Any fans of Charles Bukowski?

Question

If so, what is your favorite poem, book, collection, etc?

Answer 1

Yeah I'm a fan. I'd like to say something clever about him or his writing, but he's indescribable to me. Have you ever seen him on video? He's a real soft spoken guy, surprised the hell out of me. The video is called Born Into This, it's a pretty good documentary about Buk.

Anyway, Ham on Rye and Factotum are my favorites, especially Ham on Rye, thats one of my favorite books of any author.

Answer 2

Oh, I love him, I really do. It's hard to pinpoint a favorite, but here's a good one.

Beer

I don't know how many bottles of beer
I have consumed while waiting for things
to get better
I dont know how much wine and whisky
and beer
mostly beer
I have consumed after
splits with women-
waiting for the phone to ring
waiting for the sound of footsteps,
and the phone to ring
waiting for the sounds of footsteps,
and the phone never rings
until much later
and the footsteps never arrive
until much later
when my stomach is coming up
out of my mouth
they arrive as fresh as spring flowers:
"what the hell have you done to yourself?
it will be 3 days before you can **** me!"

the female is durable
she lives seven and one half years longer
than the male, and she drinks very little beer
because she knows its bad for the figure.

while we are going mad
they are out
dancing and laughing
with horney cowboys.

well, there's beer
sacks and sacks of empty beer bottles
and when you pick one up
the bottle fall through the wet bottom
of the paper sack
rolling
clanking
spilling gray wet ash
and stale beer,
or the sacks fall over at 4 a.m.
in the morning
making the only sound in your life.

beer
rivers and seas of beer
the radio singing love songs
as the phone remains silent
and the walls stand
straight up and down
and beer is all there is.

Answer 3

Favorite Book:
Septuagenarian Stew
Favorite Story: The Jockey

I wrote a poem in his style (sort of) that I think you will enjoy. It's about looking for work. Tell me what you think


The Job Search

I’ve sent the 200th resume today to
employers who promise wealth
and riches “to the right candidate”
CUT. PASTE. COMPOSE. SEND E-MAIL
This modern ritual is repeated
adinfinitum.
The twilight zone song
Echoes in my head.
This exercise of futility
only increases my depression and
decreases my serotonin levels
CUT. PASTE. COMPOSE. SEND E-MAIL
This one job description reads
like a manual.
Candidate must have superpowers…
Read latin… Type 100 words a minute…
speak Chinese and Spanish…
and have 5 years experience as V.P…
Masters Degree Preferred…
Starting pay is $10.00 and hour!
The job titles on the
computer screen are just lines now.
They are concepts in the abstract.
They are ants running
on an open field,
tic tack toes,
a cruel joke,
a carrot on a stick that I’ll chase
and never taste.
CUT. PASTE. COMPOSE. SEND E-MAIL
I hope they call me
for an interview