a love affair with words. (1 Viewer)

I can't believe I didn't find this forum before. I discovered Bukowski's writing at an early age and was criticized all throughout high school for having a man labeled as (among many other things) a misogynist, a gimmick artist, unapologetically crude, and unsubstantial as one of my favorite writers. I've even got a tattoo with my personal favorite Bukowski line ("halfway to madness, dreaming of Hemingway's spain"). I've never found someone else with an honest love for Bukowski's writing, so to find a whole forum filled with them is mind-blowing!
 
Welcome. They called him "gimmick artist?" Odd. What's the gimmick? Raw, real, honest, bleeding on the page ? -- oh yeah, that gimmick. That sell-out Buk, giving away all his poems to obscure little magazines, what a phoney. You'll like it here.
 
Welcome. They called him "gimmick artist?" Odd. What's the gimmick? Raw, real, honest, bleeding on the page ? -- oh yeah, that gimmick. That sell-out Buk, giving away all his poems to obscure little magazines, what a phoney. You'll like it here.
One particular teacher I had wrote off all of Bukowski's writing as a sort of literary "shock jock". Gimmicky in his overt, non-romantic sexuality and jarring language. But I guess high school teachers aren't universally known for their good taste. Thanks!

Welcome. Nice tattoo...
Thank you!
 
Yeah, if you only read a few drunk/beer shit/whore poems and stop there, I guess you would get that impression. The sad thing is that people teaching others who are supposed to approach art with an open mind are as closed minded as the rest of humanity.

Bill
 
If you read between the lines, you'll see that Bukowski is in fact a romantic when it comes to women. He idealizes them, falls in love big time, suffers after they're gone. As a writer, he was going for the shock. He wanted to get the reader's attention, show them something new.
 
Good for you! Nice to see another young chicky on here as well.
I like your tattoo also. Is that how you found the forum/website??
 

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