Charles Bukowski, poet of skid row. I was first introduced to Bukowski through the film Barfly. I was fascinated by the central character, Henry Chinaski. The way he spoke and carried himself was unlike anything I had seen. Later I learned the script was based on the real life events of Charles Bukowski. The first novel I read of Bukowski's was Post Office and I became hooked. Bukowski wrote with a realness and simplicity. He got straight to the point. His writing was raw, reaching the bone, the bone marrow. He was frank about his thoughts and ideas and never shied from the taboo. His writing centered around drinking, violence, sex and other dark topics. It was exciting. Bukowski wrote about things I have never seen let alone experienced. He stayed in flop houses, slept on park benches, gambled, drank, got in fights. But whatever subject Bukowski seemed to be writing about he did so with a sense humor. He never seemed to lose his humor in even in the darkest of times.
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