Charles Bukowski: Locked in the Arms of a Crazy Life Part 19

I visited Andernach, Germany, in April, 1997, and interviewed Heinrich Fett's son, Karl Fett, and Heinrich Fett's daughter-in-law, Josephine Fett, about Bukowski's return to the town. Matthew Davis translated.

I interviewed Rolf Degen (2325 Mar, 1997) and am grateful to the library staff at Mainz University in Germany for finding a contemporaneous article Degen wrote about his meeting with Bukowski in Andernach.

Additional information came from Shakespeare Never Did This and interviews with Linda Lee Bukowski (25 Oct, 1996), Michael Montfort and Carl Weissner.

The account of Bukowski's business affairs, and his relations.h.i.+p with John Martin, is based primarily on Bukowski's unpublished 1978 correspondence with John Martin. I also referred to my interviews with John Martin; and a 6 June, 1978, letter from Bukowski to Carl Weissner, published in Living on Luck.

Details of the purchase of the San Pedro house are taken from Bukowski's unpublished correspondence with John Martin; and from Bukowski's books, Dangling in the Tournefortia and Hollywood.

Background about Barbet Schroeder is from The Biographical Dictionary of Film by David Thomson. I also consulted Hank by Neeli Cherkovski; and Living on Luck.

Linda Lee Bukowski described her 1978 trip to France with Bukowski and his appearance on the Apostrophes television program. I also referred to video film of the show and to Shakespeare Never Did This. The quote from Barbet Schroeder is from his contribution to the doc.u.mentary, The Ordinary Madness of Charles Bukowski.

The poem, 'Looking for a Job', appears in Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame.

13 CHINASKI IN SUBURBIA.

Reaction to Women by Bukowski's girlfriends, and female acquaintances, is from interviews as previously listed. I also referred to and quoted from Women.

Bukowski's a.s.sociation with John Fante is primarily based on my correspondence and 3 June, 1997, interview with Joyce Fante, and on my interviews with John Martin. Ben Pleasants, who interviewed Bukowski and Fante in the 1970s, told me Bukowski was worried about meeting Fante because he felt he had taken the idea of short chapters from him. For additional background material, I referred to the following sources: an article about John Fante, written by Frank Spotnitz, which appeared in American Film magazine in July, 1989; Bukowski's unpublished correspondence with John Martin; an audio tape of a reading Bukowski gave at Redondo Beach, California, in April, 1980, during which he urged the crowd to buy Fante's books and called him 'my buddy ...'; the Bukowski preface for the 1980 Black Sparrow Press edition of Ask the Dust; and Black Sparrow editions of Fante's novels, Wait Until Spring, Bandini (1983) and Full of Life (1988). The dialogue between Bukowski and Fante is partly based on an essay by Bukowski about John Fante, which is part of John Martin's archive in Santa Rosa. I also referred to a 27 Jan, 1990, letter from Bukowski to Kevin Ring, editor of Beat Scene magazine, in which Bukowski relates the dialogue between him and Fante.

Bukowski's lifestyle at San Pedro, and the purchase of his BMW, is based on my interview with Linda Lee Bukowski; interviews with John Martin; Bukowski's unpublished correspondence with John Martin; and correspondence in Living On Luck. I also referred to poems published in Dangling in the Tournefortia. Details of the Barfly deal are from letters in Living on Luck; Bukowski's unpublished correspondence with John Martin; Bukowski's novel, Hollywood; and an interview with Bukowski by Chris Hodenfield published in Film Comment (Aug 1987).

Linda Lee Bukowski described the background to the making of The Charles Bukowski Tapes, Bukowski's return to Longwood Avenue and the circ.u.mstances 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 premiere 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 premiere 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 relations.h.i.+p, 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 t.i.tle are from the book, Das war's, by Gundolf S. Freyermuth; and from John Martin comments in the doc.u.mentary, 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.

14 HOLLYWOOD.

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 s.h.i.+p. 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 circ.u.mstances 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 (19961997) 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 doc.u.mentary 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.

15 THE LAST RACE.

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 doc.u.mentary, I'm Still Here; and I referred to a 1990 Danish doc.u.mentary 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 relations.h.i.+p 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 (nee 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 s.h.i.+p. John Martin discussed Bukowski's less successful poems and showed me the archive of unpublished work.

For the pa.s.sage 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 att.i.tude 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 s.h.i.+p and my interview with Harry Dean Stanton (31 July, 1997). I also consulted Zooropa by U2 (Island, 1993).

Bukowski's att.i.tude 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 s.h.i.+p. 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 b.u.m, 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.

16 END OF THE NIGHT.

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.

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY.

Charles Bukowski was an extraordinarily prolific writer who published not only in conventional book form, but in chapbooks, broadsides, ill.u.s.trated 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 publis.h.i.+ng and the Black Sparrow t.i.tles pa.s.sed 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.

THE NOVELS.

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)

BOOKS OF POETRY.

Several of these t.i.tles 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 b.e.s.t.i.a.l Wail (Hea.r.s.e 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 publis.h.i.+ng 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 relations.h.i.+p.