Hello, everyone! I was pleased to recently (finally!) find this forum for the 20th-century writer who (along with the great Flannery O'Connor) speaks to me most! I first encountered Bukowski's work in 1993 with his late-career-classic collection, The Last Night of the Earth Poems. To this day, it is one of my most beloved of his books, although the top spot would have to go to Ham on Rye.
I was born and raised in the "Deep South" region of the U.S., and I often had a deep, visceral sense of being an "outsider" there. Among other factors, I was a teenage and young adult atheist in the heart of the Bible Belt! It was not exactly an easy time! Now, many years later, I live in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. region and am a practicing Catholic (don't worry-- I don't shove my chosen philosophical/religious beliefs down anyone's throat)-- and, in different ways, I often feel just as much of an outsider here as I did in the Deep South (!!).... maybe it's just a lifelong condition? A few more details: I was born with a physical disability, and, from an early age, have loved books and music of many styles/genres. I'm also a movie buff. Anyway, that's a (fairly) short introduction! For some weeks, I've been enjoying reading the posts here, and now, I look forward to contributing. Here's to Buk (raising a bit of whiskey)!
I was born and raised in the "Deep South" region of the U.S., and I often had a deep, visceral sense of being an "outsider" there. Among other factors, I was a teenage and young adult atheist in the heart of the Bible Belt! It was not exactly an easy time! Now, many years later, I live in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. region and am a practicing Catholic (don't worry-- I don't shove my chosen philosophical/religious beliefs down anyone's throat)-- and, in different ways, I often feel just as much of an outsider here as I did in the Deep South (!!).... maybe it's just a lifelong condition? A few more details: I was born with a physical disability, and, from an early age, have loved books and music of many styles/genres. I'm also a movie buff. Anyway, that's a (fairly) short introduction! For some weeks, I've been enjoying reading the posts here, and now, I look forward to contributing. Here's to Buk (raising a bit of whiskey)!