Charles Bukowski lived a life which some would describe as seedy. For two years of his life, he roamed around America working at manual jobs. Most of the jobs gave him just enough money to rent a room, drink and write. The experiences he gained on the road were used in his poetry and prose. It is writing from the heart about street people, hustlers and a life of women, drinking and gambling.
Afflicted with extreme acne, Bukowski was painfully shy. The novel Ham on Rye describes his early and childhood years, the loneliness he felt and his awkwardness with women. After his travels around America, Bukowski took a regular job as a postal worker. The mind numbingly boring work afforded four-day weekends in which he could drink, gamble on horses and write.
At the age of 50, Charles Bukowski quit the post office and became a full-time paid writer. His first novel, Post Office, describes his experiences while working there. Bukowski was a very prolific writer. He is the author of more than forty-five books of prose and poetry. His non-conformist, very honest and painfully funny writing has won him fans the world over.
Another big influence on Charles Bukowski were the women in his life. Often matching Bukowski drink for drink, they frequently got him evicted from his apartments due to fights and bad behaviour. Bukowski was known for his jealousy and would either fly into rages with women or simply act as if he didn't care. These women often ended up portrayed in his novels and poetry. One of his most popular novels, entitled Women, chronicles his experiences with some of the women he knew.
When his popularity grew,