Originally Posted by CuntCake Why do you appreciate his literature? Why don't you appreciate his literature? I'll join the conversation once it gets started.

Originally Posted by cantankerous i dont like the way he talks about some other people and women in general. .

Originally Posted by dirtyplotte fenuss read hollywood and the most beautiful woman in town and other stories, and also women. love love love love

Originally Posted by fen99us It's weird who you find yourself drawn to before you even know their background... The first Bukowski book I read was after he was dead, and it was his last, Pulp. It was unbelievably hilarious to me. He instantly became one of my favorite writers. I went on to read Ham On Rye and Post Office and have only dabbled into his poetry. Born Into This (the film) is so awesome. It was then I realized just why I loved the man...he had the pretense beat out of him. It shows completely in his work. I too had the pretense beat out of me. There is no time for bullshit. Just say it like you see it and feel it. Especially when it comes to the creative. Why the fuck would you have pretense about art? Gosh I love that man. He's on my list of old man crushes along with William S. Burroughs, Christopher Hitchens, and my Phil 140 professor, Dr. Odell.

Originally Posted by Dawlheart I haven't read any Bukowski, but I've been meaning to. Any suggestions?

Originally Posted by kesh the poem "pulled down shade" by him, which we all swooned over. but i think it's been archived now. i can't find it.

what I like about you
she told me
is that you're crude --
look at you sitting there
a beercan in your hand
and a cigar in your mouth
and look at
your dirty hairy belly
sticking out from
under your shirt.
you've got your shoes off
and you've got a hole
in your right stocking
with the big toe
sticking out.
you haven't shaved in
4 or 5 days.
your teeth are yellow
and your eyebrows
hang down
all twisted
and you've got enough
scars
to scare the shit
out of anybody.
there's always
a ring
in your bathtub
your telephone
is covered with
grease
and
half the crap in
your refrigerator is
rotten.
you never
wash your car.
you've got newspapers
a week old
on the floor.
you read dirty
magazines
and you don't have
a tv
but you order
deliveries from the
liquor store
and you tip
good.
and best of all
you don't push
a woman to
go to bed
with you.
you seem hardly
interested
and when I talk to you
you don't
say anything
you just
look around
the room or
scratch your
neck
like you don't
hear me.
you've got an old
wet towel in
the sink
and a photo of
Mussolini
on the wall
and you never
complain
about anything
and you never
ask questions
and I've
known you for
6 months
but I have
no idea
who you are.
you're like
some
pulled down shade
but that's what
I like about
you:
your crudeness:
a woman can
drop
out of your
life and
forget you
real fast.
a woman
can't go anywhere
but UP
after
leaving you,
honey.
you've got to
be
the best thing
that ever
happened
to
a girl
who's between
one guy
and the next
and has nothing
to do
at the moment.
this fucking
Scotch is
great.
let's play
Scrabble.

I identify with Bukowski, probably in the way everyone can (ah, the skill of the man). I love the squalor and the beauty and the points where they collide. Pulled Down Shade is my favourite of his poems, but I can't say for sure why that is. I do know though, that I love having holes in my socks and I want a picture of Mussolini on my wall - those things are dirty glamour to me.