Literary Giants - Charles Bukowski

Charles Bukowski was born in Germany in 1920. He became a famous German American novelist, poet, and writer of short stories. Charles’ father was an American serviceman and his mother a German native. After the economy collapsed in Germany after World War I, the family moved to the U.S. Originally settling in Baltimore then moving to South Los Angeles in California. Growing up in L.A., Charles was bullied and mocked for his accent and the clothing he wore. As quiet and socially inept child, Charles was introduced to alcohol in his early teens. After High School, Bukowski attended a city college for 2 years, his subjects? Art, journalism and literature of course. While in college Charles found himself becoming involved in the political world that prevailed on Campus, even briefly associating with a group of Nazis.

At age 24, Bukowski’s short story entitled “Aftermath of a Lengthy Rejection Slip” was published in a magazine, a few years later another of his short stories was published in a collection. Growing disillusioned with his failure to set the literary world on fire, Bukowski quit writing and began what he referred to as a “ten year drunk”. He roamed across the United States and worked sporadically. He was married and divorced, and began writing poetry.

Charles returned to Los Angeles in the 60’s working as a post office filing clerk. As time passed, Bukowski wrote a column for a newspaper in L.A. called “Notes of a Dirty Old Man”. The column was picked up by the Los Angeles Free Press and the Nola Express of New Orleans. He also launched his own literary magazine with his friend Neeli Cherkovski, this magazine had no impact on either mans literary career.

As the 70’s moved in, Charles was signed with Black Sparrow Press and quit his post office job to write full time. Less than a month late, his first novel was finished. “Post Office” was just the beginning for Bukowski’s career as a novelist.

Charles Bukowski died in 1994 of leukemia shortly after finishing his final novel “Pulp”. Charles listed several authors as influences including D.H. Lawrence, Ernest Hemingway, and Fyodor Dostoyevsky. He also spoke of Los Angeles as always being his favorite subject due to the fact that he was raised in L.A. and knew the city.