Not long after Old Folks finished writing
BUKOWSKI NEVER DID THIS, a publisher asked him if he could publish it.
He
told him he could, and started writing another book, related to the one he had just
finished. These two books grew into a series of five books, The Anti-Master Quintet,
about Old Folks selling the first book of the series, Bukowski Never Did This,
quitting his job, cashing in his annuity, and driving around promoting Bukowski
Never Did This, at book-readings, book-signings, small press conferences, and
book festivals, plus writing a series of books about doing that.
He finished
writing the series of books before he had any product to sell.
He outpaced
himself. He lapped the field. He disappeared up his own asshole.
He did attend
a small press conference at Florida State University, a folk art show, Homegrown
Powwow, at Big Chief and Swamp Rose's yard, in Panama City, a book festival at the
Gulf Coast Community College conference center, booksALIVE 2005!, he published
the pamphlet Underground Writer Makes Good, to give away or sell at a writers
conference to be held by the Panhandle Writers Guild, in September, and he went to
New Orleans, to visit Larry and Hazel, and see the house he and Brenda lived in when
he was just starting out as a writer, off Magazine Street.
Just as he was
finishing up the last book of The Anti-Master Quintet, A SUMMING UP: WHAT
I'VE DONE SO FAR, AND THE CONDITIONS I DID IT UNDER, his publisher lost his day job
and became unemployed.
Old Folks's plans didn't fall through, they were just
overtaken by events.
That's how Old Folks ended A SUMMING UP:
Brew's plans didn't fall through. They were just overtaken by events.
Art "Home" Brew, compare art brut. If it wasn't for bad
luck, Brew wouldn't have any luck at all.
* * *
When Old Folks met Aaron Neville, at WWOZ, Larry told Neville Old Folks had
a book coming out, in June.
Neville said he had a book of poems he couldn't
find a publisher for, but he didn't worry about that, he had his music.
Neville
gestured, to indicate the studios of WWOZ, where he was doing an interview to plug
his latest CD. Back-to-back interviews, on a Gospel show and a Bluegrass show.
Old Folks couldn't worry about not being able to find a publisher for The Anti-Master
Quintet. He had his writing.
He had OLD FOLKS AT HOME to write.
He had movies to screen, day-trips to go on, books to write.
Houses to clean,
meals to cook. Old Folks loved to write.