Postal Service.īukowski's work was often controversial and divisive, with some critics dismissing it as crude and vulgar while others praised its honesty and authenticity. He published numerous collections of poetry and prose throughout his career, including "Love Is a Dog From Hell," "Women," and "Post Office," which drew on his own experiences working for the U.S. He began writing poetry in his early twenties and eventually gained a following in the underground literary scene.īukowski's work is characterized by its raw, honest portrayal of sex, alcohol, and other vices, as well as its vivid depictions of the seedy side of urban life. He dropped out of high school and worked a variety of jobs, including as a dishwasher, factory worker, and post office clerk. ![]() He is known for his gritty, uncompromising style and his portrayal of the harsh realities of life for working-class Americans.īukowski's family immigrated to the United States when he was a child, and he grew up in poverty in Los Angeles. Mickey Mouse doesn’t have a fucking soul.Charles Bukowski was an American writer and poet, born on August 16, 1920, in Andernach, Germany. “He could not handle the fact that the power over multi-millions of human beings was in the hands of this three-fingered, foolish creature that taught you nothing whatsoever, that expressed nothing real, total absurd fucking fantasy, not even good, not even creative. In Born into This, Bukowski’s wife Linda explains his hatred of Mickey Mouse, especially his three fingers. And that candy bar tasted so good, at night I would take one bite and it was so beautiful.” I always remember the candy bar was called Payday. “I used to live on one candy bar a day – it cost a nickel. At that time he barely managed to get by in fact, he subsisted entirely on cheap chocolate. Throughout the 40s, when he was a struggling writer doing cheap labour work, Bukowski lived in shitty rooming houses and filthy hotel rooms. HE USED TO SURVIVE ON ONE CANDY BAR A DAY At the gig, Bono dedicated a song to Linda and Charles Bukowski, and according to Bono, Bukowski was a little taken aback. Soon enough he’s on the phone to Bukowski and discovers that his wife Linda is a huge U2 fan, so Bono invites them to their next gig in LA. In the documentary Born into This, Penn describes a drunken evening with Bono, where they recite verse together. “I found out that Hollywood is more crooked, dumber, crueler, stupider than all the books I’ve read about it.”īukowski was an author lucky enough to be famous in his own time – which meant he could hang out with famous people like Sean Penn and receive free tickets to see U2 from Bono himself. He even wrote a book called Hollywood, about his experience working on Barfly. Not that Bukowski would be rolling in his grave at all this he knows Tinseltown all too well. Now Josh Peck (the tubby one from Drake & Josh!) is playing the author in James Franco’s upcoming biopic, Bukowski. ![]() Two decades later, Matt Dillon, another erstwhile marquee heartthrob, had a crack at playing Chinaski. No matter how much the actor hunched and grunted as Chinaski, he could never quite pull off those heavy-set features and drunken mannerisms Rourke was too smooth, his gestures too exaggerated. In the 1987 film Barfly, Mickey Rourke played Bukowski’s literary alter ego Henry Chinaski, which in retrospect is quite strange, because at that time Rourke still had his good looks and charming Hollywood smile. IN FILM HE’S BEEN PLAYED BY MATT DILLON, MICKEY ROURKE & OTHERS – BUT TO HIM HOLLYWOOD IS DUMB AND CRUEL I don’t like their heads, I don’t like their faces, I don’t like their feet, I don’t like their conversations, I don’t like their hairdos, I don’t like their automobiles.” Two miles is great, two thousand miles is beautiful. “Even though I write about the human race, the further away from them the better I feel. In comparison, Bukowski was more outgoing he was candid in interviews, but he did in so many words admit to being a misanthrope. Salinger was a famous recluse, while both Cormac McCarthy and Thomas Pynchon shun interviews and flee the spotlight – the latter’s very existence is only confirmed by a handful of photos. There’s an enduring cliché about writers being anti-social. So to celebrate the author’s birthday, here are a few things you might not know about Charles Bukowski. But of course, all these things I mention you’ve probably heard a thousand times before you know about his penchant for booze. It offends, it enlightens, it entertains. His writing in novels like Post Office and Women is plain and crisp – no cryptic metaphors, no bullshit. ![]() Hailed as ‘a laureate of American lowlife’, Bukowski wrote about the things he knew well: downtrodden characters, the daily drudgery of shitty jobs, failed relationships, and booze – especially booze. This Sunday marks what would have been Charles Bukowski’s 95th birthday.
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