The Literature of Rebellion. The voice of dissent in contemporary American Literature and Society.

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1 The Literature of Rebellion The voice of dissent in contemporary American Literature and Society.

2 Charles Bukowski Poet, novelist and short story writer. He wrote 1000s of poems, 100s of short stories and 6 novels, publishing over 60 books. He s been called a laureate of American lowlife". Much of Bukowski s writing focused on life in Los Angeles and the lives of poor Americans, the challenges he faced being a writer, drinking large amounts of alcohol, his relationships with women and the drudgery of work.

3 A.K.A. Henry Chinaski Henry Hank Chinaski is the literary alter ego of Bukowski, appearing in five of his novels, a number of his short stories and poems, and in the films Barfly and Factotum. Although much the character Chinaski is based on Bukowski's own life story, the Chinaski character is still a literary creation. Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must lead. Quote from the movie Barfly (1987)

4 Factotum (1975) A factotum is an employee who does all kinds of work. Bukowski s second novel after Post Office (1971). It takes place in 1944 and follows the life of perpetually unemployed alcoholic Chinaski as he drifts through the seedy city streets of lower-class Los Angeles moving from one shitty job, boarding house and girlfriend to the next that will not come between him and his first love: writing. It is made of 87 micro chapters which describe the drifting life of its anti-hero.

5 Overview of the Novel Chinaski does not have any aim in life - he simply lives and writes and drinks. Little by little he writes. However, mostly he finds ways to get drunk and to meet women who do nothing to inspire him to write his great work. Chinaski is in constant conflict as he is forced to do menial work in order to earn a living, but finds every opportunity to drink, fight, fuck and write. Even if that conflicts with going to work and as such drags out a miserable existence, he always chooses the path that leads to empty bottles of wine, empty cigarette packets and empty relationships with empty women.

6 Bukowski s Themes?! It s easy to point at Bukowski s work and see themes of alcohol abuse, his attitude towards women and sex, the conflict between his hatred and need to do the daily grind of clocking-in and clocking-out of a mundane job, his love of gambling at the racetrack, his struggle to write and be recognised as a good writer by others Etc But what really wrote about was The human condition! It concerns the meaning of life, the search for gratification, the sense of curiosity, the inevitability of isolation, and anxiety regarding the inescapability of death.

7 Bukowski s Poetry Legacy His lack of pretension, repetitive subject matter and seemingly simple style often means many poets after him are called Bukowski-esque. In a time when it s hard to even give books of poetry away for free, his published works fill book shelves. He was the original punk poet with a stripped down raw energy, and rapid fire pace.

8 Bukowski s Prose Legacy Bukowski's works of fiction was once described as a "detailed depiction of a certain taboo male fantasy: the uninhibited bachelor, slobby, anti-social, and utterly free. Which is an image Bukowski tried to live up to in real life, with sometimes riotous public poetry readings and famously drunken behaviour at the after parties.