (3 Jan, 1997); and Carl Weissner (6 Mar, 1997). Additional information came from Bukowski’s unpublished correspondence with John Martin, Steve Richmond and Ed Smith, together with letters from Bukowski to Kevin Ring which were later published in
Beat Scene
magazine (issue 20). I also consulted Bukowski’s death certificate. For background information on leukemia I am grateful to the forensic pathology department of Guy’s Hospital, London.
Taylor Hackford described his last meeting with Bukowski and Bukowski’s meeting with Helen Mirren (5 Feb, 1997).
Details of Bukowski’s seventy-third birthday are drawn from the German book,
Das war’s
. Bukowski’s comments about
Pulp
are also from
Das war’s
, as are details of how Bukowski’s body was dressed for burial. All quoted exchanges between Bukowski and Michael Montfort are from my interview with Michael Montfort.
Reaction to Bukowski’s death are from my interviews with the following: Marina Bukowski (21 July & 15 Oct, 1997); FrancEyE (3 Jan, 1997); Linda King (4 Jan, 1997); Philomene Long (1 Jan, 1997); John Martin; Michael Montfort (23 July, 1997); Ruben Rueda (2 Jan, 1997); John Thomas (1 Jan, 1997) and Carl Weissner (6 Mar, 1997). I am also grateful to Sholom ‘Red’ Stodolsky of Baroque Book Store, Hollywood.
For details of Bukowski’s funeral, I referred to the above individuals, and consulted the order of service; the records of Green Hills Memorial Park; its funeral director, Ernesto Alonzo; and the book,
Charles Bukowski
:
A Sure Bet
by Gerald Locklin.
The Linda King poem is from a 25 Feb, 1997, letter to the author.
The poems, ‘decline’, ‘the observer’ and ‘this night’, are from
Betting on the Muse
. The poem, ‘an answer’, is from
Bone Palace
Ballet
. The extract from the Fax poem has never previously been published and appears here courtesy of Black Sparrow Press.
C
harles Bukowski was an extraordinarily prolific writer who published not only in conventional book form, but in chapbooks, broadsides, illustrated special editions, and in numerous small literary magazines.
In this selected bibliography I have listed Bukowski’s main publications as they first appeared in the United States, together with some notable foreign editions and curiosities. Early chapbooks and limited editions are included (although many are so rare they can only be found in university libraries, or obtained from specialist book dealers) because they are significant in terms of his career and/or they have been mentioned in the text.
By far the most significant publisher of Bukowski’s work was John Martin’s Black Sparrow Press. In 2002, John retired from full-time publishing and the Black Sparrow titles passed to Ecco Press, a division of HarperCollins. Ecco continues to keep these books in print in the USA, mostly with the splendid original jackets, and they are distributed widely around the world. In the United Kingdom Bukowski’s novels are published by Virgin Books, with the notable exception of
Ham on Rye
, which is published by Canongate. Since Bukowski’s death in 1994, John Martin has continued to edit books of Bukowski’s letters, stories and poems, and I have listed these posthumous publications, too, indicating who the British publishers are where appropriate.
I have not listed broadsides or magazine appearances. Nor have
I mentioned all the little special edition Bukowski books Black Sparrow Press gave as New Year gifts to friends, opting to note a few interesting examples only. To list everything Bukowski published in every format would require a book in itself and, indeed, there are such books: notably
A Descriptive Bibliography of the
Primary Publications of Charles Bukowski
by Aaron Krumhansl. Furthermore, although Bukowski’s complete work is scattered through many publications, some very obscure, the most important material was published at some stage by Black Sparrow Press, in books now available under the Ecco imprint.
Because of the very large number of Bukowski books available – bewildering no doubt to the newcomer – I have taken the liberty of awarding stars to the very best: five stars for indispensable volumes, and four for those that, in my opinion, fall just short of that. Books without stars may include wonderful work, and usually do, but the idea is to direct the reader to the cream.
There are six, the last published shortly after Bukowski died. In the UK,
Ham
on Rye
is published by Canongate, the other five novels by Virgin Books.
Post Office
(Black Sparrow Press, 1971)*****
Factotum
(Black Sparrow Press, 1975)*****
Women
(Black Sparrow Press, 1978)*****
Ham on Rye
(Black Sparrow Press, 1982)*****
Hollywood
(Black Sparrow Press, 1989)****
Pulp
(Black Sparrow Press, 1994)
Several of these titles are chapbooks which were published in small editions, and are long out of print. But the main Black Sparrow Press anthologies – which contain the bulk of Bukowski’s best poetry – are widely available.
Flower, Fist and Bestial Wail
(Hearse Press, 1960)
Longshot Pomes for Broke Players
(7 Poets Press, 1962)
Run with the Hunted
(Midwest Press, 1962)
It Catches My Heart in Its Hands
(Loujon Press, 1963)
Note
: The first Bukowski book printed by Jon and Gypsy Lou Webb in New Orleans. It has long been out of print.*****
Crucifix in a Deathhand
(Loujon Press, 1965)****
Cold Dogs in the Courtyard
(Literary Times-Cyfoeth, 1965)
The Genius of the Crowd
(7 Flowers Press, 1966)
2 Poems
(Black Sparrow Press, 1967)
The Curtains are Waving and People Walk Through/The Afternoon/
Here and in Berlin and in New York City and in Mexico
(Black Sparrow Press, 1967)
At Terror Street and Agony Way
(Black Sparrow Press, 1968)
Poems Written Before Jumping out of an 8-Storey Window
(Poetry X/Change, 1968)
The Days Run Away Like Wild Horses Over the Hills
(Black Sparrow Press, 1969)
Note
: The first substantial poetry anthology printed by Black Sparrow Press, it is still available and is one of Bukowski’s greatest books.*****
Penguin Modern Poets 13
–
Charles Bukowski/Philip Lamantia/
Harold Norse
(Penguin Books, London, 1969) Note: This is one of the few foreign publications of Bukowski’s poetry included in the selected bibliography. I have listed it because it was Bukowski’s first book with a major publishing house, and because it was also sold in the United States. It is no longer in print.
If We Take
– (Black Sparrow Press, 1970)
Note
: This was printed as a New Year gift.
Fire Station
(Capricorn Press, 1970)
Note
: A limited edition of one poem.
Me and Your Sometimes Love Poems
(Kisskill Press, 1972)
Note
: A book of poems by Bukowski and Linda King, self-published when they were both living at De Longpre Avenue in Hollywood. It was reprinted in 1994 by Linda who incorporated comic drawings by Bukowski which they had meant to use in the first edition. Although not available in book stores, it is a fascinating account of a relationship.
Mockingbird Wish Me Luck
(Black Sparrow Press, 1972)*****
Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame: Poems
1955–1973 (Black Sparrow Press, 1974)
Note
: This anthology collects poems from the two Loujon Press books, together with later work, in a modestly priced and widely available edition.*****
Tough Company
(Black Sparrow Press, 1976) Note: Printed as a New Year gift.
Scarlet
(Black Sparrow Press, 1976) Note: This is the limited edition of poems Bukowski wrote about his girlfriend, Pamela Miller (aka Cupcakes). All the poems were later reprinted in
Love Is a Dog from Hell
.
Art
(Black Sparrow Press, 1977) Note: A single poem elaborately printed as a New Year gift for friends of Black Sparrow Press.
Love Is a Dog from Hell: Poems
1974–1977
(Black Sparrow Press, 1977)
Note
: This has proved the most popular of all Bukowski’s poetry books and is widely available in paperback. Most of the poems concern Bukowski’s complicated love life in the mid-1970s.*****
A Love Poem
(Black Sparrow Press, 1979)
Note
: Printed as a New Year gift.
Play the Piano Drunk/Like a Percussion Instrument/Until the
Fingers Begin to Bleed a Bit
(Black Sparrow Press, 1979) Note: This book is made up of poems originally featured in a monthly magazine,
Sparrow
, which was used by John Martin as a way of showcasing the work of poets he was publishing in more substantial editions. Despite its off-putting title, it contains some of Bukowski’s best poetry, including ‘fire station’.*****
Dangling in the Tournefortia
(Black Sparrow Press, 1981)****
War All the Time: Poems 1981–1984
(Black Sparrow Press, 1984)****
The Last Generation
(Black Sparrow Press, 1982)
Note
: Printed as a New Year gift.
Sparks
(Black Sparrow Press, 1983)
Note
: Printed as a New Year gift.
You Get So Alone at Times That it Just Makes Sense
(Black Sparrow Press, 1986)
Note
: One of the large late anthologies of Bukowski’s poetry.****
The Roominghouse Madrigals: Early Selected Poems 1946–1966
(Black Sparrow Press, 1988)
Note
: John Martin trawled through the little literary magazines Bukowski had first published in to compile this book of very early poems.*****
In the Shadow of the Rose
(Black Sparrow Press, 1991)
Note
: A limited edition dedicated to Bukowski’s friend, Sean Penn.
Three by Bukowski
(Black Sparrow Press, 1992)
Note
: A limited edition.
The Last Night of the Earth Poems
(Black Sparrow Press, 1992) Note: The last full-length poetry book published during Bukowski’s lifetime, and one of his best.*****
Those Marvelous Lunches
(Black Sparrow Press, 1993)
Note
: A New Year gift to friends of the press.
Heat Wave
(Black Sparrow Graphic Arts, 1995) Note: A limited edition illustrated by artist, Ken Price, and sold to collectors. It was produced in a regular edition priced $1,250 and an even more expensive de luxe edition priced $3,500. The book comes in a Perspex box together with a CD.
A New War
(Black Sparrow Press, 1997) Note: A booklet of five poems published as a New Year gift to friends of the press. The poem which appears at the end of chapter sixteen is from this booklet.
Bone Palace Ballet: New Poems
(Black Sparrow Press, 1997)
Note
: A large anthology of previously unpublished work selected and published by John Martin after Bukowski’s death. John Martin chose the title.
What Matters Most Is How Well You Walk Through the Fire: New
Poems (Black Sparrow Press, 1999)
Note
: Another of a growing number of posthumous collections of Bukowski’s work, edited by John Martin. The following titles are of the same sort.
Open All Night: New Poems
(Black Sparrow Press, 2000)
The Night Torn Mad With Footsteps: New Poems
(Black Sparrow Press, 2001)
Sifting Through the Madness: New Poems
(Ecco, 2003)
Note
: Published in the UK by Virgin as
New Poems
(Books 1 and 2), this is mostly very late work written at the end of Bukowski’s life, though one much earlier poem is included (‘Soft and Fat Like Summer Roses’ is from 1946). The bulk of the poems, which had not found a home during Bukowski’s lifetime, perhaps for
good reason, are often slight and repetitious in subject matter. One occasionally reads a line almost identical to a line in a previous poem, from another book. For all these reasons, these posthumous anthologies are not recommended.
The Flash of Lightning Behind the Mountain: New Poems
(Ecco, 2004)
Note
: Published in the UK as
New Poems Book
3, comments as above.
Slouching Towards Nirvana: New Poems
(Ecco, 2005)
Note
: Published in the UK as
New Poems Book 4
.
Come on In!: New Poems
(Ecco, 2006)
The People Look Like Flowers At Last: New Poems
(Ecco, 2007)
Horsemeat
(Black Sparrow Press, 1982)
Note
: A limited edition with photographs by Michael Montfort of Bukowski at the race track.
Septuagenarian
Stew: Stories and Poems
(Black Sparrow Press, 1990)
Note
: One of Bukowski’s great late books, published in the year of his seventieth birthday. This is widely available in paperback.*****
Betting on the Muse: Poems and Stories
(Black Sparrow Press, 1996)
Note
: Previously unpublished work selected by John Martin and published after Bukowski’s death. Many of the poems address the subject of impending death.****
Confessions of a Man Insane Enough to Live with Beasts
(Mimeo Press, 1965) Note: This is a very early chapbook published in a small edition and no longer in print, but the story can also be found in
South of No North
.
All the Assholes in the World and Mine
(Open Skull Press, 1966)
Note
: As above.
Notes of a Dirty Old Man
(Essex House, 1969)
Note
: A collection of stories written by Bukowski as his weekly column for
the underground newspaper,
Open City
. It was later reissued by City Lights Books and is still widely available in paperback.****
A Bukowski Sampler
(Quixote Press, 1969)
Erections, Ejaculations, Exhibitions and General Tales of Ordinary
Madness
(City Lights Books, 1972)
Note
: In 1983 this very large book was reissued in two volumes,
Tales of Ordinary
Madness
and
The Most Beautiful Woman in Town
, both of which are still available in paperback.
South of No North
(Black Sparrow Press, 1973)*****
Bring Me Your Love
(Black Sparrow Press, 1983)
Note
: A special edition of a single short story, illustrated by R. Crumb.
Hot Water Music
(Black Sparrow Press, 1983)*****
There’s No Business
(Black Sparrow Press, 1984)
Note
: Another special edition of a single short story, illustrated by R. Crumb.
Confession of a Coward
(Black Sparrow Press, 1995)
Note
: This autobiographical short story concerns Bukowski’s marriage to Barbara Frye and was printed as a New Year gift for friends of Black Sparrow Press after Bukowski’s death.
Bukowski left fewer unpublished short stories than poems, though several stories that appeared in magazines didn’t make it into books during his lifetime. As of time of writing John Martin is working on a new 300-page volume of ‘uncollected stories’.
There are a large number of Bukowski curiosities that cannot be classified as poetry, novels or short stories. Many are illustrated limited editions. Book dealers commonly charge in excess of $500 for such rarities, and prices can go over $1,000 if the books are signed by Bukowski (
Note
: 1998 prices). Obscure though most of these publications are, several deserve mention:
Dear Mr Bukowski
(Garage Graphics, 1979)
Note
: A series of cartoon drawings by Bukowski, with a brief explanatory text, printed on cards and gathered within an envelope as a collector’s item. Only fifty copies were made.
The Day it Snowed in LA
(Paget Press, 1986)
Note
: A series of cartoons by Bukowski and a brief text, ‘The Adventures of Clarence Hiram Sweetmeat’, which recounts a day when snow falls on Los Angeles and everyone goes crazy. Clarence’s father smiles for the first time in ten years.
The Wedding
(Brown Buddha Books, 1986)
Note
: This is a very rare limited edition printed to celebrate Bukowski’s marriage to Linda Lee Beighle in August, 1985. The text is by Bukowski and there are photographs by Michael Montfort.
The Movie
:
Barfly
(Black Sparrow Press, 1987)
Note: Bukowski’s
screenplay to the Barbet Schroeder film starring Mickey Rourke and Faye Dunaway. It contains photographs taken on the set.
Run with the Hunted: A Charles Bukowski Reader
(HarperCollins, 1993) Note: Not to be confused with the 1962 poetry chapbook of the same name. A reader edited by John Martin, and arranged so that it tells the story of Henry Chinaski’s life in roughly chronological order.
Shakespeare Never Did This
(Black Sparrow Press, 1995)
Note
: A travelogue describing Bukowski’s two trips to Europe in 1978, illustrated with black and white photographs by Michael Montfort. First published by City Lights Books in 1979, it was reissued in an augmented edition by Black Sparrow Press, in 1995, and contains both poetry and prose. It is widely available.
The Captain is Out to Lunch and the Sailors Have Taken Over
the Ship
(Black Sparrow Graphic Arts, 1997)
Note
: A limited edition of Bukowski’s daily journal in the last years of his life, costing $650 when first published in April, 1997. It is illustrated by R. Crumb, and has since been issued as a more affordable Black Sparrow Press paperback.****