I Love Charles Bukowski
This is the third time I've told this story. The first two times just disappeared into the ether. The wording may not be the same as in the originals, but the story and meaning will be.
I was introduced to Charles Bukowski relatively late in life in my first semester of law school - after two years of teaching at an American school in San Jose, Costa Rica.
Thus, at age 26, my favorite professor in the law school gave me a book, and told me I needed to read it. The book was "Notes of a Dirty Old Man"!
I was immediately hooked. By the end of the second semester - first full year - even with all the reading and other work for law school, I had acquired and read a collection of about Bukowski books.
Of course, as a certified bibliophile, I also read and collected other favorite artists - such as Kurt Vonnegut and Tom Robbins of "Another Roadside Attraction".
One of my favorite of these writers was the aforementioned Tom Robbins. Since I loved the writings of both of these writers, while their writings were so different, it pushed me how to define their writings.
I came up with names for both of their styles. Tom Robbins is a great writer who sets moods perfectly, describes indescribably, and the perfect word for every situation or mood. Tom Robbins is, by definition, a wordsmith - of the highest order. His works are deep and cerebral.
Bukowski's words do more than just picture a scene. They hit you in the gut like a bat in the street. They hit likes the blows in a boxing ring. Because of this, I realized that Buk's books are visceral, and I named his style "Gut Level" writing.
You felt rather than thought Bukowski's words and thoughts. Both of these men were great artists, but to me there was question which I believed to be the better - Bukowski absolutely.
I actually believe that Bukowski might have detested the term artist. He saw himself as a WRITER. He was a hard drinking; hard hitting; hard screwing; and womanizing WRITER.
By the way, I loved "Barfly" the book, but I hated the movie. They so overplayed Buk that he was but a caricature of himself.
Hope you like the comments!
Quakertrucker
I was introduced to Charles Bukowski relatively late in life in my first semester of law school - after two years of teaching at an American school in San Jose, Costa Rica.
Thus, at age 26, my favorite professor in the law school gave me a book, and told me I needed to read it. The book was "Notes of a Dirty Old Man"!
I was immediately hooked. By the end of the second semester - first full year - even with all the reading and other work for law school, I had acquired and read a collection of about Bukowski books.
Of course, as a certified bibliophile, I also read and collected other favorite artists - such as Kurt Vonnegut and Tom Robbins of "Another Roadside Attraction".
One of my favorite of these writers was the aforementioned Tom Robbins. Since I loved the writings of both of these writers, while their writings were so different, it pushed me how to define their writings.
I came up with names for both of their styles. Tom Robbins is a great writer who sets moods perfectly, describes indescribably, and the perfect word for every situation or mood. Tom Robbins is, by definition, a wordsmith - of the highest order. His works are deep and cerebral.
Bukowski's words do more than just picture a scene. They hit you in the gut like a bat in the street. They hit likes the blows in a boxing ring. Because of this, I realized that Buk's books are visceral, and I named his style "Gut Level" writing.
You felt rather than thought Bukowski's words and thoughts. Both of these men were great artists, but to me there was question which I believed to be the better - Bukowski absolutely.
I actually believe that Bukowski might have detested the term artist. He saw himself as a WRITER. He was a hard drinking; hard hitting; hard screwing; and womanizing WRITER.
By the way, I loved "Barfly" the book, but I hated the movie. They so overplayed Buk that he was but a caricature of himself.
Hope you like the comments!
Quakertrucker
70-79, M
