Add in today’s LAT book review — quote at the top of the page: “Los Angeles is perhaps the only great city in the world that has not yet produced a great poet … ” — Dana Gioia, the New York Times.

Under the quote in bold white letters on black: “Haven’t you read Charles Bukowski?”

A picture of Bukowski.

“Bukowski is the laureate of the Los Angeles underground, an eccentric who sees the world with a clarity of vision possessed only by artists and madmen.”

I’m reading a Bukowski book of poetry now. He posses such a fine wit, a fine sense observation, a keen ability to boil down commonplace events into the heightened reality that makes good poetry breathe.

Bukowski is one of the masters. Is it surprising that an East Coast snob would fail to recognize that?

UPDATE: After I posted this, I did a little more research. It turns out that Gioia is not from the East Coast, but from Los Angeles, and disclaims actually ever saying what he is quoted as saying. Still, it’s great to see Buk get some press from his publisher.