Pig In A Pamphlet 12.pdf

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C H R L E S- .- -

E

B U K O W S K I

then

g ve

up

nd s t r t e d d r i n k i n g

he vi l y .



Charles Bukowaki

is

p r e t t y much textbook case,

an i n s p i r a t i o n f o r those discontented with th

poetry-publishing

runeround.

fel low who labored

f o r years i n r e l a t i v e

obscurity,

h i s f i c t i o n and

poetry and columns c o l l e c t i ng l i k t he

patient

years nd suddenly, he rocketa from the

muck

Like a n atomic-powered pig1 Wlt not l i k e ' a sprin

chicken.

It s taken him q u i t e a l e to a t t a i n

the s t a t u s he

has in

America.

In Europe, where ide as a re

s t i l l

h e l d i n

some

regan i, he has been extremely popular or sopla

years.

Rightly so; t u s t y l e

i s

seemingly f a c i l e ,

b u t

legions of imi ta tor s have f a i le d t o capture

h is for thr i ght manner and docnsday

uit.

uk was born i n Anaernach, Gemany, i n 1920;

as

moat of you know, he has

been

known to have a

dri nk now and again . Enjoys th e famalea and the

ponies , a lb e i t fo r d i f fe re nt r easons .

H i s

plul

osopiry?

Well, a s

he

say s i n theae pagea:

contentment between agonies ia t he e l i x i r

of

existence .

Smehow, through t h e hardahips i n Bukowakils poetry

and f i c t i o n , i t s the contentment tha t a t r ikea the

reader aa important, th a t a t ick s with us nd t ha t

takes uk f a r beyond th e sur viv alis te . That , and

unvarnished honesty.



probably engaging I n o r al

copulation,

k f y

suggested.

J u l l o p u t

h i s gP i t a r back

i n

the case and

walked to the

door.

Henry walked Jul io to hls car which

was parked i n the

dr ive .

I t was a nice moon1

n i gh t .

as Ju l io s tar ted h is car and

backed out the dr lve

.Henry waved hlm a

farewel l .

then

he

went ins ide

sat

down.

he f i n i s hed Ju l io 's untouched

d r l nk

then he

phoned

her.

he was j u s t by, Henry t o l d

her,

he's

feeling very

bad

...*

.3

you 11 have t o exnrsr

me *

she sald, but

I m

bus y r f gb t

and

Henry poured one

or

n s

OWI

as outs lde tha c r l c lu ts sang

t h e i r own

I

song

the magic machine

f

I l k a d

th

o l d

records

t h a t

scratched

as the needle s l i d across

grooves

too

w e l l

.

worn

you s t l l l heard

the

v o l w

coming through

the

v l c t r o l a speaker

as

I f th r

were

a

person

Ins i de t h a t

uhogany

box

b u t you

on y

l l s t e n e d whl le

your parents wcre

n o t there.

and i f

you

d i d n ' t wind

the v i c t r o l a

I t

gradual y slowed and

stoppad.



i t

was b es t i n l a t e

af ternoons

a n d a l l the records spoke

of

1ove

l o v e , l o v e , l w e .

some of the records had

beau t i fu l purp le

l a b e l s ,

o t h e r s were ora nge , w e n .

yellow, red, blue.

the v i c to la had belonged t o

my g r an d f a th e r

and

he

had l l s t en ed t o t h o s e

same

records

and now I

was a

boy

and

I heard them.

and nothing

I

c w l d t h i n k o f

i n my l i f e t he n

seemed bet ter than l i s ten ing

t o t h a t

v i c t r o l a

when my parents weren ' t

there .

I wrs

more

v l s i b l e u a v a i l a b l e t h e n

nd

I h d th l s g re a t weakness:

I thought th t going k

bed

with m ny wa en

meant that a ason u s c l ev e r cml good and

rvper lo r

e s p e c i a l l y

i

h d i d

t

a t t h e a g e of

55

to m y nrmbcr o f

kurrries

and I l i f t e d w i g h t s

d r an k l i k e m d

and did

that

n o s t of

the

women

mre

nice and odd

and mst

f

han looked quite well

and

only

one or tno

were

r e a l l y dumb and

d u l l

but

JoJo

I can ' t evan ca tagor i te .

her letters

w r

s l igh t , r epeated abou t

the s e thing:

I

l i k e y o ur W s w wl d l i k e t o

meet

Y A ~

ack and told

her

I t m wld be

l l r l g h t .

then along

cane

t h e I n s t N c t l o n s

w n 1 ws t o met

kr

a t t h l s c ol le ge

on

t h i s

d te

a t t h l s tine

j u s t a f t e r her

c l a s s e s .



the col le ge was up I n the

h f l l s and

the day

and

time

ar r i ved

and with her drawings

o f t w i s t i n g s t r e e ts

plus a mad map

I et out.

i t was somewher% be an en th e Rose B w l

and one o f the la rg es t graveyards I n

Southern Ca l i fo r n ia

and I o t t h e n e a r l y

and u

f n my

car

n i pp i ng a t the Cut t

&&

and looking a t

d

coc-eds--there ware so man o f

them, one s im ply c o u l d n d v e

a l l o f them

-

then the b e l l rang' and ot eut

of

my

car and ualked up to t he f r o n t o f the

bui ld ing, there was a l o t a l l

row

o f

ste ps and th e stu de nt s d k d u t o f t h e

buildlng and down

the

steps

and

I

tood and

waI ted, and l i k e w i th the a i r po r t

a r r i v a l s

I ad no Idea

which on

I t would

be.

"Chinaski , omebody said

and th er e she was: 18, 19

ne l t he r ug l y

nor be utiful

f

average body a d eatures,

s e m i

ng

t o

be

nei ther v ic ious ,

I n t e l l i g e n t , du w

insane, just a very nomal

normal.

we

k i ssed l i g h t l y and

then

I sked her i f the

had a car

and she sa i d

she a ca r

and

I

aid. " f ine,

I'll

r i v e

y

t o

It,

then you fo l low

Re ."

JoJo was a good fol lo we r, she fol lowed

me

a l l

the

w y

t o my beat-up cour t I n er s t

Hollywood.

I

oured her a drink and

m

ta lked very

drab ta lk and k issed

b i t .

the k i ses

were

neither good nor bad

nor i n te re s t i ng o r un-

i n te res t i ng .

much t i n e went by and she drank ve ry

l i t t l e

and

we

kissed

s w

more and she

said,

I i k e your books , they rea l l y do th ings

t o me.

"Fuck my books " o l d her.

I

as down t o

my

shorts and

I ad

her

s k i r t up t o he r ass

and 1 was work ing ha rd

but she just k issed and

talked.

she responded and she didn't

respond



then

ave up and star ted dr in kin g

heav i l y .

she mentioned a few of the other

w r

e r s

she 1i ed

but she d id n ' t l i k e i n y of them

the

way

she l i ked

me.

yeah, oured a new one, i s th t

so?

I ' ve got . to get going, JoJo said,

I ' v e g o t a c la s s i n t he

morning.

you can slee p here, uggested, and

get an ea r l y s ta r t , c ramble grea t

eggs.

no, thank you, I ' v e go t to

go..

.

and she l e f t w i t h

sev eral copies o f my books

she had never seen

before,

copies ad given her

much ea r l i e r i n the

evening.

ad another d r in k and decjded t o

sleep t o f f

as an unexplainable

loss .

I sw i t ched o f f t he l i gh t s

and threw myself upon the

bed without

washlng-up or

brushing my

teeth.

ooked up I n t o th dark

and tkarght, now,

h m

I s om

l l l n e w be able t o

wr i t e about:

she was nel ther gopd

or

k d ,

ma1 or unreal, k ind

or

unklnd, she

was

j u s t

r

g l r l

tr m a college

sanewhere between the Bowl and

the dunping grounds.

then egan t o itc h, cratched

myself,

eeme

to fee l smeth lng

o

face, on

y

belly, nhaled,

ex$ed. tr ie d fo r sleep but

the I tching got wow than

e l t a bi te, then several b i tes,

things appeared to k

crawllng about

ma

crabs? hell, what?

ushed ' to the k t h r o a

and switched

on

t he l i gh t

and ou ld see

the t iny dark

specks. .

my god, JoJo hadm

tepped I n t o the shower

stoo there

djusting the water,

thlnklng,

that poor

dear

g i r l .



never

rqueew out

that

xtm pocr unlooo

it

a r r ive8

i t s e l f .

thir is

t he

extra

po a and it o

not

a r r i w

it8el.f

an w ry thir poem

to

f i l l in

th opco am I drink

last glaas of wine

tonight.

powdered

tho

cats f o r

flea.

amwa r d

two lettom

wrot

four poaa

sac night8

I

write ten pocra

anaver

six

l e t t e r s

nlc more

but

in

a l l

tbinga

t he ide is a gent le

conoiatency.

now

this g lass of wine I almost

I watch the

c m

peLing off the f r eemy

out there.

contentwnt between agonies is the e U r

of d a t e n c e .

the

glasr

of

wine

i a a~rpty.

good

night.

specia l thanks t o

Bapid Andy Scott Pbnager

im Haney and the other

fo lks from

P oat a l

Inatant

Press i n Pittsburgh.



t h e n

I g a v e

u

and s t a r t e d d r i n k i n g

heavily.

PWEi

Y

CHARLES

BUK MSKI

PIC

IN

PAMPHLET

If12

Hamy Calhoun, E d i t o r

P O ox

19L26

P i t t s b u r g h , PA 15273

R i c e of t h i s i s s u e :

50 , 2 for

1.00.

Copyright

1985

by

Pig

ln A Poke

Prws

and Charles Bukowski

Pig In A Pamphlet 12.pdf

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