The Night Torn Mad with Footsteps
Charles Bukowski
The Night Torn Mad with Footsteps
The volume before it — the last with Black Sparrow's name on it.
Read our takeSifting Through the Madness for the Word, the Line, the Way
Charles Bukowski
Sifting Through the Madness for the Word, the Line, the Way
The first posthumous Bukowski volume published by Ecco, after Black Sparrow Press closed in 2002.
- 2003
- Wry
- Melancholy
- Savage
- autobiographical
- voice-driven
- spare
- funny
About Charles Bukowski
The story, briefly
Spoiler-freeSifting Through the Madness for the Word, the Line, the Way, published by Ecco in 2003, was the first new volume of the posthumous Charles Bukowski series to appear after Black Sparrow Press closed in 2002 and the catalogue moved to the HarperCollins imprint. The change of publisher changed nothing about the contents: the poems still come from the archive of unpublished work Bukowski left at his death, and their subjects are the usual late ones — the city, the past, and the writing life. The title describes the work of writing itself: sifting through everything for the right word, the right line. In 2013 the writer Michael Phillips showed that poems in these posthumous volumes had been altered before printing; the restored editions that followed print Bukowski's manuscripts.
The story, in more detail
The Ecco era gave the posthumous program a second, longer life: from this volume in 2003 to The Continual Condition in 2009, and then the restored editions of the 2010s, the archive kept producing books at a major New York house that Black Sparrow had run from Santa Barbara. The title — the word, the line, the way — is the plainest statement Bukowski left of what he thought writing was for, and it is often quoted for that reason.
Why we recommend it
The series outlived its press
Black Sparrow closed in 2002; this volume showed the posthumous series would continue at Ecco.
The title's statement
The title is the plainest statement Bukowski left of what he thought writing was for.
What this book explores
Timeline
2002
Black Sparrow closes; the Bukowski catalogue moves to Ecco.
2003
Ecco publishes the collection — the posthumous series' first volume at its new house.
Book editions
- Hardcover
- Ecco
- 2003
- 9780060527358
- Paperback
- Ecco
- 9780060568238
Reader reviews
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Sifting Through the Madness for the Word, the Line, the Way: frequently asked questions
What is Sifting Through the Madness for the Word, the Line, the Way?
A posthumous collection of previously unpublished Charles Bukowski poems, published by Ecco in 2003 — the first volume of the archive series to appear after Black Sparrow Press closed.
What does the title mean?
It describes the work of writing: sifting through the noise of a life for the right word and the right line. It is the plainest statement Bukowski left of what he thought writing was for.
Are these poems as Bukowski wrote them?
The posthumous volumes carry a documented editing question: 2013 manuscript comparisons showed substantial alterations, and Abel Debritto's restored editions — backed by Bukowski's widow Linda Lee Bukowski — print the manuscripts unrevised.
Why did the publisher change?
John Martin wound Black Sparrow down in 2002 and sold the Bukowski rights to Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins, which has continued the catalogue since.
Is it still in print?
Yes — Ecco keeps both hardcover and paperback editions in its catalogue.
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References
References
The sources below include the primary text, editions, scholarship, archival materials, and other records that informed this page. They document Sifting Through the Madness for the Word, the Line, the Way, its publication, and its place in literary history.
1Sifting Through the Madness for the Word, the Line, the Way
PoetryCharles Bukowski, 2003Used forThe primary text represented by this page, used for descriptions of the work’s contents and for any quoted passages shown here.
2Charles Bukowski timeline (bukowski.net)
WebsiteUsed forPublication year and the Ecco transition in the chronology.
3Bukowski's poems were mangled by editors after his death. Now you can read his originals
PeriodicalPBS NewsHourUsed forThe documented editing of the posthumous poems and the restored editions.
4Charles Bukowski's Posthumous Poetry: As the Spirit Wanes, Shit Happens
PeriodicalLos Angeles Review of BooksUsed forCritical account of the posthumous program.
5Sifting Through the Madness for the Word, the Line, the Way — edition record
Official recordOpen Library, Internet ArchiveUsed forOfficial record used to verify names, dates, institutional details, or other factual information on this page.
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Why these sources are here
The primary text is the baseline reference for every book page. Additional references document publication history, interpretation, and historical context where that evidence is available.
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