“[This tour is] a poetic journey full of rare insight into the life of a man whoâ€s come to represent the ghettoized contingency of the City of Angels.” – Tanja M. Laden, Flavorpill

“Haunts of a Dirty Old Man: Charles Bukowskiâ€s LA” focuses on Bukowskiâ€s great passions: writing, screwing and Los Angeles. Weâ€ll take in the canonical locations of his life and myth: the Postal Annex Terminal where he gathered the material for “Post Office,” the De Longpre apartment where he briefly experimented with marriage and fatherhood, one of his favorite bars and liquor stores, and many other spots. Along the way, weâ€ll explore the people and ideas that made up the warp and weft of Bukâ€s rich inner life. This Esotouric bus adventure is hosted by Richard Schave and spans Bukowskiâ€s personal city, from Skid Row to once-genteel Crown Hill, to Bukowskiâ€s favorite East Hollywood liquor store, the Pink Elephant.

In honor of this tour and Bukowskiâ€s poem Bluebird, cartoonist Tony Millionaire has created The Bukbird, a pale blue version of his beloved alcoholic crow character. The Bukbird is available on T-shirts and fine art prints by plasticmuse.

“Haunts of a Dirty Old Man: Charles Bukowski’s LA” focuses on Bukowskiâ€s great passions: writing, screwing and Los Angeles. Weâ€ll take in the canonical locations of his life and myth: the Postal Annex Terminal where he gathered the material for “Post Office,” the De Longpre apartment where he briefly experimented with marriage and fatherhood, one of his favorite bars and liquor stores, and many other spots. Along the way, weâ€ll explore the people and ideas that made up the warp and weft of Bukâ€s rich inner life. This Esotouric bus adventure is hosted by Richard Schave.

The tour spans Bukowski’s personal city, from Skid Row to once-genteel Crown Hill, to Bukowski’s favorite East Hollywood liquor store, the Pink Elephant.

“Haunts of a Dirty Old Man: Charles Bukowski’s LA” from Esotouric focuses on Bukowskiâ€s great passions: writing, screwing and Los Angeles. Weâ€ll take in the canonical locations of his life and myth: the Postal Annex Terminal where he gathered the material for “Post Office,” the De Longpre apartment where he briefly experimented with marriage and fatherhood, one of his favorite bars and liquor stores, and many other spots. Along the way, weâ€ll explore the people and ideas that made up the warp and weft of Bukâ€s rich inner life. This Esotouric bus adventure is hosted by Richard Schave.

The tour spans Bukowski’s personal city, from Skid Row to once-genteel Crown Hill, to Bukowski’s favorite East Hollywood liquor store, the Pink Elephant.

Esotouric has made its name with true crime bus tours (Black Dahlia, Pasadena Confidential) and explorations of literary LA (Raymond Chandler, John Fante, James M. Cain). Now they turn their creative attentions to Bukowski, the prolific poet, novelist and screenwriter whose rough-hewn tales of boozing, wild women and rotten jobs never obscure the deep vein of sweetness and hope that runs through all his work. In one of his finest poems, he described this as a bluebird he kept caged, and that bluebird is been represented in the Bukbird, a pale blue version of his beloved alcoholic crow character, represented by a logo created by cartoonist Tony Millionaire exclusively for this tour. The Bukbird is available on T-shirts, beer coasters and fine art prints by plasticmuse.

Press clips:

Silver Birch press gives our Bukowski bus a most auspicious rating.

LA Weekly interviews Charles Bukowski tour host Richard Schave to compile a list of L.A. sites that were important to the writer.

Slake wonders if the Charles Bukowski tour is “‘Fawlty Towers’ on wheels.”

Spike Magazine digs our literary tours.

Novelist Anna Stothard explores the hidden gems of Los Angeles for the London Guardian, including our Bukowski tour.

Annenberg News Radio covers our Charles Bukowski tour in a video/slideshow.

Marco Mannone on the Charles Bukowski bus:“Four hours after we departed, the tour drops us back off at Philippeâ€s. This is a terrible way to simplify the tour, filled with so much wit and insight into not only Bukowski, but lost parts of Los Angeles.&quot

Girls Gone Wild digs the Charles Bukowski tour.

For more info, see this short film on the landmarking of Bukowskiâ€s former bungalow on De Longpre.

Join poet and memoirist Joan Jobe Smith for an afternoon of poetry & storytelling at the LAVA Sunday Salon. The newly published Tales of An Ancient Go-Go Girl by long-time Long Beach, California resident Joan Jobe Smith, is a picaresque True Tale, a 50-year Glotessey spanning the 1965 Los Angeles Watts Riots, near death at the hands of a homicidal ex-husband, the counter-culture go-go swinging let-it-all-hang-out 1960s-‘70s, single Motherhood and Feminism. Rarely does a natural poet and historian such as Joan Jobe Smith endure such ordeals and challenges and survive to tell the tale. It is a Tale written with go-going panache and patois, and heart, courage and humor to make our lives richer and wiser. The event will be a series of short Q&As with LAVA’s Richard Schave on milestones from the memoir, punctuated by Joan reading poetry selections which span her career.

Excerpts from 5-Star Reviews of Tales of An Ancient Go-Go Girl:

“Charles Bukowski said the inimitable Joan Jobe Smithâ€s writing ‘has the reality of force properly put down on paper; she cuts herself loose into the stratosphere.†Joanâ€s heart is so damned big. Sheâ€s not only cut herself loose into the stratosphere, she takes anyone who wants to go with her along for the ride. And now we have this raw-edged, honest, beauty of a book…” —L. Jakiela, Creative Writing Professor, University of Pittsburgh

“Vividly conjures up the dark shadows and wisecracks of a Film Noir, set in 1960s-‘70s L.A., with a cast of glamourous yet vulnerable dancers, slimy bosses, wharf rats (both rodents, ex-husband and customers) with walk-ons by celebrities (Dick Dale, Ike and Tina Turner) amongst the burgeoning pop music and drug counter-culture of the era. Energized by Joan Jobe Smithâ€s poetic eye and exuberant syntax, these true Tales will enthrall readers, revealing its author as a brilliant chronicler of her Noir-ish life and times.“—Jules Smith, Londonâ€s Times Literary Supplement

“I just finished reading Joan Jobe Smithâ€s Tales of An Ancient Go-Go Girl. She has such a descriptive, poetic talent for words as she weaves her true life tales of love, jealousy, near murder and trials. Bukowski advised her to write about her go-go girl years. I admire her ability to bring scenes from the ’60s and ’70s so vividly to life.”–Linda King

Yes, please.

Celebrate the power of whisky and words at the Whisky & Poetry Salon’s Two Year Anniversary on WEDNESDAY, Nov 19 from 7:00 to 9:30 p.m. at the Rat Pack-retro-fabulous 3 Clubs Lounge in Hollywood!

The celebration honors WritLargePress’s recent, epic DTLAB #90for90 literary pop-up at Union Station with a trio of amazing Writ Large Press poets: Melora Walters,  Mike “thePoet” Sonksen, and a rare appearance by Chiwan Choi.

Riding the wave of pre-Whisky Fest excitement, the cheeky and erudite single malt specialist Johnnie “the Scot” Mundell will be in top form dispensing fine single malt Scotch and expert whisky education.

Finally, you will DEFINITELY want to come early/stay late to investigate the Three Clubs cocktail menu revamped by Michael J. Neff, one of the most innovative pioneers of the craft cocktail movement.

We drink poetry…come celebrate with us.

“Haunts of a Dirty Old Man: Charles Bukowski’s LA” focuses on Bukowskiâ€s great passions: writing, screwing and Los Angeles. Weâ€ll take in the canonical locations of his life and myth: the Postal Annex Terminal where he gathered the material for “Post Office,” the De Longpre apartment where he briefly experimented with marriage and fatherhood, one of his favorite bars and liquor stores, and many other spots. Along the way, weâ€ll explore the people and ideas that made up the warp and weft of Bukâ€s rich inner life. This Esotouric bus adventure is hosted by Richard Schave.

The tour spans Bukowski’s personal city, from Skid Row to once-genteel Crown Hill, to Bukowski’s favorite East Hollywood liquor store, the Pink Elephant.

Esotouric has made its name with true crime bus tours (Black Dahlia, Pasadena Confidential) and explorations of literary LA (Raymond Chandler, John Fante, James M. Cain). Now they turn their creative attentions to Bukowski, the prolific poet, novelist and screenwriter whose rough-hewn tales of boozing, wild women and rotten jobs never obscure the deep vein of sweetness and hope that runs through all his work. 

Please join us for a Poetry Party and Buk’s Open Mic!

Gatsby Books is a literary hub in Northeast Long Beach.  Owner Sean Moor invites you to come and visit.  The collection is hand picked by Sean.  The bookshop hosts weekly poetry readings and book clubs.  Open since 2010. 

Bring a poem, your own or someone else’s, and read in our candlelit 1920’s loft with a dramatic city skyscape in downtown Los Angeles.

Our cheeky and erudite whisky ambassador Johnnie “the Scot” Mundell dispenses top-drawer whisky & education. Light bites will be served.

Performance poet Traci Akemi Kato-kiriyama will be our dynamic finale.

We can’t wait to trade you whisky for your words….

“Haunts of a Dirty Old Man: Charles Bukowski’s LA” focuses on Bukowskiâ€s great passions: writing, screwing and Los Angeles. Weâ€ll take in the canonical locations of his life and myth: the Postal Annex Terminal where he gathered the material for “Post Office,” the De Longpre apartment where he briefly experimented with marriage and fatherhood, one of his favorite bars and liquor stores, and many other spots. Along the way, weâ€ll explore the people and ideas that made up the warp and weft of Bukâ€s rich inner life. This Esotouric bus adventure is hosted by Richard Schave.

The tour spans Bukowski’s personal city, from Skid Row to once-genteel Crown Hill, to Bukowski’s favorite East Hollywood liquor store, the Pink Elephant.

Esotouric has made its name with true crime bus tours (Black Dahlia, Pasadena Confidential) and explorations of literary LA (Raymond Chandler, John Fante, James M. Cain). Now they turn their creative attentions to Bukowski, the prolific poet, novelist and screenwriter whose rough-hewn tales of boozing, wild women and rotten jobs never obscure the deep vein of sweetness and hope that runs through all his work. In one of his finest poems, he described this as a bluebird he kept caged, and that bluebird is been represented in the Bukbird, a pale blue version of his beloved alcoholic crow character, represented by a logo created by cartoonist Tony Millionaire exclusively for this tour. The Bukbird is available on T-shirts, beer coastersand fine art prints by plasticmuse.

Press clips:

Silver Birch press gives our Bukowski bus a most auspicious rating.

LA Weekly interviews Charles Bukowski tour host Richard Schave to compile a list of L.A. sites that were important to the writer.

Slake wonders if the Charles Bukowski tour is “‘Fawlty Towers’ on wheels.”

Spike Magazine digs our literary tours.

Novelist Anna Stothard explores the hidden gems of Los Angeles for the London Guardian, including our Bukowski tour.

Annenberg News Radio covers our Charles Bukowski tour in a video/slideshow.

Marco Mannone on the Charles Bukowski bus: “Four hours after we departed, the tour drops us back off at Philippeâ€s. This is a terrible way to simplify the tour, filled with so much wit and insight into not only Bukowski, but lost parts of Los Angeles.&quot

Girls Gone Wild digs the Charles Bukowski tour.

For more info, see this short film on the landmarking of Bukowskiâ€s former bungalow on De Longpre.