Charles Bukowski (31 page)

William and Ruth Wantling. Poet William Wantling drank himself to death after his friend Bukowski published a sarcastic short story about him. Bukowski tried to seduce his grieving widow, Ruth, who has never forgiven him for his behavior. (
courtesy of Ruth Wantling
)

The artist R. Crumb drew this brilliant portrait of Bukowski after referring to photographs taken on his wedding day in August, 1985. Bukowski was marrying his second wife, Linda Lee Beighle, and wore a new pin-stripe suit, snake skin shoes and a fl oral tie for the occasion, presenting a considerably smarter appearance than friends were used to. (
Portrait by R. Crumb,© 1986, Water Row Books. Used with permission of Water Row Books
.)

Bukowski at work (
©Joan Gannij
)

In August, 1985, when Bukowski was sixty-fi ve, he married for the second time. His bride, Linda Lee Beighle, was forty-one and had been running a health food restaurant in Redondo Beach. They set up home together in a detached house in the port town of San Pedro, south of Los Angeles. (
taken by Eric Sander, © Frank Spooner Picture Agency
)

When the actor Mickey Rourke visited Bukowski’s San Pedro home to talk about making the movie,
Barfly
, he noted that the house was very neat and suburban except the upstairs work room where Bukowski wrote his stories. The work room was like a ‘piece of shit dive’. Here Bukowski is seen at his desk, kissing his typewriter for luck. (
taken by Eric Sander, © Frank Spooner Picture Agency
)

With his friend John Thomas, and John Thomas’ wife Philomene Long. (
courtesy of John Thomas/photo credit: Sheri Levine
)

Bukowski relaxes at home in San Pedro in the summer of 1987. His books were selling well and he was working with fi lm director Barbet Schroeder on the script for the movie,
Barfly
. (
taken by Eric Sander, © Frank Spooner Picture Agency
)

In the movie
Barfly
, which was released in !987, Mickey Rourke played the Bukowski-like character of Henry Chinaski and Faye Dunaway was Wanda Wilcox, a character based on Bukowski’s former girlfriend, Jane Cooney Baker. The book of the screenplay was illustrated with a photograph of Bukowski and the two stars. He liked Mickey Rourke but was less keen on Faye Dunaway, damning her performance with faint praise. (
The Movie: “Barfly” published by Black Sparrow Press, 1987
)

Reunited with his cousin Katherine Wood (left) and her sister Eleanor (right) at his San Pedro home in August, 1988, just as his health was beginning to fail. (
courtesy of Katherine Wood
).

Bukowski’s grave at the Green Hills Memorial Park, south of Los Angeles. (
taken by Howard Sounes
)

In July, 1997, three years after Bukowski’s death, Marina gave birth to her fi rst child, Bukowski’s grandson. He was named Nikhil Henry Bukowski Sahoo and is seen here with Marina at her home in Northern California. (
courtesy of FrancEyE
)