Bukowski in Pictures

Bukowski in Pictures by Sounes, Howard. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9781841950082.

Charles Bukowski is a legend of modern literature, a heavy-drinking postal clerk from Los Angeles who rose from obscurity to international acclaim as an author of poetry and fiction. Known as the Dirty Old Man of American writers, he lived a truly picaresque life. His experiences provided the basis for the movie Barfly, for which he wrote the screenplay. Bukowski in Pictures is the first pictorial biography of the writer, and it re-creates his life in a stunning visual display that includes more than two hundred color and black-and-white photographs. Many of these images have never been published before. Bukowskis friends, family members, and former lovers have contributed candid shots, and there are handsome portraits by professional photographers, as well as illustrations by Dave Geiser and R. Crumb. The images have been assembled by Howard Sounes, the author of the acclaimed biography Charles Bukowski: Locked in the Arms of a Crazy Life. Sounes has written an Introduction to the book and woven new research and quotations from Bukowskis work into a series of essays and extensive captions that run throughout. There are also extracts from personal letters and rare documents, including Bukowskis recently declassified FBI file. A beautiful book and a fascinating view into an extraordinary life, Bukowski in Pictures is a must for Bukowski devotees and new fans alike.