How did Bukowski work? his Routine? (1 Viewer)

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sorry for noob question, but I'm curious what we know about how Buk worked/lived/wrote. I read that he was homeless wandering the country living off a candy bar a day (early on), then went to working at the post office in LA for a steady day gig? Part of his explanation of the candy bar diet was that his poor lifestyle allowed him to write. However, when he took to the Post office, wasn't that the dreaded day job of the writer? How did he survive as a writer then (write before and after work)?

Buk, if nothing else, was prolific and I'm curious to his process... how he balanced the dreaded day gig with his writing...

In summary, it seems Buk had 3 different phases, i'm not sure of the order, but... 1. the itinerant, wandering impoverished life/to write. 2. the Mailman life/a steady day job/writing. 3. then once he was published he could write all the time obviously.

thank you!!!
 
There’s a lot of self-mythologizing in Bukowski’s work. The ten year drunk, the tar paper shack in Atlanta, homelessness, on and on. What’s clear is that writing was his antidote for insanity and I would say he was compelled to write and would have despite whatever immediate circumstances he was in. You have to read between the lines with Bukowski and often grasp the spirit of his words, not take everything literally. Also, be wary of all of the Black Sparrow stuff post 1995. I personally don’t give a shit that he made up/embellished much of his stuff. The work and words are what’s most important, at least to me.
Read everything, look over threads here and you could be a mini-Zobraks in no time.
 
I never understood the idea that having a full time job makes writing impossible, or some superhuman feat. If you love to write and you don't have a television or a computer, there are plenty of hours in the day outside of an 8 hour job. And as skiroomalum says, Bukowski would have written - did write - regardless of his circumstances. He had a compulsion, as we'd say these days.

You might want to take a look at the timeline, which (I believe) puts his life into context more concisely than the biographies or his own stories can. Your phases-of-his-life aren't that far off, but the "itinerant, wandering impoverished life" didn't last as long as he made out, and the "impoverished" part is likely exaggerated (he held down jobs in most of the cities he stayed in).
 
I never understood the idea that having a full time job makes writing impossible, or some superhuman feat.
ha. you "never understood" it? well, if you'd like to PM me, i'm happy to explain it to you privately, as i would hate to bore the forum with personal details. I am happy to explain it to you in great detail, so maybe you can understand it...
 
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it is amazing that you have time to "write" AND respond on here. i'm in awe!
Thanks. I save a lot of time by not complaining that I don't have enough time. It's a technique I learned from Norman Vincent Peale when we were cellmates in Chino. I mean, he said his name was Norman Vincent Peale. I took him at his word. You have to under those circumstances.
Is Bandini making a sudden left turn into the idiot tree, where so many others have crashed?
He's got a right to his strong feelings. As long as he steers clear of Nazi stuff.
 
Is Bandini making a sudden left turn into the idiot tree, where so many others have crashed?
"so many others"? sounds like the problem's not me. ha.

He's got a right to his strong feelings. As long as he steers clear of Nazi stuff.
I don't have any "strong feelings". If you scroll up, I merely asked a question, born from whimsical curiosity -- not a "strong feeling." I then responded to the "strong feeling" that someone "never could understand" my question... which seems to imply judgment and hostility toward me for simply posing the question about Buk's writing habits.

When I responded that I could gladly help that person "understand", he apparently didn't care to understand.

Anyway... we can continue down this road with ad hominem attacks. I just merely asked a question seeking illumination and not persecution. A refresher, my question was about Bukowski's writing habits, not mine -- since the name of the forum is about Bukowski, not me. I am apparently wrongly assuming that the posts would be more inclined to be about Bukowski and not me?

I'd love to get back to the question i originally asked without animosity. however if people want to continue toward the "idiot tree", I will reluctantly follow.
 
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"so many others"? sounds like the problem's not me. ha.
Everyone gets the benefit of the doubt, just as you did.

After enjoying the benefit of that doubt, some will prove themselves to be far too sensitive for online communication, or, you know, just idiots or boring pricks whose only intention is to create a disturbance. None of which work well here. Or anywhere, for that matter.

I would include you in the former, for what it's worth. Well intentioned, but sensitive. With a side order of passive-aggression.

With no strong feelings though. I apologize for saying that. I heard what you've said and I acknowledge your feelings.





In closing I'd just like to say a hale and hearty ad hominem to you all!
 
No joke-i often wonder how many people under about 40 actually manage to live and work among other human beings with their over sensitivity to seemingly every fucking thing outside their “safe space” bubble. I know I’m painting with a broad brush, but Jesus Keerist haven’t your balls dropped yet?
 
I love this! more comments about nonsense than about the actual posed question. So entertaining! I can cancel Netflix and just post questions about Bukowski and watch the dementia unfold. Much more entertaining than the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt! Thank you!

Everyone gets the benefit of the doubt, just as you did.
[...]
I know. It's all my fault.
 
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I love this! more comments about nonsense than about the actual posed question.
Well, you wanted us to discuss something that has been discussed many times here (before you rushed in, without caring too much to read stuff posted all around this place):
I'm curious what we know about how Buk worked/lived/wrote.
This whole forum is virtually dedicated to figuring out what and how Charles Bukowski did through his life, and more specifically to his writing.
If you want to know more about that, take your time and READ (at least some of) it first.

Oh, and one more thing. Make sure to read this before anything else here. That's the best piece of advice anyone can give you about this forum and life in general.
 
I did. I said it was a Noob question -- if you read my original post, and I even apologized in advance. Don't assume I didn't read anything. There is a lot here to digest. Further, you could make the same argument about EVERY post on the site, it's all an overlapping continuation of 1 discussion. Or maybe you could create a signed disclaimer for new members to READ EVERY POST ON THE SITE, before posting, if you like? Or you can change the heading of the forum to "All things Bukowski -- EXCEPT inquiring specifically about his writing routine"? Just a thought...

Sigh... anyway, more importantly, as a member here, I will try to welcome new people and appreciate their curiosities, and embrace our common interest in an artist, as opposed to biting their heels for it. But thank you!
 
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Away for a month and this is how you come back? "Sigh" is right.

Let us know when you're finished complaining and lecturing from atop your high horse, Mayor McCheese.

Just post something like, "I'm done," or, "Okay, that's it."
 
Let us know when you're finished complaining and lecturing from atop your high horse, Mayor McCheese.
Sorry been busy with life. I guess I'm the only one. But I love the vitriol - especially from the Moderators. ha. Good to see I didn't miss anything! For the record, if you scroll up, i just asked a question; neither a complaint or a lecture. You came in with the acidic "lecturing." Although, I'm happy to follow your lead... "Mayor McCheese" is that a Yeats reference?
 
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Hey Bandini, if you’re pissed, be pissed. Just stop the wan sighs and the thin-skin passive aggression. Grab your balls, tell us to fuck off, and get in the mix. Or don’t. My recommendation is to hang on and learn to contribute.
 
Have I not been in the mix? "Fuck off?" That may be too clever of a riposte for me. I hate to bring down the sublimated conversation.
 
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What is going on in here?! Look at all this mess...

Just you wait until your father gets home. Then you'll hear it, mister!
 
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And our elders thought they had a generation gap with us.

You see, son, we all understand that your 10 years of women's studies at the university have made it impossible for you to simply say something as low brow and without nuance as "fuck off'' but back in our day we just had better things to do than elaborate on that time tested retort.
 
So true. Judging by your response, I'm guessing you didn't see beyond the hem of the dress of your 5th grade teacher. But I bet she gave you a gold star for using the potty without adult supervision.

This is fun. who's next? Step right up!
 
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What is going on in here?!
I believe I can sum it up.

Bandini10 started off by asking a vague, all-encompassing question that would require a 50,000 word biography to answer properly, then took umbrage at responses suggesting he read actual books to find the answer to his vague, all-encompassing question that would require a book to answer.

But what he really wanted to know was how Bukowski wrote while holding down an eight hour job, because apparently, that is something that Bandini10 considers to be an extraordinary achievement, as he considers himself a writer, but can't find time to write because it turns out that he's not really a writer after all. When it was suggested that working a job and also writing is not an extraordinary achievement, Bandini10 was confused and angry for reasons he didn't fully understand. In his confusion, he lashed out in that sad, pseudo-literary way that many inherently thick and dull people throw up like some sort of comically ineffective dazzle camouflage.

Then he went away for a month, and it seemed the coast might be clear, but no, he returned to lecture anyone reading about how "new people" should be welcomed, appreciated and embraced, and vowed to single-handedly carry out that welcoming, appreciation and embracing but instead just carried on behaving like a whiny cunt.

In other words: he did that thing every forum has seen 100 times.

I think that's about it.

If I left anything out just review the other 50 threads around here like this one. They could all be the same weird little person lashing out at the universe that doesn't recognize their unique specialness.
 
So true. Judging by your response, I'm guessing you didn't see beyond the hem of the dress of your 5th grade teacher. But I bet she gave you a gold star for using the potty without adult supervision.

My fifth grade teacher was a WWII vet with big hairy arms, as were many of the teachers back then. They didn't fuck around when it came time to teach some petulant asshole to behave like a decent human being. I believe this was good for us. You'd probably disagree, but I wish your generation had a similar taste of being taught to enter a new place with a modicum of respect for those who built it.
 
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Respect? you don't get what you don't give. Perhaps you don't recall that from class because of all the asbestos in the ceilings. But hey man, come here and give me a hug. I have big, hairy arms too!
 
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wow! - another case of a forum "crash and burn-er" - they just don't know when- or how - to stop.

fascinating, yet disturbing...
 
Skimming the thread and re-reading the title of this post "How did Bukowski work? his Routine?"

He wrote.
Write.
 
this_band_sucks-too-w.jpg
 
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