Renowned Death Hag
For the last several years he has been my favorite author. His very hard living ways miraculously failed to bring him to an early grave and he died at 73. I don't think that I have an absolute favorite book but one of the top is definitely "Women". "Ham on Rye" is hard for me to read over and over because of the violence.
Are there any other Buk fans here? What are your favorite novels/poems?
love him. good stuff. I have lots of his books, women is my favorite too
Death Hag
His anthology "Septagenarian Stew", and "The Last Night Of The Earth Poems" are my 2 favorite. I bought a 2 disc set of him reading his poetry when I went to City Lights Bookstore, and I have no idea where it is. I hate to think I lost when I moved. The documentary "Born into This" is in my Netflix queue.
Last edited by hank chinaski; 11-19-2007 at 07:24 PM. Reason: error
I was a Bukowski fan in college. I guess I kinda got bored with him. Not to say that he isn't brilliant. Every artist has his/her own style. I just got bored with his. Got bored with Plath too.
Renowned Death Hag
I can read and re read Sept Stew over and over again and not get tired of it. I have yet to read last night but it is on my list. I have a couple of cds my dad got me of him reading. If you cant find yours, pm me.Originally Posted by hank chinaski
Born Into This was fanfuckingtastic. I have that on my list to buy for keeps. Be sure to watch the extra features. A lot of really interesting stuff.
Happy to be amongst fans!
Renowned Death Hag
I know what you mean, qulevergrrl. Sometimes there are certain books that I love but read too much and have to put down for a year or two. Then, sometimes when I come back to them they are fresh again. Other times, I think maybe that was just what I needed at the time. You know? Served its purpose, i guess.
He's not so special. In fact he was just another bum with an attitude.
Yeah. I tend to get obsessed. I do the same thing with music. I taught college for over 6 years and used to tell my students not to fall too hard in love with Sarte until they had read any of the hardcore mechanists. AI and anything about chaos theory. Now the latest thing is the teleological theory (by design). I mean, it's as old as thought itself, yet it's the latest craze. Sorry I took your thread into the fourth dimension. JK. My point is that sometimes we get caught up in really exciting things, people, and ideas. Then there are some of us who burn out on it. I'm just one of them. Hey! I'm going to start a Chelsea Hotel thread!
Renowned Death Hag
I have books that I have been "saving" for just the right time in my life when I know I'll get the most out of them. Is that weird? Eh? Probably.
I would really love some good book recommendations from you, if you don't mind. I want to get caught up again! Obsessed! I miss that. I haven't been obsessed since Bukowski, actually. This message board does not count.
Last Night I saw a documentary was on HBO. It was 4:30 am I had to go to sleep anyone know the title? It seemed to be newer.
Renowned Death Hag
Was it "Born Into This"? I think that this was the last (only?) one, but I could be very wrong!
I will check. Thanks
The comedian Doug Stanhope has a great bit in his act how he doesn't finds Bukowski to be the most inpiration man that has ever lived because he was a hardcore skidrow alcoholic and didn't have anything published till he was like 43. He hears that story and he's inspired because he can do nothing but drink for another 5 years.
Renowned Death Hag
Hi there folks, I am ashamed to admit that I have never heard of this guy. Who is he, why do you like him so much and what would be a good place to start if I wanted to read something he has created?
Any day above ground is a good day.
Renowned Death Hag
It depends on what kind of mood you are in. IMO, "Pulp" is a really good place to start or "Hot Water Music". "Septuagenarian Stew" is also cool, because it gives you a sampling of his poetry and short stories.
The reason I love him so much is because I am an old mad trapped in a young woman's body! I like the rawness of his writing and I like how in a lot of his poetry, he says something in two sentences that another poet would have taken a stanza to communicate. He gets to the fucking point.
I love how he lets me into a lifestyle that I otherwise would no nothing about. Drinking, women, living hand to mouth, not giving a shit what others think of you, drunk fighting as a sport, etc. Also, he introduced me to John Fante. That guy's rad, too.
I told my husband that when I die I want to leave all of my Bukowski books to our local crap library. At least then maybe another generation can get into him.
Speaking of this library, off topic, I put in a request for "Justine" by the Marquise de Sade and the librarian asked me if it was a new book. Um. No.
I am the self appointed bringer inner of all previously banned and/or controversial books into this tiny library. It wasn't meant to be that way, it just ended up like that.
Renowned Death Hag
That cracks me up! I think I'm kinda like that, too!
Someone gave me his book "Postoffice" when I was working in one! WOW! I worked in a cinema and saw the great 80's bio pic too! But he was really skid row bohemia and theres a place for that too!
Death Hag
I boworred someone my copies of "The Road to Los Angeles" and "Ask the Dust". I never got them back, so I ended up buying them again.
Charles Bukowski
We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.Born : August 16, 1920
Oscar Wilde
Place of Birth : Andernach, Germany
Died : March 9, 1994
Place of death : San Pedro, California
Charles Bukowski was born in Germany in 1920 and came with his family to the United States when he was three years old. He grew up in poverty in Los Angeles, drifted extensively, and for much of his life made his home in. Bukowski had been a writer since childhood, published his first story at age twenty four, and began publishing poetry when he was thirty-five.
Bibliography of Bukowski's Works
Bukowski is generally considered to be an honorary "beat writer," although he was never actually associated with Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, and the other bona fide beat writers. His style, which exhibits a strong sense of immediacy and a refusal to embrace standard formal structure, has earned him a place in the hearts of beat generation readers, and the contributors to the alt.books.beatgeneration newsgroup. He was a prolific (it isn't known how much he had written; much of it was sent off to publishers long-hand and never seen again), free-formed, humorous, and painfully honest writer. His topics included hang-overs, the shit stains on his underwear, classical music, horse-racing and whores. He was at home with the people of the streets, the skid row bums, the hustlers, the transient life style. His language is the poetry of the streets viewed from the honesty of a hang-over.
Most of Bukowski's work is based on his own experience. In Ham On Rye we follow his autobiographical character, Henry Chinaski through his childhood and early years.
In Factotum we again find Henry Chinaski, now in his most vinuous days, wandering from city to city, from job to job, from woman to woman. Bukowski became widely known after the release of the movie Barfly Factotum takes place. Bukowski wrote the screenplay and was somewhat involved in the production of this film which featured Mickey Rourke in the role of Chinaski/Bukowski. Barfly was produced by Francis Ford Coppola whose current project is alledgedly a film adaptation of On the Road.
Prior to the release of Barfly, Bukowski was best known by the public at large, for his novel Post Office. Although Barfly brought Hank to the masses in a big way, Bukowski is primarily known in literary circles for his poetry. He has stated that he does not consider himself a poet, but simply a writer. "To say I'm a poet puts me in the company of versifiers, neontasters, fools, clods, and skoundrels masquerading as wise men." He has also made clear that he does not like "form" in poetry, referring to it as "a paycheck for learning to turn the same screw that has held things together." (This from sure, no. 3) If you are not familiar with Bukowski's poetry, well, please judge for yourself :
The Blackbirds are Rough Today
Young in New Orleans
Confession
Interesting I never knew about him.
I have two books signed by him!
In one of then he made a drawing of himself (I think)
with a bottle of liquor marked "XXX"
What exactly did he die from? He is by far one of my most favorite authors. There is a video some where on youtube where he is drunk and giving an interview and out of no where he starts kicking his wife- kind of an asshole.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=g8KJiay6EI0
Death Hag
Lukemia. Is that the correct spelling?
I just read Factotum again. I never know how I feel about him. He's annoying but his simple style sucks you right in. He is original and inspiring.
I think he expresses a truth that most want to run away from for fear if they looked it in the eye, the world as they know it would crumble. He certainly has been an inspiration for so many. I had seen the movie "Barfly" and the documentary on him and am more familiar with his poetry. Maybe now that I'm starting to come back in the world I can read some of his novels. From the comments above, I think I'll start with "Women" and then "Post Office."
Wasn't his personal motto "Don't try" ?
I guess he liked it so much he put it on his tombstone. RIP Chuck
I think he had alot of fear himself and ran away many times. He admitted society/people scared him. He was like many creative people but probably would have lived a different sort of life were he not a raging drunk. The most admirable thing about him was he wanted to be a writer at all costs and did it at the expense of everything else, although even that he almost threw away. Maybe he just wasn't ripe enough to tell his tales until he was.
When he became famous suddenly he was a hero to so many but I like to think he was always a bit of a scumbag and say what one will, we all love rascals.
Lots of writers work tedious jobs. You have to pay the bills and eat and I think often the more mindless the job the better, because you are always writing in your head. My job isn't mindless (maybe it is) but that's what I'm like. I resent thinking about it when I'm not there.
From all I have heard I'd say you are right. I saw how he treated women in the documentary. I guess the thing that I identify with, being a former addict a long time ago now, is that I never really saw what people were really like until I suffered so. The hypocrisy, the superficiality, the meaness. He did run away, but he also saw things in people that most of us don't want to see. But maybe I'm just reading too much into it. I haven't read any of his novels, just his poetry and watched the documentary and the film.
For all his apparent mysongyny I actually think he was very much in awe of women and had to debase them to bitches and whores for his own self-esteem. He always felt he was ugly and for a woman to want him was unbelievable. He brought everything down to fucking, drinking and shitting but obviously he was very sensitive.
I would have to agree, again, as I've known many men that have had to put down women for their own self-esteem.For all his apparent mysongyny I actually think he was very much in awe of women and had to debase them to bitches and whores for his own self-esteem. He always felt he was ugly and for a woman to want him was unbelievable. He brought everything down to fucking, drinking and shitting but obviously he was very sensitive.
Oh yeah, agreed
It is but I'm sure you realize it is a mock-up.
I wouldn't totally disagree with this. He was a narcissist, he found himself very entertaining, he thought he was very clever, he was really insecure, all the ingredients of a true artist.
FAD Founder
I watched Barfly for the first time, last week. Interesting, in that it was supposedly the Bukowski story. He even has a cameo. I just get really frustrated by raging substance abuse being heralded as genious. I don't doubt he had talent - it's obvious he did. I just know too many people who try to emulate him.
Hero Worship - They Deserve it. I preserve it.
I know what you mean. I think he is an OK writer - like Hunter S Thomspon - but the cult surrounding him is rather boring and puerile.
Renowned Death Hag
As good as they were, you have to wonder how much better these folks might have been without all the booze and drugs dragging them under.
I think it's different for everybody although there is a fine line. Bukowski wrote drunk all the time although really he was just rambling about himself. In one of her writings (about herself) Erica Jong has some interesting things to say about finding the muse in a bottle. It seems like a good idea but usually is counter productive. I know it doesn't work for me although a couple puffs can be quite good.
Some people would certainly argue that Stephen King was a better writer when he was wasted. He was certainly more bloated as his stuff got a lot tighter when he sobered up. Personally I'm not fond of his raving about the life story of some secondary character for 10 pages who you will never hear of again. At the same time his stuff back then really reflected his inner demons so it's all what one prefers I guess.
Booze and writing is an interesting topic.
I just read Factotum again. I never know how I feel about him. He's annoying but his simple style sucks you right in. He is original and inspiring.
Wow! I have never heard of him either, but I'm listening to Factotum right now--it's on Encore Love station. I had to blink when i saw Charles Bukowki's name on the forum.
Death Hag of Legend
His response to one of his books being banned from a library:
http://www.lettersofnote.com/2011/10/charles-bukowski-on-censorship.html
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
Renowned Death Hag
Quite disturbing. How this guy even lived to be 73 is beyond me...
By my troth, I care not; a man can die but once; we owe God a death.... He that dies this year is quit for the next.
--William Shakespeare!
Death Hag Extraordinaire
Happy Death Day Chuck.
Stay in Drugs. Eat your School. Don't do Vegetables.
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