CHARLES BUKOWSKI, (born Heinrich Karl Bukowski; August 16, 1920 – March 9, 1994)
was an American poet, novelist and short story writer. His writing was influenced by the social, cultural and economic ambience of his home city of Los Angeles. It is marked by an emphasis on the ordinary lives of poor Americans, the act of writing, alcohol, relationships with women and the drudgery of work. Bukowski wrote thousands of poems, hundreds of short stories and six novels, eventually publishing over sixty books. In 1986 Time called Bukowski a "laureate of American lowlife".
Bukowski lived most of his life in East Hollywood area, (this is the area i have lived for 11 years). in the late 70s he moved to san pedro with Linda Lee Beighle.
Bukowski died of leukemia on March 9, 1994, in San Pedro, California, aged 73, shortly after completing his last novel, Pulp.
His gravestone reads: "Don't Try", a phrase which Bukowski uses in one of his poems, advising aspiring writers and poets about inspiration and creativity. Bukowski explained the phrase in a 1963 letter to John William Corrington: "Somebody at one of these places [...] asked me: 'What do you do? How do you write, create?' You don't, I told them. You don't try. That's very important: 'not' to try, either for Cadillacs, creation or immortality. You wait, and if nothing happens, you wait some more. It's like a bug high on the wall. You wait for it to come to you. When it gets close enough you reach out, slap out and kill it. Or if you like its looks you make a pet out of it."
In 2007 there was a movement to save Bukowski's bungalow at 5124 De Longpre Ave. from destruction.
bukowski was long-time friends with baroque bookshop owner- RED STODOLSKY, who carried many of his writings and first editions.
BAROQUE BOOKS is now ANTEBELLUM. this last march 21st, i along with linda lee- beighie-bulowski, family & friends dedicated a permanent plaque for
RED STODOLSKY in front of antebellum.
RED STODOLSKY IN FRONT OF BAROQUE BOOKS- CIRCA 1975
RICK CASTRO IN FRONT OF ANTEBELLUM- CIRCA 2011
THE GENIUS OF THE CROWD- BY CHARLES BUKOWSKI
there is enough treachery, hatred violence absurdity in the average
human being to supply any given army on any given day
and the best at murder are those who preach against it
and the best at hate are those who preach love
and the best at war finally are those who preach peace
those who preach god, need god
those who preach peace do not have peace
those who preach love do not have love
beware the preachers
beware the knowers
beware those who are always reading books
beware those who either detest poverty
or are proud of it
beware those quick to praise
for they need praise in return
beware those who are quick to censor
they are afraid of what they do not know
beware those who seek constant crowds for
they are nothing alone
beware the average man the average woman
beware their love, their love is average
seeks average
but there is genius in their hatred
there is enough genius in their hatred to kill you
to kill anybody
not wanting solitude
not understanding solitude
they will attempt to destroy anything
that differs from their own
not being able to create art
they will not understand art
they will consider their failure as creators
only as a failure of the world
not being able to love fully
they will believe your love incomplete
and then they will hate you
and their hatred will be perfect
like a shining diamond
like a knife
like a mountain
like a tiger
like hemlock
their finest art.
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