That’s It – a Final Visit with Charles Bukowski with Rare Photographs by Michael Montfort

The hardcover portion of this book with photographs is written in German and was only distributed in Germany, but included here is a softcover version of the text in English. Which is great because there’s some interesting fresh material in here.

The day before Charles Bukowski's last birthday, author Gundolf S. Freyermuth had an intensive, seven-hour conversation with him. But some of the best material here takes place after Bukowski’s death. In particular, an night where Linda Lee takes Michael Montfort and Freyermuth to visit Bukowski in the funeral home. In a scene that could be perceived as either hilarious or cruel, Linda Lee convinces Montfort to touch Bukowski’s body. The results are not good.

This book also has some Michael Montfort photographs that I don’t believe were ever published elsewhere, as well as a vintage photograph that was probably taken by Sam Cherry.

All-in-all, I would say the book is even parts prose and poetry in its appeal.
The English companion piece is quite scarce and the shipping for the book from Germany is usually quite pricey, so this is a solid price as well.

The hardcover book has some rubbin to the dust jacked and the English companion piece has been read. I would grade them both as Near Fine.
From the Publisher:

The day before Charles Bukowski's last birthday, Gundolf S. Freyermuth had an intensive, seven-hour conversation with the German-American cult author. It would be the last interview Bukowski gave before he died in Los Angeles in March 1994.
The two authors talked about Bukowski's unusual career, which took him from a bum life to Hollywood stars, about the craft of writing, about fellow writers like William S. Burroughs and Norman Mailer, about fame and money and, of course, about death.
Michael Montfort, Bukowski's friend and favorite photographer, took the last pictures that exist of the great “dirty old man”.
Freyermuth's sympathetic memories of Bukowski show us an adventurous existence that made itself a test case by testing the longings and vices of our era on its own body. Combining reportage and reflection, the book examines the “Bukowski myth”, the reasons for the poet's unique rise to fame as a German-American cult figure.

From the Publisher:
The day before Charles Bukowski's last birthday, Gundolf S. Freyermuth had an intensive, seven-hour conversation with the German-American cult author. It would be the last interview Bukowski gave before he died in Los Angeles in March 1994.
The two authors talked about Bukowski's unusual career, which took him from a bum life to Hollywood stars, about the craft of writing, about fellow writers like William S. Burroughs and Norman Mailer, about fame and money and, of course, about death.
Michael Montfort, Bukowski's friend and favorite photographer, took the last pictures that exist of the great “dirty old man”.

Freyermuth's sympathetic memories of Bukowski show us an adventurous existence that made itself a test case by testing the longings and vices of our era on its own body. Combining reportage and reflection, the book examines the “Bukowski myth”, the reasons for the poet's unique rise to fame as a German-American cult figure.

Shelf 2