my longtime pal- MARK SIMON invited me and my eqaully longtime gal-pal- KATE MCCONN to view the
CHARLES BUKOWSKI- poet on the edge exhibition on disply until february 14th.
the exhibit featured a photo of bukowski's best friend
RED STODALSKY owner of BARQUE BOOKS in hollywood- circa
(red stodalsky- owner of barque books- circa 1975 thru 1994. this is now antebellum gallery!)
“I believe Antebellum Gallery still has the presence of the former tenet,
Red Stodolsky, the owner of Baroque Books, which was in this space before the gallery.
“Charles Bukowski was his good friend and drinking buddy. He would create handwritten books on the premises and they would have impromptu book-signings whenever they felt in the mood.
“Red’s spiritual presence is a very positive force. I can always tell when Red approves or disapproves of the goings on at Antebellum. If he is displeased, he slams the door shut. If he is content, the people are drawn in and linger for a very long time. They also buy more.
“Sometimes Red rings the door chimes. He doesn’t like a lot of light in the office area. Overhead track lighting never works back there.
“I was told by a former neighbor that Red’s last wishes were to have his ashes scattered on the front sidewalk of Baroque Books.”
here is very rare footage of BAROQUE BOOKS and owner RED STODOLSKY
This video, made by Barbet Schroeder in 1985 as part of “The Bukowski Tapes,” has CHARLES BUKOWSKI doing his tour of his favorite dive haunts of Hollywood and Western.
this is the area where i live now! my how some things have changed, and others stay the same. i did notice that bukowski fails to acknowledge the legendary gay bars in the area. THE STUDY, (rip) THE STONE, (still going strong) and THE CORAL SANDS, the last remaining gay male sex hotel.
THE GENIUS OF THE CROWD
there is enough treachery, hatred violence absurdity in the average
human being to supply any given army on any given day
and the best at murder are those who preach against it
and the best at hate are those who preach love
and the best at war finally are those who preach peace
those who preach god, need god
those who preach peace do not have peace
those who preach peace do not have love
beware the preachers
beware the knowers
beware those who are always reading books
beware those who either detest poverty
or are proud of it
beware those quick to praise
for they need praise in return
beware those who are quick to censor
they are afraid of what they do not know
beware those who seek constant crowds for
they are nothing alone
beware the average man the average woman
beware their love, their love is average
seeks average
but there is genius in their hatred
there is enough genius in their hatred to kill you
to kill anybody
not wanting solitude
not understanding solitude
they will attempt to destroy anything
that differs from their own
not being able to create art
they will not understand art
they will consider their failure as creators
only as a failure of the world
not being able to love fully
they will believe your love incomplete
and then they will hate you
and their hatred will be perfect
like a shining diamond
like a knife
like a mountain
like a tiger
like hemlock
their finest art
Charles Bukowski
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