Rexroth, Bukowski and the Politics of Literature (#96/125)

Published by Beat Scene Press in 2007, Rexroth, Bukowski and the Politics of Literature was written by Ben Pleasants, author of Visceral Bukowski: Inside the Sniper Landscape of L.A.

This is #96 of 125 copies signed by Pleasants.

Pleasants was writing a long piece on Bukowski, which ended up being rejected by the magazine because of Bukowski’s reputation for being misogynistic. Pleasants therefore decided to do a piece on Kenneth Rexroth.

Pleasants interview reveals Rexroth had a deep disgust for Bukowski because of the way he treated Kenneth Patchen before his death. For his part, Bukowski strongly disliked Rexroth for his criticism of Ezra Pound.

In the process, Rexroth provides Pleasants with other examples of these types of literary conflicts between writers. In the end, you begin to think Bukowski and Rexroth were not far apart on what causes them.

This copy is in Near Fine + condition.

Box 35