Charles Bukowski lived most of his life in Los Angeles. He always wanted to be a writer and wrote countless poems and short stories which were denied publication. After a short period spent in the Los Angeles University and a number of menial jobs, he published his first short stories in the mid 40s. Bukowski had a very different approach to writing than this of the other writers of his generation. For him writing was a necessity which shouldn’t be delayed. In this way, he was never in a hurry to write.
After he published his first collection, Bukowski took a long break from writing. For 10 years he travelled around the States living like a drifter, changing jobs and looking for new inspiration. He returned to L.A in 1955 and started publishing poetry. His poems appeared in various publishing houses. His most popular works from that time are Flower, Fist and Bestial Wail (1959).
In the early 1960s, he started to write about prostitutes, alcoholics and lowlifes. As a result, he published It Catches My Heart in Its Hands in 1963 and started gathering followers. Though he started as a struggling underground writer, by the end of his life Bukowski was maybe the most recognizable American writer.
His most notable poetry collections include, Love Is a Dog from Hell (1977), War All the Time (1984), and You Get So Alone at Times That It Just Makes Sense (1986).
Charles Bukowski: Notable Works
Charles Bukowski became such an important writer that his work was popular and still best-selling long after his death. Some of his most important novels are, Post Office (1971), Factotum (1975), and the autobiographical Ham on Rye (1982). Hollywood (1989) and Women (1978)
Bukowski became a legend among low-lifes in America and around the world. He had a huge base of fans. His work is part of a prestigious literature club and is now a classic. His autobiographical and satirical novel Pulp came out after his death in 1994.
