Charles
Bukowski was a hero during the anti-establishment era of the 60’s; a time when
boozing, drugs and abusive rhetoric were mythologized and sanctified. Anything
or anyone against the status quo and the pursuit of wealth was despised. How
society has changed!
“Drink, write and fuck” defined life for
Bukowski. He hated rules and regulations, was appalled by Disney and Mickey
Mouse for not having souls. He claimed to dislike the human race and considered
most people and talk, boring. Freud would have a field day!
His poetic style was without metaphor,
directly self-referral and autobiographical. But, the violence he reports must
have been imagined since I suspect he never had the skill or courage or else
was too drunk to punch anyone.
He did
have the jealous gall to rail against the “greats”. He preferred to see them
suffer: “I like to read about Joyce blind and prowling……G. B. Shaw ….a bore”*
Stephen Holden called him a “cantankerous
misanthrope and professional low life”** who wanted to piss on his competitors.
Donald Hall
named him a “bogus proletarian”.
playing
it out
I keep trying these
drunk poems
sitting on this chair
smoking too many…..
not understanding
anything
and finally
not wanting to.
How shall I fit him into a category of drink
and poetry? Is the answer to open a bottle of the cheapest Italian red wine and
let it stand in my view as I read and compose?
*The Last Generation, C.B.
**Poetry Foundation Biography
No comments:
Post a Comment