Some of you know that I am completely infatuated with Charles Bukowski - both his poetry and prose. Even today Ken called me a "Bukowski Freak"
I discovered him relatively recently, and by accident too; I think it was last winter when I picked his first book up at a B&N. I saw a Polish last name on a bunch of book spines, randomly pulled one out, and read the first poem I flipped to: "Love Poems of Catullus"
The love poems of Catullus
she read his poems
she read them to the men waiting in her bed
then tore them up
laughing
and fell on the bed
opening her legs to the nearest convenient
cock.
but Catullus continued to write love
poems to her
as she fucked slaves in back
alleys, and
when they were together
she robbed him while he was
drunk,
mocked his verse and his
love,
pissed on his
floor.
Catullus who
otherwise
wrote brilliant
poems
faltered under the spell of
this wench
who
it is said
as she grew old
fled from him
begat a new life upon a far isle
where she ended up a
suicide.
Catullus was like
most poets:
I understand
and forgive as I
re-read him:
he knew
as death approached
that it's
better to start out with a
strumpet than to end up
with one.
I instantly knew, that this guy is fucking good. At the time I was looking for a mentor, a literary authority. My friend Milad found such idols in Paz and Neruda, but they didn't work for me. After reading that poem, and a few others in that first book
Sifting through the madness for the line, the word, the way, I knew I found my guide. The very first poem of that book, "So you want to be a writer?" hit me right in the guts. It was simple and raw – it was true. This straight to-the-point style resonates throughout all his works. His writing could be intimidating; it could be seen as intrusive and vulgar; but only to the readers who shade away from the truth when it is thrust into their face.
A few months ago I thought about why is he so appealing to me? Why do I enjoy his writing so much? And I figured it out by looking into another author I love – Dostoevsky. Both are not afraid to write about the periphery of society, the booze, the whores, and misunderstood transgressions against humanity - subjects which are often forgotten (on purpose) by a multitude of other writers.
Ever since that first encounter I've acquired many of Bukowski's books of poetry and prose, as well as CDs and even a DVD with his readings. I encourage everyone to give Bukowski a shot – stay open minded, let his words hit you like bullets of a machine gun.
edit:: you can listen to one of Hank's poems here:
http://media.salon.com/mp3s/bukowski2.mp3 it is really funny
