ham on rye

I would suggest with Last Night on Earth Poems and working your way backwards. or Barfly. Depends on what you're trying to fing I guess.

I've got a great recording of him somewhere just telling a crowd to shut the fuck up so he could read a poem, but he was very drunk and it doesn't come out so eloquent. He was a major influence on me when I still wrote a lot of poetry, since he's so capable of cutting with a laser beam right to the fucking point.

I was just thinking the other day that Bloor should be a massive fan of his if he isn't already. Because what I do at home is sit around a try to decide what you all should be reading and listening to.

I vaguely remember writing a poem about him in high school.

About what an asshole he was.

I think it was called "Chuck's a Dick But I Can't Write For Shit."

Something like that.

buncho his poims:

http://www.poemhunter.com/charles-bukowski/poet-6832/

Technically, if you're a Modest Mouse fan, it is sort of music related.

There's tons of websites with his bio and poetry. He's not what you call a feel-good kinda author.

Here's one I like that I think of when someone ruins a song for me by explaining the lyrics. (eg: Blinded by the Light)

Three Oranges

first time my father overheard me listening to
this bit of music he asked me,
"what is it?"
"it's called Love For Three Oranges,"
I informed him.
"boy," he said, "that's getting it
cheap."
he meant sex.
listening to it
I always imagined three oranges
sitting there,
you know how orange they can
get,
so mightily orange.
maybe Prokofiev had meant
what my father
thought.
if so, I preferred it the
other way
the most horrible thing
I could think of
was part of me being
what ejaculated out of the
end of his
stupid penis.
I will never forgive him
for that,
his trick that I am stuck
with,
I find no nobility in
parenthood.
I say kill the Father
before he makes more
such as
I.

from ONTHEBUS - 1992

Call me old fashioned, but I would start with Post Office. Then if you like it, read the rest of the six novels in the order they came out (Post Office, Factotum, Women, Ham on Rye, Hollywood, Pulp). Post Office isn't his best, but it's a very quick read and a good introduction to Bukowski at his most beautiful and his most ugly.

There are a million poems and short stories, and they're pretty hit and miss. South of No North is a good collection of some early stuff. "You Get So Alone at Times That it Just Makes Sense" is worth buying just because I think everyone should have a book called "You Get So Alone at Times That it Just Makes Sense" somewhere on their shelf.

Saw Bukowski: Born into This a few months.

Nothing like seeing a man only a decade younger than my grandfather - who is eight-six - laughing uproariously at the most rancid commentary.

"There's no such thing as ugliness. There is a thing called deformity, but outward "ugliness" does not exist...I have spoken"

I'd second the "Post Office" reccommendation, though "Tales of Ordinary Madness" is the one that sold me on him...

Depravity is the only ugly.

Skip him. If you think you like that sort of thing, get some Raymond Carver. I'd go for Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?

wait are we going for fiction or poetry?

I started reading Women but couldn't finish it. I just didn't get it. It's like great a drunkard who's shitty with women, written in such painful detail that it's really not so pleasurable to read.

a)stick with the poetry
b) go listen to pavement. right now.

start with Ham on Rye

Im reading Pulp right now

I always read "barfly" as the adverb form of "barf".

Great short stories. Highly recommended if you like sparse prose and good fiction.

I have no particularly strong opinion on Bukowski, though.

I think I read Post Office first and then Ham On Rye; they are both fine starting points.

Or skip it and go straight to Women.

Never really dug on his poetry. Nothing against Chuck----I never really dug on reading poetry.