Hank wouldn't think much of me. (1 Viewer)

Hi, guys. I'm Erek. I'm a new member, but I've been lurking for a while.(I work third shift at a hotel while I've been taking some time off from school, and this board is highly entertaining. It makes the nights go by much faster.)

I write, as I'm sure most of you do and probably better than I. I'm okay with that. I'm not sure if it's an exact quote from the book(Factotum is the only Bukowski novel I haven't read yet), but in the movie with Matt Dillon he says, "My only contest is with myself, to do it right." I like the stuff I write, and that's all I can ask.

My blog can be found at ereksmith.blogspot.com. I post a lot of poems and things there, as well as some overly-whiny personal entries which you are more than welcome to laugh at.

I look forward to becoming a part of the community here. Feel free to ask any questions, criticize the blog or the poems, make fun of the south...whatever you'd like, I'd like to meet you.
 
Ha...
But seriously, it is quite easy.
I would be quite upset with the southern stereotype if I didn't see so much of it on a regular basis. If you ever get a chance, you should check out a High School football game in Alabama, it is a universe all it's own.

Thanks for the welcome. Before I saw your comment I was actually checking out your press and website. Looks fantastic. Perhaps I'll work up some nerve and decent poetry and send it your way sometime.
 
Hi,
Feel free to send it, but I am working through a serious backlog of stuff that I have promised, but not yet delivered. Bottle #6 is already 8 months late, for example.

My Dad is from the south and I spent summers in Memphis as a kid, so I know. We visited Mississippi, Arkansas, etc when I was there.

Best,
Bill
 
welcome.
I like my coffee black, also. so we have that in common.
enjoy the forum.
 
I too like my coffee black. And thinner than most do (in Germany that is - the US are different at this point).

Welcome.
Working as a nighty in a hotel can be exhausting. Ruins your sleep-wake-rhythm. Get out of that while ye may!

Again, welcome!
 
Are you working night audit?

I worked in a hotel as a Bellman for a few years. I always thought about working night audit as the money was better, but the hours hell. Plus, as a single guy (at the time), working 3-11 was the best shift for taking the co-workers from the front desk out for drinks after work.

Bill
 
Welcome Erek! A milatary brat and working in a hotel in the deep south, sounds like some fine material to write with.
I have a very good friend who flies back for 'Bama games every year he can. I miss the south.
 
I don't own nearly as much Buk as I would like(who does, right?) mainly due to finances. I only have paperbacks and I have:

Ham On Rye
Women
Post Office

South Of No North
Hot Water Music

You Get So Alone At Times...
Slouching Towards Nirvana
Pleasures Of The Damned
Burning In Water...(it's ordered and on the way, haven't actually received it yet.)



And yea, you meet some real characters in the south working at a hotel. Plus, if you can get used to the hours, working the Night Audit at a non-busy hotel is basically the ideal job for a writer.
 
I don't own nearly as much Buk as I would like(who does, right?)
I can think of at least one member of this website.
Burning In Water...(it's ordered and on the way, haven't actually received it yet.)
You shan't be disappointed; an excellent collection spanning two decades and stylistic evolution.

By that I mean the evolution of binding fragrances at Black Sparrow. I couldn't give a damn about the words. ;)
 
Welcome aboard, Black Coffee!
You're a lucky guy, because you still have a lot of Buk books to read...
 
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Welcome. And take your time.
 
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Are you working night audit?

I was doing it twice a week for half a year.

Not only ruined it my rhythms - it was one of those places, where all unpopular work is left for the nighty:
washing towels, preparing arrivals for the next day, doing the remission (right word?) of magazines and newspapers, watering plants, closing all cash points (vocabulary?) and restarting them, printing out the options, traces, statistics, etc, preparing the morning buffet ...

If I had a chance to just sit there and read all jght, I'd probably be fine with it till today. But this way ...

Well, they still ask me to jump in for the regular nighty about 2 or 3 times a year. I can bear that. They're nice people.
But NOT ONE NIGHT MORE THAN THAT, you hear me!?!?!
 
Welcome Erek, I too drink my coffee black, though I learned my coffee skills by dunking cookies into Folgers laced with 2% milk, many years ago. Thanks Grandma!CRB:)
 
I was doing it twice a week for half a year.
[...]

The guys at my hotel worked doing all of the necessary paperwork from 11PM until about 3AM then slept until 6AM. Many of them worked two full time jobs, so they needed the sleep to be "fresh" for their job that started at 8AM. Then they would go home at 5PM, eat dinner and sleep from 6PM until 10PM, only to wake up and do it again.

It sucks being poor. Never believe that all poor people are lazy. I knew some damn fine poor people who worked this type of schedule to support their family and put their kids thru college. 80 hours a week, 16 hour days...

Bill
 
Thank you everyone for the warm welcomes. I imagine there will be many many many late night hours spent here. I will do my best to destroy the introvert in me and be an active member of the forum. This seems like a really great community and I hope I can work my way into it.
 

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