Beat Scene 47: Ben Pleasants Visceral Bukowski

Kevin Ring’s Beat Scene magazine is a treasure for Bukowski and Beat fans alike. I’m in the “never the twain shall meet” camp, but in this case the exception is deserved. Plus, Kevin’s a good guy who put a lot of work and high production value into each issue of the magazine.

This issue is a disappointment for Bukowski fans because it features a controversial interview with Ben Pleasants about his book Visceral Bukowski, published by Sun Dog Press. Pleasants’ only ability to sell a book was apparently to label Bukowski a Nazi He offers no documented proof other than his personal experience. While the book is supposed to be about Bukowski, he can’t help talking about his good old days cheating on his wife and banging co-eds while writing about real writers. Pleasants was simply a hanger-on who Bukowski didn’t like – Pleasants admits as much.

Full Contents:

4...Al Hinkle Tells His Story...On the Road with Kerouac & Cassady...an interview by Steve Edington & friends
16...Letters to Beat Scene...WSB - Just Say No
18...Bird Lives! Charlie Parker by Jim Burns
20...Calling The Toads...Ron Whitehead & John Tytell
24...The Never Ending Story of Robert Frank by Sophie Villiers
26...Face To Face with Jim Koller..an interview by Trevor Carolan
32...Beats in Britain by Jim Burns
34...Jack Kerouac's Departed Angels..a new book
35...The Jack I Knew...an interview with Maria Livornese Halpern...interview by Patrick Fenton
36...A Beat Hotel on Main Street by Jed Birmingham and David Roche
38...B.Traven...a Mystery Man by Barry Gifford
41...Beats & Co...Beat News
42...Visceral Bukowski...an interview with Ben Pleasants
46...Lucien Carr
47...Don Allen/Bernard Stone
48...Gary Snyder in Italy..a report from Giuseppe Moretti
51...The Beat Scene Review Section...Michael McClure, Mark Rothko, Sam Shepard, Ed Sanders, Barry Gifford, Charles Bukowski, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Lenny Bruce, Philip Whalen, Anne Menebroker, Neeli Cherkovski, Allen Ginsberg, Nelson Algren

This copy is in Near Fine + condition.

Box 19