INTERVIEW 5 - BUKOWSKI AND ALIAS

It is Saturday, August 21, 2009, 10AM. The marine layer has boiled away, and sunshine beats down on Los Angeles. Ms. Ganerda Grul, librarian extraordinaire and publisher of "STOP MAKING CRAP," finds a moment to converse with conflicted cartoonist HAFJAK DIVIZ, author of "STOP MAKING CRAP."

HAFJAK: WHAT'S THAT?

Ganerda: Oh nothing--just talking to myself. So where is this poetry coming from?

HAFJAK: WE JUST HAD A KID--DIFFICULT TO FIND TIME TO DRAW AND PAINT--ALWAYS EASY TO JOT DOWN WORDS THOUGHTS IDEAS--ONLY PROBLEM IS THE PILE UP--ALL THOSE SCRAPS OF PAPER--BLOG HELPS--GOTTA PRINT OUT ALL THIS CRAP

Ganerda: Who are your poetic influences?

HAFJAK: RORSCHACH AND BUKOWSKI

Ganerda: (Giggles) What? That's true!

HAFJAK: DONT REALLY CONSIDER IT POETRY--JUST TALKING AND WRITING IT DOWN--BUT WHEN ITS DONE IT LOOKS LIKE A POEM

Ganerda: I believe that's the allure of Bukowski. His poetry is very informal and personal. It's not some riddle or language twisted up to fit a form or rhyme. There's nothing to distract the reader from what's being written. It's like he's speaking directly to you.

HAFJAK: YEAH--WHATEVER--I DIG HIS SHORT STORIES AND NOVELS--HAVENT READ A LOT OF HIS POETRY--IVE HEARD IT--I ONLY LIKE IT AND PAY ATTENTION TO IT WHEN I HEAR IT--ITS BEST WHEN ITS HIM READING IT

Ganerda: Yes, he's quite famous for his poetry readings. I suppose that his poetry readings are a lot like his poems.

HAFJAK: THEY WERE LIKE PARTIES

Ganerda: Yes, his readings weren't somber--reverent--masses. The audiences were usually inebriated, hooting and hollering, shouting profanities at the poet. They were quite the antithesis of what one imagines a poetry reading to be. I suppose that's another reflection of what Bukowski's poetry was. He wrote about the flesh and blood of life.

HAFJAK: YEP--NO BULLSH-- POETRY--NO BULLSH-- READING

Ganerda: So are you about ready to give up your alias?

HAFJAK: ARE YOU KIDDING--JUST GETTING STARTED BABE

Ganerda: I--

HAFJAK: I KNOW--WONT CALL YOU BABE--NO--ALIASES ARE GOOD--THEYRE LIKE SUPER IDENTITIES--I WRITE UNDER MY OWN NAME ABOUT ME AND I JUST HAVE TO TELL THE TRUTH--ITS ALL AUTO BIO--I WRITE WITH THE ALIAS I CAN WRITE REALITY WITH THE OPTION OF FANTASY--I CAN WRITE ABOUT WHAT I WISH I COULD DO--ABOUT WHAT I WOULD DO IN A HYPOTHETICAL SITUATION--IT OPENS MORE DOORS CREATIVELY--FOR ME--PLUS--I WRITE UNDER MY NAME--ITS ABOUT ME--I WRITE UNDER THE PSEUDONYM--ITS ABOUT EVERYONE--I ESCAPE MYSELF AND BECOME SOMETHING MORE UNIVERSAL--NOT JUST ONE OF THE CROWD BUT SOMETHING EVERYONE IN THE CROWD IS

Ganerda: like the "Dark Knight?"

HAFJAK: AH COME ON--PLUS MY REAL NAME IS REAL ETHNIC SPECIFIC--MAY LEAD OTHERS TO THINK IM JUST GONNA BE WRITING ETHNIC THINGS--IM LIKE SPOCK--HALF OF THIS AND HALF OF THE OTHER--BUT SOME ONLY SEE THE HALF THEY WANNA SEE--SO HAFJAK DIVIZ--WHAT KINDA NAME IS THAT? WHO CARES--WHAT DID HE WRITE? AH BOY--YOU KNOW WHAT? THE BABY'S CRYIN

Ganerda: It's feeding time?

HAFJAK: LETS GET HER FED