The inclusion of this story may sound pretentious, and that is probably because it is, but it is a good encapsulation of the Bukowski appeal. Even if it is all an act, all of the autobiographical shit, Bukowski still has the narrative perspective of a person who refused to be groomed by his parents, teachers, or lovers. An alcoholic, violent, reflective, melancholy, predatory, imaginative, brutal narrator. And "NOADOM" reads like a tour through his boundary-less mind. urn:isbn:0862870747 Republisher_date 20140430045757 Republisher_operator [email protected] Scandate 20140429095637 Scanner scribe11.shenzhen.archive.org Scanningcenter shenzhen Worldcat (source edition) Others were sad to me, such as a vivid recounting of how years of beatings and other abuse turns someone into a living but kind of mostly dead person. It’s an extremely personal look at his life. Alcohol, homelessness, bouncing around various places to live and taking menial jobs, abusive relationships that went both ways, these are the real life parts. Probably/hopefully exaggerated a bit but who really knows, people are crazy. we are hooked, slapped and chopped silly; so silly that some of us finally love tormentors because they are there to torment us along logical lines of torture. this seems so reasonable, since there isn’t anything else showing.” Scream When You Burn - https://bukowski.net/database/detail.php?w=5654&Title=notes-of-a-dirty-old-man

There is a sequence in "Notes of a Dirty Old Man" where a painting instructor gives a young Bukowski brushes and paints (he didn't bring his own), and instructs him to paint a vase, just like his classmates. While they take hours, he is finished in five minutes. His color is sparse and basic, and the vase resembles shit more than slightly in its coloring. But his classmates are amazed and refuse to believe Bukowski has never painted before.In addition to seeing the underbelly of America, Bukowski introduces readers to some of the greatest writers of his time in a personal and up close manner. His stories of drinking with Kerouac and other writers not only provide readers with insight into Bukowski's societal life, but also allow readers to see rare moments in the lives of other famous poets and authors. Further, it is through conversations with such authors that Bukowski really brings light to his true feelings about the world around him, and about his own existence.

This book has reconfirmed for me the fact that Bukowski is best at this form of writing - short stories. His poetry can be very hit and miss at times but his short story prose is more often good than bad and sometimes exceptionally fascinating and quirky. There is plenty of booze and debauchery in this collection. There were a few surprises here too, both good and bad. One good surprise was a short piece about Bukowski meeting Neal Cassady shortly before he died. It is well written, interesting and I think he does a nice summation of Cassady at the end of his life. He says that "Kerouac has written your other chapters". One disappointing surprise was Bukowski's opinion of Burroughs - "Burroughs is a very dull writer". He truly thinks Celine is the bee's knees. I have read some Celine and think he is a pretty good writer but terribly pessimistic and misanthropic - sounds right up Buk's lane huh? which were then put in the main part of the store), throw the now-coverless books away and return the covers only to the office so that they could get credit from the publisher.While difficult to read for those who are easily offended, Notes of a Dirty Old Man is not only a wonderful novel, but one of honesty and raw talent rarely seen in writing today. Bukowski's crass and brutal look at the world, tempered with his occasional lapse into the poet's care, leaves readers with an overall sense of adventure, and a moment of grateful appreciation for the lives they lead. Brilliant in its simplicity, Notes of a Dirty Old Man is a book for those who want a darker view of the world in which we live. I've always loved that quote. Or since I first read it anyway. But I didn't know that it came from this book. Bukowski's works involve a number of recurrent themes. Sexual deviance, a favor of Bukowski's, is discussed in terms of anal sex, prostitution, threesomes, rape, homosexuality, and frequent casual sex. Politics are discussed not as a party plea, but as a general distaste for all things political. Religion and God are frequent topics as well, and it is clear Bukowski is a fan of neither. Violence in the form of spousal abuse, parental abuse, and overall fighting is present in nearly each story. Other themes presented include the plight of the writer, freedom, justice, and suicide. I Love You, Albert - https://bukowski.net/database/detail.php?w=5688&Title=notes-of-a-dirty-old-man

More Notes of a Dirty Old Man: The Uncollected Columns is written by Charles Bukowski, edited by David Stephen Calonne, and published by City Lights. A sequel to his 1969 book, Notes of a Dirty Old Man, it includes columns (including his column of the same name for the Los Angeles Free Press) and essays that had never been collected and published together. Notes Of A Dirty Old Man is a compilation of columns and short stories that have been collected from Bukowski's early days when he was writing for Open City which was a free, leftist leaning magazine which had a politicalised agenda. Its main aim was to support and influence the non-conformist countercultures which were thriving throughout the 60's underground of America.

Most of this book is lively and entertaining. There is an uncharacteristically mean story with a character named Harry Benson. But Bukowski makes up for it with an account of life with an old couple - Crotty's which is very touching. And then there is a somewhat long short story which eventually became Hollywood. Oyy ok let’s get this wrapping up, I’m rambling which means I had a lot of thoughts and didn’t know how to frame them. A little bit less gay bar action would have been nice for me personally but I don’t think anyone delicate or easily offended would read Bukowski past his introduction. I’m not worried about discussing the writing here. It’s irreverent in every sense of the world and the title is aptly named. I actually started listening to this book on audio because Will Patton’s voice is everything, but without actual chapter breaks it was too hard to follow.