Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame

This is one of the best collections of poetry that I have ever read. I've recently discovered Bukowski after having one of my poems compared to his work. I did some research and a lot of people told me to start with this book. I am so glad that I did because it was a great introduction to Bukowski's work (and he does have a lot of work!) I am looking forward to reading my way through more of Bukowski's work in the near future. These poems are full of humor, introspection, and managing to find inspiration in the smallest of things and occurances. Even though it may seem like some of the sentences are disjointed or out of place, every sentence is meant to be there and that is clearly visible when you reach the end of any poem in this collection. All of these poems seem to emanate with a jaded wisdom that one can't help but feel as if a lesson has been learned after reading each one. My favorite poems in this collection that I recommend are "to the whore who took my poems", "for marilyn m.", and "i met a genius".

For a writer as prolific as Bukowski, it might be difficult to know where to start. This is a guy who continues to write a book of poetry a year despite being dead for over a decade. If you are just being introduced to his poetry for the first time, my recommendation is Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame. It might have to do with where I was and what was going on in my life when I read it, but to me 1955 to 1973 are the best years of Bukowski. During this period, his writing focused on gambling, drinking, and prostitutes. This is clearly Bukowksi's strength. In some of the later writings he's a minor celebrity, going to poetry readings, sleeping with groupies, working on his screenplay... That's all entertaining too but not the best and certainly not the place to start.This collection of poems includes three of my favorites. "To the whore who took my poems" which includes the lines "next time take my left arm or a fifty/ but not my poems:/ I'm not Shakespeare/ but sometime simply/ there won't be any more, abstract or otherwise;/ there'll always be money and whores and drunkards..."And the poem "a 340 dollar horse and a hundred dollar whore" which I believe will resonate with anyone who has been to the track and had a long shot come in for them.And my favorite, "startled into life like fire." All the great poets are cat-lovers. A full discussion of why this is true might be beyond the scope of this review, but I stand behind the statement. This is the only Bukowski poem that makes me weep. I read this poem while sitting shiva for my beloved cat Mingus, but I used to fall apart reading this poem long before he passed on. It reads in part:"neither of us understands cathedrals or the man outside watering his lawn if I were all the man that he is cat- if there were men like this the world could begin" Libman's quickies on beginner Bukowski:Beginner Bukowski for poetry, as stated above, Burning in Water Drowning in Flame. Beginner Buk for short stories would be Tales of Ordinary Madness. For a novel, start with Factotum. And enjoy.

I was attracted to this specific book because it is the only compilation of poetry written by Bukowski while he lived in New Orleans. Perfect for road trips or for delving into after a long night of dirty bars and broken people,(elements ever -so present in New Orleans), I constantly find myself anxiously anticipating how the next page of booze drenched rants will blow my mind. Never has someone so accurately illustrated the whimsical life of an observant drunk amidst chaos,and Bukoski manages to not only find inspiration in it but relay it with such simplicity and sarcastic whit that you will find yourself re-acessing your definition of the word "Hero". He forever reminds us that beauty hides in strange places and that even if you're not drinking while reading this book you can still taste the flames as you drown in thier presence.

Years ago in an eternally hip independent book store, I discovered Charles Bukowski, instantly devouring him like cold noodles on a hot afternoon. I started with "Burning in Water..." and still go back to this one for a feel of what Bukowski truly had to say. In this collection, he combines the sublime with the squalid, giving relevance and imperativeness to all of it. Simply, the man could write about virtually anything. Despite the isolation that permeates throughout the verse, he communicates our need and constant attempts at connection with our fellow human beings. Really folks, its not all just beer and women.

Regretfully, Charles Bukowski is no longer with us for he was without a doubt one of the few very powerful writers of our time. Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame is an excellent example of this wonderful authors ability to express his humor, anger, sadness, sarcasm, and complacency towards this society we are all a part of. As morose as sometimes his life may have seemed, I believe that Charles Bukowski was more alive in his life than many of us ever will be