Charles Bukowski poem and story database

Sifting Through the Madness for the Word, the Line, the Way

Published in 2002 by Ecco

So You Want To Be A Writer - pg. 3 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1992
My Secret Life - pg. 6 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - circa 1991-1994 - circa 1991-1994
The Column - pg. 16 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1981
Commerce - pg. 18
The Mexican Fighters - pg. 22 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - circa 1991-1994
This Dog - pg. 25 - circa 1991
The Great Escape - pg. 28 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1992
A Quick One - pg. 30
The Old Anarchist - pg. 32 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1981
And I Still Won't Vote - pg. 33 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1981
Just Trying To Do A Good Deed - pg. 35 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - circa 1991-1994
We Are Always One Step Removed - pg. 38 - circa 1993
My Life As A Sitcom - pg. 39
A Mechanical Lazarus - pg. 41
My God - pg. 45 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1981
After The Sandstorm - pg. 46 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1981
Carry On! - pg. 48
Straw Hats - pg. 53 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1990
Drink And Wait - pg. 56 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1980
Basking In The Evil Light - pg. 57
What Can I Do? - pg. 63 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1985
Out Of The Sickroom And Into The White Blazing Sun - pg. 64
Temporal Ease - pg. 66 - 1980
You Never Liked Me - pg. 68
Our Big Day At The Movies - pg. 71 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - circa 1991-1994
About Competition - pg. 75
Fingernails - pg. 76 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1983
Iron - pg. 80 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1991 - circa 1991
Extraterrestrial Visitor - pg. 85 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1975
Small Talk - pg. 86
Too Sweet - pg. 89
Work-Fuck Problem - pg. 91 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1971
Observations On Music - pg. 94
Fly Boy - pg. 96
Unblinking Grief - pg. 101
There Are So Many Houses And Dark Streets Without Help - pg. 102
The Joke Is On The Sun - pg. 105 - circa 1986
Introduction to chapter 2 - pg. 107 - manuscript - 1979
Like A Polluted River Flowing - pg. 109
Girlfriends - pg. 111 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1983
Escape 1942 - pg. 113
A Strange Horse Poem - pg. 115
The Longest Snake In The World - pg. 119 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - circa 1991-1994 - circa 1993
The Niceties - pg. 124
Time To Water The Plants And Feed The Cat - pg. 127 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1978
I'm Flattered - pg. 129 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1990
Neither Shakespeare Nor Mickey Spillane - pg. 132 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - circa 1991-1994
Show Business - pg. 135 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1992
Pop! - pg. 137 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1980
The Interview - pg. 138 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - circa 1991-1994 - circa 1991-1994
Re-Union - pg. 140 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1983
Genius Unfettered - pg. 141 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - circa 1991-1994
Bob - pg. 145 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1981
Bearclaw Morning - pg. 147 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1981
Death And Transfiguration - pg. 152 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - circa 1991-1994
Warriors In This Place - pg. 153
A Sickness? - pg. 155
A Fine Night - pg. 162 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1980
Riots - pg. 165 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1992
Venice Beach - pg. 166 - circa 1974
The Con Job - pg. 167
Looking Back - pg. 169 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - circa 1991-1994
The Love Poems Of Catullus - pg. 177
Dream Girl - pg. 179 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1984
Empties - pg. 181
The Landlady - pg. 186
About The Mail - pg. 188 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1985
Have You Ever Pulled A Lion's Tail? - pg. 191 - circa 1962
Who Needs It? - pg. 193 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - circa 1991-1994
Tight Black Pants - pg. 194
The Weirdest Day - pg. 195
Burning Bright - pg. 201 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1979
The Death Of A Hero - pg. 202 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1990
Hooked - pg. 204 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1973
Found Poems - pg. 206 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1983
Runaway Inflation - pg. 208 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1980
The Significance Was Obscure - pg. 210 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1984
Cracking The Odds - pg. 211 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1990
Working Through It All - pg. 216
Giving Thanks - pg. 217 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - circa 1991-1994 - circa 1992
Los Angeles - pg. 224 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1985
2,294 - pg. 225 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1974
Why Do You Write So Many Poems About Death? - pg. 226 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1990
Evidence - pg. 228
A Wise-Ass - pg. 231 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1992
The Dressmaker - pg. 234 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - circa 1991-1994 - circa 1993
Lunch In Beverly Hills - pg. 237
She Was Really Mad - pg. 239 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1983
A Tree, A Road, A Toad - pg. 240
In One Ear And Out The Other - pg. 242 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - circa 1991-1994 - circa 1992
Excuses - pg. 244
Bygone Days - pg. 245 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1990
In A Lady's Bedroom - pg. 248
Model Friend - pg. 250 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1981
The Invitation - pg. 257
Hollywood Hustle - pg. 258 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1975
Buddah Chinaski Says - pg. 259 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1986
Like Lazarus - pg. 262
Soft And Fat Like Summer Roses - pg. 269 - circa 1946
In Transit - pg. 271
Dear Mr. Chinaski - pg. 274 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - circa 1991-1994
Silverfish - pg. 275 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1990
The Popularity Kid - pg. 277
Death And White Glue - pg. 280
Fun Times: 1930 - pg. 282
My Bully - pg. 284 - circa 1993
Ow Ow Ow - pg. 288 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1990
The Singers - pg. 290
The March - pg. 292 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - circa 1991-1994
The Way Things Are - pg. 295
Words For You - pg. 296 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1982
Strictly Bullshit - pg. 298 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1985
Written Before I Got One - pg. 300 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1985
Straight On - pg. 302
Remember This - pg. 304 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1985
Now See Here - pg. 306 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1982
Little Poem - pg. 308 - circa 1973
Gertrude Up The Stairway, 1943 - pg. 311 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1985
Where Was I? - pg. 313
Sloppy Day - pg. 317 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1981
Note On The Telephone - pg. 325 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - circa 1991-1994 - circa 1991-1994
At The Edge - pg. 328
Heads Without Faces, Seen In All The Places - pg. 330 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1980
Coming Awake - pg. 332 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1979
The Simple Truth - pg. 334
Here And Now - pg. 336
Crazy World - pg. 341 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - circa 1991-1994
Good Stuff - pg. 342 - circa 1985
Respite - pg. 346 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1977
The Horse Player - pg. 348
Displaced - pg. 350 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1990
In Search Of A Hero - pg. 352 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - circa 1991-1994
Escapade - pg. 358
Burning, Burning - pg. 359 - circa 1993
Upon Reading An Interview With A Best-Selling Novelist In Our Metropolitan Daily Newspaper - pg. 361 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1990
Nothing To It - pg. 362 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1990
This Place - pg. 364 - 1990
A.D. 701-762 - pg. 366 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1986
Regrets Of A Sort - pg. 368 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1982
Too Young - pg. 371 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1990
Listening To The Radio At 1:35 A.M. - pg. 373 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1981
Unclassical Symphony - pg. 374 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1990
Dinner For Free - pg. 375 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1990
A Song From The 70'S - pg. 379 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1990
.188 - pg. 380 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - 1990
War Some Of The Time - pg. 382
At Last - pg. 383
Misbegotten Paradise - pg. 386
My Big Night On The Town - pg. 390 - manuscript (differs from Black Sparrow book version) - circa 1991-1994
Nobody But You - pg. 393
Like A Dolphin - pg. 395