To be honest, I still haven't finished this book. I keep it next to my bed for when I feel most alone. Try to keep the amounts I do read to a bare minimum because I never want it to end. This collection of letters captures so many sides of Buk: his business side, his harsh side; but also a great deal of his sensitive, sad, depressive-but-loving side, that is refreshing to see in any man, let alone one with such a weathered face. I just can't help but Love him.

It's been several years since I read this early work of Bukowski's--while sitting in a special collections room at the Washington University library (they have an excellent archive of contemporary American writers). From what I recall, this collection typifies Bukowski's poetry of the 50s and 60s. His writing is tentative and uneven, his style is still somewhat uncertain, but the passion and vitality are quite evident. It's a small volume in which Bukowski-- having only recently turned to writing poetry in earnest--is still experimenting with the form. He had not yet found his colloquial, natural voice nor had he developed the "Chinaskian" persona that would dominate his work by the late-1970s. I recommend this volume to any Bukowski enthusiast who wants to explore the emergence and development of his poetic talents. It's a rather uneven and flawed book, but entertaining, evocative and sometimes beautiful.

This edition of Bukowski's letters is indespensable to Bukowski scholars and would be of great interest to anyone who wants to look deeper into the mind of the late writer. The greatest insight one derives from reading these letters is that Bukowski and Chinaski--his literary persona and, to some extent, alter-ego--are not identical. Bukowski, by the 1980s, increasingly relied upon the character Henry Chinaski--who pops up in poems, stories, novels, and the screenplay Barfly. Moreover, his work became, during this period, increasingly based on his "real" life. Thus, it can be difficult to ascertain where the real Bukowski leaves off and the fictive Chinaski begins. Well, the letters help to clarify this distinction. Whereas Chinaski is a tough guy who craves solitude and forsakes the company of artists, it seems that Bukowski corresponded regularly with a series of fellow writers, often whining about money and literary respect.

This is a good little anthology, but don't buy it expecting to read any Bukowski. His contributions are limited to a series of drawings.

And the poet's name is Lifshin, Lyn Lifshin -- not Lisshin (of course, if you're drunk and slurring -- not a bad way to read this collection -- Lisshin is probably closer to how that name would slip from your mouth. . . .)

If you like this book get a copy of The Maverick Poets. It's a similar idea done on a much larger and more effective scale.

Black Sparrow Press has released a number of works by Charles Bukowski since his death in 1994. I am a devoted fan of his work, in all of its forms, especially the poetry. Nonetheless, Bone Palace Ballet suffers from the same characteristic that haunted Bukowski's publications during his lifetime--it does not appear to be edited sufficiently. Whereas many poets issue forth tiny volumes of verse every few years, Bukowski was always capable of a big, hulking poetry collection (or more) every year. This is one of the things I most admire in his work; a 500-page collection such as Last Night of the Earth Poems might contain a few unfinished or insubstantial pieces, but there are so many beautiful poems that it doesn't matter. With Bone Palace, however, this formula doesn't apply. Too many of the poems are repetitious or incomplete or simply subpar. Had this book been edited down to 200 pages, we might have tiny gem. That said, the work is not a complete flop at all. I have only dwelt upon its deficiencies because Bukowski's work is typically so much better. Some of his meditations upon death, solitude, L.A., squalor, age, computers, and of course writing are as poignant and honest as ever. There are perhaps too many poems about death--or rather, too many seemingly identical poems about death. Some of the pieces read like drafts of one another--again, more conscientious editing would have preempted this.

not a bad collection
you have to figure that there a wealth of stuff still out theer yet to be released. this book is proof of that
some good stuff here
its easy to decide that this is the stuff he chose not to release but i like to think he just hadnt gotten around to it yet

It's called "bone pallace ballet" so it's not a book of poems to read to your girlfriend under a willow tree at four in the afternoon, unless of course, she's got a wicked sense of humor. This book's hilarious, but chillingly realistic accounts of city life leave the reader dazed. It's like a high without the chemicals.

He doesn't follow any modern patterns of poetry, but he reserves images for when they're necessary. We can only sense what he wants us to sense, when he wants us to feel it, see it, hear it, taste it. Bukowski takes you on a wild ride, leads you around, and in the end, you thank him for it.

And if you're a writer out there, read "The Word"! I haven't read it in a while, but I still remember certain lines, an image I could never have thought of, but he throws it in there, and it looks effortless like an acrobat, "It can't hold your cigarette for you" and then the rush of "getting it down, getting it down, getting it down." Read it, twice, you'll love it.

A shallow treatment, written by what must be a graduate school reject. Somebody who--though he makes it a point to say he corresponded with Bukowski favorably--Bukowski would have hated. A phoney. I ordered it for a class I teach and found it completely unusable. A series of anecdotes--rehashes of autobiograhpical short stories--strung together by half baked theroies. The lesson is that just because somebody loves to read an author doesn't mean they can write well at all about that author.

I enjoyed this book but felt like the author, who states that he spent a lot of time with Buk, decided to throw together this uneven, short book to make a few bucks. The only pictures appear to be from a single night in the early 70's, and appear to be pictures Buk probably didn't expect to ever be published. Enough whining...it did offer some good insights into the genius of Buk!

Sometimes when reading Bukowski, it becomes rather hard to tell the difference between his fiction and when he's embalishing on his experience. The best thing about this little book is that Christy tells us who the real people in Buk's stories were, and what really happened. It's almost a compact bio too, and I don't have the patience to read one of those huge ones about Buk's life when I could be much more pleased getting it from the man himself, even if it's not always true. A good book, but a little overpriced in my opinion.

I am a huge Bukowski fan but this book seemed to list stories and events in a very akward manner. It had great detail and I learned alot about Buk but if given the chance I would have rather have read 15 essays on Charles Bukowski then have to read this book again.

Neeli Cherkovski is especially well situated to write the biography of his longtime friend and literary compadre, Charles Bukowski. Cherkovski has a true poet's eye and heart and understand that poets function on feeling--succeeding in their poetry by the amount of feeling they can capture, and managing to survive the slings and arrows of everyday life by submerging much of that feeling behind various kinds of soul armor. Perhaps because Bukowski first met Cherkovski as a teenager, he opened himself to his later biographer as he did to few others in his life--let Cherkovski glimpse the real pains and frustrations and desperate need for love that drove him to become the wild man and roughneck of contemporary American poetry. This book has an exceptional insight into Bukowski's creative process--into the black humor, relentless work ethic, indomitable drive for survival, gutsiness, and at times just plain craziness that Bukowski was able to meld into as distinctive a poetic sound as any we've heard in the last century's prosody. This book is highly recommended for anyone who wants to understand what separates real poets from pretenders, and real poetry from the supremely irrelevant verse that clogs up most academic curriculums as the official canon. Above all, in the agonies and ecstasies of Bukowski's life, it shows the price real poets have to pay to do their work.

I suppose I deserve this. I bought this book at the behest of a Barnes and Noble employee. She said it was the best Bukowski biography she's read. Well, I found the book less than agreeable and I am now suffering through a severe case of buyer's remorse. Corporate literati ...strike again.

Since I already have Ham On Rye, Post Office, South Of No North, and numerous volumes of Bukowski poetry, this biography really is obsolete. It seems like Cherkovski pasted together snippets of the Bukowski collection, and added some of his own limited insights, placed the whole conglomeration between a cover and shipped it off to market.

Anyone who has read even a limited amount of Bukowski's work will find nothing new in this biography. Save your money and purchase Buk's poetry. I recommend Bone Palace Ballet, or The Night Torn Made With Footsteps.

Frankly, not having known or been discussed in this book, I liked it. I wasn't alive (for much of his lifetime) and really, seeing a little more about him (in novel fashion) proved to be fascinating.

Bukowski was an American writer. He is shown in this book with his scars, dirty clothes, and kinda lewd persona. He's real from the beginning whereas it took an awful lot of alcohol, etc. until Hemingway was near as (like those of us mortals....)

This might not be a critically perfect biography. It might have needed more research, etc. BUT.... speaking form the perspective of an educated general fan, it is worthwhile, though I don't kow if I'd buy it-- the other biography is probably more of a keeper.... This is a good story, though.....

Buy the poetry more than any bio. though!!!

Frankly, it doesn't much matter whether Bukowski liked this biography or if he hated it. As a longtime Bukowski reader, though, I must say that I found this to be a well-crafted and informative read.

While it is true that a good bit of the material here will be very familiar to anyone who has read a fair amount of Bukowski's work, Cherkovski does a good job of infusing this material with interpretation and previously unreported anecdotes.

I'm looking forward to reading Howard Soune's Buk bio -- I hear it's great; but folks, this book is very fine, too.

As Bukowski scholarship grows and more biographies are written, as they are sure to be, I predict that this one will continue to more than hold its own.

It may be a small matter to buk fans who have recently come to read his work, but the previous reviewer who quotes Fernanda Pivano as having said, "......you cannot read them and ever come away the same", has taken a leap that must be corrected. On the back cover of Erections, Ejaculations, Exhibitions and General Tales of Ordinary Madness, City Lights Books, Second printing January 1973, edited by Gail Chiarrello, the third paragraph reads: "With Bukowski, the votes are still coming in. There seems to be no middle ground...people seem to either love him or hate him. Tales of his own life and doing are as wild and weird as the very stories he writes. In a sense, Bukowski is a legend in his time...a madman, a recluse, a lover...tender vicious...never the same...these are exceptional stories that come pounding out of his violent and depraved life...horible and holy...you cannot read them and ever come away the same again." As the reader will note, the photo on the bookcover was from 1980--lets keep the facts as facts.

Thomas Young tyoung@cyberzane.net

I do not quite understand why this should be a recommended Buk-Book. It is a fairly interesting interview, alright. But if you're going to spend money on Bukowski: buy HIS books. And if you want biographical information, go with Howard Sounes. To get a real good look on Bukowski you also might want to check out the 'Bukowski-Tapes' - Film-Interviews by Barbet Schroeder. Pivano's Interview reveals nothing new is not really worth the money.

interesting quick read about a foreign journalist's interview experience with bukowski not great but interesting

I liked this book because it explained the highpoints of Buk's writing career, centered mostly around his novels. This Beginners' book explained a little about each book, so now I know which one's to start with. This book takes a few hours to read, so it's a decent crash course, much faster than putting the pieces together by reading several Buk novels, but reading this Beginner's book is not as meaningful as having actually read a Buk novel = the real thing.

I suppose if you read any Buk book, you will know if you like Buk or not, since it's pretty much all the same style. The main use for this book is that Buk's main publisher, Black Sparrow, does not do a good job of describing Buk's books on the back of the book jackets. So a Beginner really does need help elsewhere, from an established Buk fan, or from this Beginner's book, to know what is going on.

I now know that I would have been better off spending the cost of this Beginner's book on an actual Buk novel, but I did not realize that until AFTER reading this Beginner's book. Now I know which books to focus on, (the novels), out of the dozens of Buk books available.

This is an informative read, but you'd be better served by buying and reading any Buk novel, and then you would have actually READ a Buk novel, instead of having just read ABOUT Buk in general.

Polimeni and Rep have written/illustrated a nice overview and history of Charles Bukowski's life and work. I had read one collection of Bukowski's stories prior to reading this book, so knew a little bit about him; this book has definitely rounded out the picture and helped me decide what other books might be worth reading. I thought it was an interesting touch to lay out Bukowski's passion for drink and other suspect pursuits with no judgment whatsoever--they let the reader draw his own conclusions and focus on the writing. Also, the comic book style makes it a very easy read; I read it in an afternoon.

The purpose of the book is to give the unfamiliar reader a sense of who Bukowski was and the quality of his writing. And on that score, I think it succeeds very well.

P>I would not have read about this man but for this book so THERE!

All that said, Bukowski, though interesting, strikes me as the true author of the ideas of "Betrachtung eines Unpolitischen" first penned by Thomas Mann. Bukowski may write from the depths of poverty and the American working class, but his perspectives are politically ambigious or neutral...he should endorse socialism but doesn't.

Partly, this book makes me think of Maxim Gorky's _Lower Depths_ as a point of comparison...but Bukowski...it's hard to say...apolitical, uncritical...he expresses much angst and suffering but doesn't investigate significantly the root causes of such suffering and depridation;

I'll take Terry Eagleton's lit.crit any day in preference, I'm afraid. I sympathize w/ Bukowski but...

Nevertheless, I feel enriched to at least know about him--which I probably would not have known were it not for this intro book from a famous series of documentary comic boks I deeply respect.