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Bukowski owned who he was, and it was his Greatest Strength
When it came to advice, he would tell people “Don’t Try”.
Charles Bukowski was a German born American. Who wrote poetry, novels, a newspaper column, and short stories.
Until the age of 49 he worked at the Post Office in Los Angeles as a letter filer. I’m having a hard time thinking of anything, that would be more of a creative buzz kill than that job.
During that period of his life he was known to come home after work and drink, and drink some more. While he would write poems on a beat up typewriter. Mixing it up by hitting the racetrack and picking up women.
Now this could have been his life, forever. But he continued pitching his stories, no matter how many rejections he got. Basically he just kept being Bukowski. In a way, it’s like the ultimate cool guy thing to do.
Finally Black Sparrow Press, under the command of John Martin, saw something in Bukowski. They offered him an advance to write a novel. Bukowski’s response is what first made me a fan of him, and his work.
In a letter written back, Bukowski said. “I have one of two choices — stay in the Post Office and go crazy . . . or stay out here and play at writer and starve. I have decided to starve.”
