Comments on: The Charles Bukowski Tapes 2 http://authorscoop.com/2010/02/23/the-charles-bukowski-tapes-2/ The Latest in Literary News Mon, 21 May 2012 13:05:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Jamie Mason http://authorscoop.com/2010/02/23/the-charles-bukowski-tapes-2/#comment-8600 Jamie Mason Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:14:10 +0000 http://authorscoop.com/?p=9135#comment-8600 It's a hard thing to reconcile. I just rewatched it and I have a difficult time with a certain type of perpetual melancholy that sits in judgment of anyone who finds pleasure outside wine and rape (by which I assume he means sex, but the words 'sex' or 'fucking' weren't shocking enough) is a mental deficient. But at least his poetry is now compelling to me, so it's not a wash. It’s a hard thing to reconcile. I just rewatched it and I have a difficult time with a certain type of perpetual melancholy that sits in judgment of anyone who finds pleasure outside wine and rape (by which I assume he means sex, but the words ’sex’ or ‘fucking’ weren’t shocking enough) is a mental deficient.

But at least his poetry is now compelling to me, so it’s not a wash.

]]> By: William Haskins http://authorscoop.com/2010/02/23/the-charles-bukowski-tapes-2/#comment-8597 William Haskins Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:04:51 +0000 http://authorscoop.com/?p=9135#comment-8597 he was indeed a jerk. and though it's no defense, he earned it honestly throughout an adolescence plagued by torment and derision. he withdrew from his tormentors and basically said, "fuck it. if you see me as a monster, i'll be a monster." he was indeed a jerk. and though it’s no defense, he earned it honestly throughout an adolescence plagued by torment and derision. he withdrew from his tormentors and basically said, “fuck it. if you see me as a monster, i’ll be a monster.”

]]> By: Jamie Mason http://authorscoop.com/2010/02/23/the-charles-bukowski-tapes-2/#comment-8596 Jamie Mason Tue, 23 Feb 2010 23:57:55 +0000 http://authorscoop.com/?p=9135#comment-8596 Ha! That's a great quote. As much as I say I think Bukowski was a jerk, I realize he'd be disgusted by me. All's well. Ha! That’s a great quote.

As much as I say I think Bukowski was a jerk, I realize he’d be disgusted by me. All’s well.

]]> By: William Haskins http://authorscoop.com/2010/02/23/the-charles-bukowski-tapes-2/#comment-8595 William Haskins Tue, 23 Feb 2010 23:52:32 +0000 http://authorscoop.com/?p=9135#comment-8595 Bukowski was a jerk! Berryman was best! He wrote like wet papier mache, went the Heming-way weirdly on wings and with maximum pain We call upon the author to explain - nick cave, "we call upon the author to explain" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQtsO2m1fNk Bukowski was a jerk! Berryman was best!
He wrote like wet papier mache, went the Heming-way
weirdly on wings and with maximum pain
We call upon the author to explain

- nick cave, “we call upon the author to explain”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQtsO2m1fNk

]]> By: Jamie Mason http://authorscoop.com/2010/02/23/the-charles-bukowski-tapes-2/#comment-8594 Jamie Mason Tue, 23 Feb 2010 23:33:59 +0000 http://authorscoop.com/?p=9135#comment-8594 Oh, I definitely think it was his personality and psychological makeup, and the somewhat manufactured tone that I feel is there is probably reasonably common, in writers most particularly. (I know I have a weakness for it, so it feels familiar, if not really very noble. Or maybe I'm just showing my own faults mirrored back at me for some deeper reason than I've yet realized.) I'm so glad that you ran that film of him a while back and this series now. It's been a very moving experience in the weirdest way and I wrote about it after the last videos we ran of him. Every time I've seen him, it has confirmed for me that I probably wouldn't like him. I think he's very often a jerk and I know not everyone perceives him this way, but he seems (seemed?) a very calculated contrarian, even though I don't doubt that his sufferings had organic and sincere roots. All this and yet he still had something to say that pulls at me (when I get it, of course.) His talent was undeniable and very exciting. It kicked me right in the ass to be so impressed by something I didn't necessarily want to hear from someone I could never particularly like. I loved that lesson. So please don't think I'm Bukowski-bashing. I gave up that hobby, courtesy of your posting his interviews. Oh, I definitely think it was his personality and psychological makeup, and the somewhat manufactured tone that I feel is there is probably reasonably common, in writers most particularly. (I know I have a weakness for it, so it feels familiar, if not really very noble. Or maybe I’m just showing my own faults mirrored back at me for some deeper reason than I’ve yet realized.)

I’m so glad that you ran that film of him a while back and this series now. It’s been a very moving experience in the weirdest way and I wrote about it after the last videos we ran of him. Every time I’ve seen him, it has confirmed for me that I probably wouldn’t like him. I think he’s very often a jerk and I know not everyone perceives him this way, but he seems (seemed?) a very calculated contrarian, even though I don’t doubt that his sufferings had organic and sincere roots.

All this and yet he still had something to say that pulls at me (when I get it, of course.) His talent was undeniable and very exciting. It kicked me right in the ass to be so impressed by something I didn’t necessarily want to hear from someone I could never particularly like. I loved that lesson.

So please don’t think I’m Bukowski-bashing. I gave up that hobby, courtesy of your posting his interviews.

]]> By: William Haskins http://authorscoop.com/2010/02/23/the-charles-bukowski-tapes-2/#comment-8593 William Haskins Tue, 23 Feb 2010 22:54:54 +0000 http://authorscoop.com/?p=9135#comment-8593 perhaps. doubtless, he has had similar conversations and answered similar questions many times before; so in that regard, i suppose it could be regarded as schtick. so restating ideas previously articulated, perhaps; but i would argue against the contention that they were contrived for effect without root in his personality and psychological makeup. perhaps. doubtless, he has had similar conversations and answered similar questions many times before; so in that regard, i suppose it could be regarded as schtick. so restating ideas previously articulated, perhaps; but i would argue against the contention that they were contrived for effect without root in his personality and psychological makeup.

]]> By: Jamie Mason http://authorscoop.com/2010/02/23/the-charles-bukowski-tapes-2/#comment-8591 Jamie Mason Tue, 23 Feb 2010 22:30:47 +0000 http://authorscoop.com/?p=9135#comment-8591 You don't think? His answers seem very engineered to me. I don't mean to imply that there wasn't depth to his views - I think there was a great deal of interesting perspective he plotted out. And I've really grown to appreciate some of his work. But watching him, hearing him speak, it sounds inverted to me, like he articulated a point before he actually believed it. In a way, it's admirable. Talk about the self-made man. You don’t think? His answers seem very engineered to me. I don’t mean to imply that there wasn’t depth to his views - I think there was a great deal of interesting perspective he plotted out. And I’ve really grown to appreciate some of his work. But watching him, hearing him speak, it sounds inverted to me, like he articulated a point before he actually believed it.

In a way, it’s admirable. Talk about the self-made man.

]]> By: William Haskins http://authorscoop.com/2010/02/23/the-charles-bukowski-tapes-2/#comment-8590 William Haskins Tue, 23 Feb 2010 22:23:18 +0000 http://authorscoop.com/?p=9135#comment-8590 except that it wasn't schtick. except that it wasn’t schtick.

]]> By: Jamie Mason http://authorscoop.com/2010/02/23/the-charles-bukowski-tapes-2/#comment-8589 Jamie Mason Tue, 23 Feb 2010 20:33:09 +0000 http://authorscoop.com/?p=9135#comment-8589 He seemed a mix of arrogance and seediness, two qualities that don't pair up very often in nature. And utterly self-conscious. It looks like work (and overtime) to pull off his schtick. He seemed a mix of arrogance and seediness, two qualities that don’t pair up very often in nature. And utterly self-conscious. It looks like work (and overtime) to pull off his schtick.

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