Discover the words of Charles Bukowski, a legendary writer known for his raw and honest perspective on life. From profound insights to biting sarcasm, delve into a collection of his most famous quotes that will challenge, inspire, and make you question the world around you.
Henry Charles Bukowski was a German-American poet, novelist, and short story writer who became known for his work that addressed the lives of poor Americans, writing, alcohol, relationships with women, and the monotony of work. He published extensively in small literary magazines and with small presses and wrote thousands of poems, hundreds of short stories, and six novels over the course of his career. Although he received little attention from academic critics in the United States during his lifetime, Bukowski gained popularity in Europe, particularly in Germany. He has since been the subject of numerous critical articles and books.
Bukowski was born in Germany to a German father and American mother. His family immigrated to Los Angeles when he was a child. Growing up, Bukowski faced abuse from his father and struggles with his appearance due to extreme acne. The Great Depression further fueled his rage as he witnessed economic hardships. In his early teens, Bukowski discovered alcohol as a coping mechanism. After quitting college at the start of World War II, he moved to New York City in hopes of becoming a writer. However, it wasn't until he was treated for a near-fatal bleeding ulcer in 1955 that he began seriously writing poetry. Over time, he formed relationships with various women that provided material for his stories and poems. In 1969 at age 49, Bukowski quit his job at the post office to dedicate himself full-time to writing after receiving an offer from Black Sparrow Press publisher John Martin. He continued to submit works to small independent presses throughout his career until his death from leukemia at the age of 73 in March 1994.
“There is no hurry. Time means nothing
to you.”
Source: The Roominghouse Madrigals: Early Selected Poems, 1946-1966
“Some nights I knew that if I slept I would die.”
Source: Hollywood
“I was only photographing in words the reality of it all.”
Source: Betting on the Muse: Poems and Stories
Source: You Get So Alone at Times That it Just Makes Sense
“It is possible to be truly mad and to still exist upon scraps of life.”
Source: Betting on the Muse: Poems and Stories
“young or old, good or bad, I don't think anything dies as slow and as hard as a writer.”
Source: The Last Night of the Earth Poems
“the price of creation
is never
too high.
the price of living
with other people
always
is.”
Source: You Get So Alone at Times That it Just Makes Sense
Variant: The area dividing the brain and the soul
Is affected in many ways by experience --
Some lose all mind and become soul:
insane.
Some lose all soul and become mind:
intellectual.
Some lose both and become:
accepted.
Source: You Get So Alone at Times That it Just Makes Sense
“and the color in my eyes
has gone back into the sea.”
Source: What Matters Most is How Well You Walk Through the Fire
Source: You Get So Alone at Times That it Just Makes Sense
Source: sifting through the madness for the word, the line, the way: New Poems
“sometimes it's hard to know
what to
do.”
Source: You Get So Alone at Times That it Just Makes Sense
Source: Sifting Through the Madness for the Word, the Line, the Way
Source: Love Is a Dog from Hell
“To be young is the only religion.”
Source: Notes of a Dirty Old Man
Source: You Get So Alone at Times That it Just Makes Sense
Source: Portions from a Wine-Stained Notebook: Uncollected Stories and Essays, 1944-1990
“There was nothing glorious about the life of a drinker or the life of a writer.”
Source: Hot Water Music
“I just let it roll. Like a hot turd down a hill.”
Source: The Captain is Out to Lunch and the Sailors Have Taken Over the Ship
“the gods seldom
give
but so quickly
take.”
Source: You Get So Alone at Times That it Just Makes Sense
“I have loved you woman
as surely as I have named you
rust and sand and nylon.”
Source: The People Look Like Flowers at Last
Source: The People Look Like Flowers at Last
Source: What Matters Most is How Well You Walk Through the Fire
“I am this fiery snail crawling home.”
Source: Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame
Source: Love Is a Dog from Hell
