Bukowski's LA

Matt Dukes Jordan has collected photos and anecdotes from far and wide, to create a vivid take on Buk. A must read for any Bukowski fan.

Matt Dukes Jordan has compiled a true Los Angeles guide for fans of Charles Bukowski that remains faithful to the man and his wine stained roots. Like a strange combination of an early Crumb comic and the stories of Charles Bukowski, it's a powerful cocktail that Jordan has mixed. Passionately gathering treasures of information from those who knew Bukowski intimately and providing current photos of Bukowski's old haunts add layers of value to this work. Linda Bukowski and Neeli Cherkovski along with other close friends give a unique glimpse into what makes for the perfect printed follow to up to the documentary, Born Into This. Jordan also throws in his drawings which add a flavor similar to drunken illustrations on bar napkins that could easily have been done by Bukowski, himself. These ingredients all create an authentic and perfect gift for any Bukowski fan.. Along with a 12 pack of beer, of course.

Matt Jordan has been a Los Angeles-based writer for nearly twenty years and a Buk fan for even longer. In this book he's visited all of the places where Charles Bukowski lived and hung out.The extensive introduction to the book is an essay about the dynamic between a writer and the city he wrote about. There's also an essay about Bukowski and bungalow courtyard apartments-- a unique kind of housing in LA that appears regularly in Bukowski's work.The book has lots of photos, most by the author, of sites discussed in the book. There are some amusing drawings by the author of Bukowski and of his homes, and even a comic strip about Bukowski. Also included is a section of rare original photographs by Sam Cherry, a bookstore owner now 96 yrs old, who photographed Bukowski before he was famous, back in the early sixties.This book can be viewed as an insightful and detailed guidebook to Bukowski's LA or as an extended meditation on a writer and his city. Using the book, one can easily create one's own tour of Bukowski's LA. There are several hand-drawn maps of key places as well.After you read this, you'll have new insights into Bukowski and the city he called home for most of his life. For Buk fans or anyone interested in the dynamic between a writer and a city, I heartily recommend this book.

For any Bukowski fan, this is a very cool book. Obviously, it's a labor of love. And if you're a fan of Charles Bukowski (as we all are), you'll appreciate this effort.Matt Dukes Jordan has done a great job extensively tracking down Bukowski haunts and packing the book with maps, illustrations, personal anecdotes and pics. Imagine a Bukowski fanzine, extended to cover Bukowski's full life. The book even features a preface by Neeli Cherkovski (who of course appears in Bukowski documentary, BORN INTO THIS).The last section of this book features photographs of Bukowski taken by Sam Cherry. (Some of Bukowski's best photos.)Just a real cool book. Not being from L.A., I really enjoyed this personalized "tour." As it adds a concrete dimension to the many places often alluded to in Bukowski's work. (For sure, I'll be keeping this book on the same shelf with my other Bukowski books, as a reference tool.)Bukowski's L.A. >> check it out!