Los Angeles Visionaries Association

"[This tour is] a poetic journey full of rare insight into the life of a man who's come to represent the ghettoized contingency of the City of Angels.” - Tanja M. Laden, Flavorpill

"Haunts of a Dirty Old Man: Charles Bukowski's LA" focuses on Bukowski’s great passions: writing, screwing and Los Angeles. We’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, we’ll explore the people and ideas that made up the warp and weft of Buk’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.

April is National Poetry Month!

Of course, Whisky & Poetry Salon is celebrating in style with "guerilla fighter of poets" Brendan Constantine.

On April 18th, Literary Libations and Johnnie "theScot" Mundell will ply you with whisky for your words (and $25)

Bring a poem, original or not, to the 1920's-era B. Black Penthouse in Downtown Los Angeles.

Read in a candlelit circle of fellow aficionados; get a flight of fine, single malt whiskys for your words.

Your National Poetry Pride will grow with every sip.

Roar Shack Reading Series presents "Hide One Thing in Your Heart" on Sunday, March 17 from 5-7 pm at The Last Bookstore in downtown Los Angeles. Our lineup includes the remarkable novelist Bill Luvaas, Helena Lipstad, Erica Blumenson-Cooke, Ryan Wilson, Vicky Deger, J Ryan Stradal and musical guest Dylan Neal. We'll be reveling in their abandon and live writing with special guests. Come join us!

On February 21, 1925, The New Yorker published its first issue.

We think that’s the perfect excuse for a Whisky & Poetry Salon.

On February 21, 2013, Literary Libations and Johnnie “The Scot” Mundell will ply you with whisky in exchange for your words (plus $25)

Bring a poem — it doesn’t have to be yours — to B. Black Penthouse in Downtown L.A.

Read it in a candlelit circle of fellow aficionados.

Get a flight of fine single malt whiskies in return.

We can’t think of a better way to celebrate literary history.

WHISKY & POETRY SALON – Thurs, Feb 21; 7 pm (doors open); 7:30 start – 10pm; $25 + a poem – B. Black Penthouse, 546 South Los Angeles St, DTLA 90013

Event is capped at 30.  Final event details will only be sent to ticket holders. 

"[This tour is] a poetic journey full of rare insight into the life of a man who's come to represent the ghettoized contingency of the City of Angels.” - Tanja M. Laden, Flavorpill

"Haunts of a Dirty Old Man: Charles Bukowski's LA" focuses on Bukowski’s great passions: writing, screwing and Los Angeles. We’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, we’ll explore the people and ideas that made up the warp and weft of Buk’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:

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 Philippe’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 Bukowski’s former bungalow on De Longpre.

Roar Shack is a collective of writers and artists who come together each month. Some of us come from fiction, some from memoir, some from poetry, and music and performance and just about anything that leaves its own blood on the page. Our evenings are festive and dare we say, indelible. Authors read, musicians play, and we host a writing improv contest that's more fun than ought to be legal.

Our January 13 lineup continues to draw from the deepest pools of creative talent:  NYT Bestselling author Jami Attenberg, Natashia Deon, Belo Miguel Cipriani, Zoe Ruiz interviewing Literary Death Match founder Adrian Todd Zuniga, December Live Write winner Daniel Safarik, the Live Write contest featuring Antonia Crane and Sofia Gil, and musical guests The Phonetic Disasters.

Roar Shack is a collective of writers and artists who come together each month to celebrate the words we make from nothing. Some of us come from fiction, some from memoir, some from poetry, and music and performance and just about anything that leaves its own blood on the page. Our evenings are festive and dare we say, indelible. Authors read, musicians play, and we host a writing improv contest that's more fun than ought to be legal. Our December 9 lineup continues to draw from the deepest pools of creative talent: Melissa Chadburn, Seth Fischer, Zarina Zabrisky, Antonia Crane, our November Live Write winner, the next Live Write contest, and musical guests The Six Shooters.

"[This tour is] a poetic journey full of rare insight into the life of a man who's come to represent the ghettoized contingency of the City of Angels.” - Tanja M. Laden, Flavorpill

"Haunts of a Dirty Old Man: Charles Bukowski's LA" focuses on Bukowski’s great passions: writing, screwing and Los Angeles. We’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, we’ll explore the people and ideas that made up the warp and weft of Buk’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.

Whisky Ambassador Johnnie theScot Mundell will guide us through a flight of excellent single malt whiskies.  “Guerilla fighter of poets” Brendan Constantine and wild girl of words Adrian Wyatt will share their work.

The price of admission?  $25 and a poem. It doesn’t have to be your own poem and you don’t have to read it… but you have to bring it and someone will share it.

Attendance at the Whisky & Poetry Salon will be capped at 30 and is filling up fast so reserve now.  Don't say we didn't warn you....

Roar Shack presents "You Are In Every Line I Have Ever Read." Please join us as we welcome writers Caitlin Myer, Lauren Eggert-Crowe, Erica Blumenson-Cook, Kim Calder, last month's Live Write winner J Ryan Stradal and musical guests Mad Gregs! A lovely night of beautiful writing, great music and a fun writing improv contest, Live Write, awaits.