Bukowski in a Sundress: Confessions from a Writing Life
by Kim Addonizio
On This Page
Description
"A dazzling, edgy, laugh-out-loud memoir from the award-winning poet and novelist that reflects on writing, drinking, dating, and more, Kim Addonizio is used to being exposed. As a writer of provocative poems and stories, she has encountered success along with snark: one critic dismissed her as "Charles Bukowski in a sundress." ("Why not Walt Whitman in a sparkly tutu?" she muses.) Now, in this utterly original memoir in essays, she opens up to chronicle the joys and indignities in the life show more of a writer wandering through middle age. Addonizio vividly captures moments of inspiration at the writing desk (or bed) and adventures on the road--from a champagne-and-vodka-fueled one-night stand at a writing conference to sparsely attended readings at remote Midwestern colleges. Her crackling, unfiltered wit brings colorful life to pieces like "What Writers Do All Day," "How to Fall for a Younger Man," and "Necrophilia" (that is, sexual attraction to men who are dead inside). And she turns a tender yet still comic eye to her family: her father, who sparked her love of poetry; her mother, a former tennis champion who struggled through Parkinson's at the end of her life; and her daughter, who at a young age chanced upon some erotica she had written for Penthouse. At once intimate and outrageous, Addonizio's memoir radiates all the wit and heartbreak and ever-sexy grittiness that her fans have come to love--and that new readers will not soon forget"-- show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
Hilarious look a the life of a working poet. Zippy, fun, and sad, all at once. A great trip.
Smart, sexy, passionate, brash, and gritty. At times hilarious, at times tender. Any fan of Addonizio’s poetry and fiction will love this memoir, too — from the joys and frustrations of a writing life to the love and heartbreak of just living. It’s all here in this mesmerizing essay collection. You won’t want to put it down.
I was in the bookstore a few days ago when this book caught my eye. It was the title and since I'm a big Bukowski fan [a:Charles Bukowski|13275|Charles Bukowski|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/authors/1387554724p2/13275.jpg], I pulled it off the shelf. I had never heard of the author of this book, [a:Kim Addonizio|56892|Kim Addonizio|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/authors/1402742664p2/56892.jpg] before, but then again, there are a lot of authors I haven't heard of until I find one of their books. I liked the front cover (Kim is gorgeous) and opened it. If I want to keep on reading a book after the first few lines or paragraphs, I usually ended up buying it. I read the first few pages and bought it.
This book didn't show more disappoint. It was funny & entertaining. I plan on reading some more of her books in the near future. show less
This book didn't show more disappoint. It was funny & entertaining. I plan on reading some more of her books in the near future. show less
Ratings
Members
- Recently Added By
Lists
Women's History Month: Suggested Reads
63 works; 6 members
Author Information
26+ Works 2,139 Members
Kim Addonizio is the author of five books of poetry and coauthor with Dorianne Laux of The Poet's Companion: A Guide to the Pleasures of Writing Poetry. A finalist for the National Book Award, Addonizio has also received a Guggenheim Fellowship, two NEA Fellowships, and a Pushcart Prize. Her other books include two novels from Simon Schuster. She show more lives in Oakland, California, and can be visited on the Web at www.kimaddonizio.com. show less
Classifications
- Genres
- Literature Studies and Criticism, Biography & Memoir, Fiction and Literature
- DDC/MDS
- 818.5403 — Literature & rhetoric American literature in English American miscellaneous writings in English 20th Century 1945-1999 Diaries
- LCC
- PS3551 .D3997 .Z46 — Language and Literature American literature American literature Individual authors 1961-
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 69
- Popularity
- 454,843
- Reviews
- 3
- Rating
- (4.10)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 2
- ASINs
- 1
