alter ego in his novels: Henry Chinaski - called Hank by his friends

American author of the second wave Beat Generation, noted for his stories of survival and heavy drinking on the fringe of society. Before starting his career as a writer Bukowski worked in menial jobs and as a journalist at Harlequin and Laugh Literature.

Bukowski was born in Andernach in Germany as the son of a US soldier and German woman. His family immigrated to the United States in 1922, and settled in Los Angeles, where Bukowski spent most of his life. His father was in and out of work during the Depression years, regularly beating the boy. Later Bukowski depicted his childhood in HAM ON RYE (1982).

After graduating from Los Angeles High School Bukowski studied a year at Los Angeles City College, taking courses in journalism and literature. He left home in 1941 - his father had read his stories and throw his possessions to the lawn. He continued writing stories and travelled across America. In 1944 his story 'Aftermath of a Lenghty Rejection Slip' was published in Story. He returned to Los Angeles and met Janet Cooney Baker, with whom he lived the next decade. After brief marriage to Barbara Frye, Bukowski began in 1958 his twelve years work as a Post Office clerk.

In 1955 Bukowski began writing poetry, publishing volumes almost annually. His first collection, FLOWER, FIST AND BESTIAL WAIL, appeared in 1959 and first volume of prose, ALL ASSHOLES IN THE WORLD AND MINE seven years later. In the 1960s Bukowski had established a loyal following, becoming gradually world famous character and depicter of down-and-out people. His columns, The Notes of a Dirty Old Man appeared in Open City and Los Angles Free Press. The texts were later collected in book (1969). In 1970 Bukowski left his job after John Martin of the Black Sparrow Press had offered him $100 a month for live to write full time.

Although prolific, Bukowski remained a literary outsider who published his works with small presses, primarily on the West Coast. His alter ego in the books, Henry Chinaski, is a tough, hard-drinking womanizer, who lives with the bums and criminals, sometimes also visiting high society. The character was introduced in the autobiographical CONFESSIONS OF A MAN INSANE ENOUGH TO LIVE WITH THE BEASTS (1965). In 1973 Bukowski gained wider audience when an award-winning television documentary by Taylor Hackford was shown.

Bukowski had one daughter, Marina Louise. He was married in 1985 to Linda Lee Beighle, a health food proprietor twenty-five years his junior. This was also more balanced period of his life.

Film Tales of Ordinary Madness was based on stories of the author. It was directed in 1983 by Marco Ferreri, starring Ben Gazarra and Ornella Muti. The story depicted a drunken poet who is obsessed by sex but can't find a happy relationship with his women. Script drew material from Erections, Ejaculations, Exhibitions and Tales of Ordinary Madness. - Another film, Barfly, directed by Barbet Schroeder, written by Charles Bukowski, starring Mickey Rourke and Faye Dunaway, was about a writer, who meets a lush who takes him under her wings.

For further reading: Hank: The Life of Charles Bukowski by Neeli Cherkovski (1991)

Selected works:

• FLOWER, FIST, AND BESTIAL WAIL, 1959
• LONGSHOT POEMS FOR BROKE PLAYERS, 1962
• POEMS AND DRAWINGS, 1962
• RUN WITH THE HUNTED, 1962
• IT CATCHES MY HEART IN ITS HANDS, 1963
• CONFESSIONS OF A MAN INSANE ENOUGH TO LIVE WITH BEASTS, 1965
• CRUSIFIX IN THE DEATHHAND, 1965
• ALL THE ASSHOLES IN THE WORLD AND MINE, 1966
• THE GENIUS OF THE CROWD, 1966
• AT TERROR STREET AND AGONY WAY, 1968
• POEMS WRITTEN BEFORE JUMPING OUT OF AN 8 STORY WINDOW, 1968
• NOTES OF A DIRTY OLD MAN, 1969
• THE DAYS RUN AWAY LIKE WILD HORSES OVER THE HILLS, 1969
• FIRE STATION, 1970
• POST OFFICE, 1971
• ME AND YOUR SIMETIMES LOVE POEMS, 1972
• MOCKINGBIRD WISH ME LUCK, 1972
• EJACULATIONS, EXHIBITIONS, AND GENERAL TALES OF ORDINARY MADNESS, 1972
• LIFE AND DEATH IN THE CHARITY WARD, 1973
• SOUTH OF NORTH, 1973
• BURNING IN WATER, DROWNING IN FLAME: SELECTED POEMS 1955-1973, 1973
• LIFE AND DEATH IN THE CHARITY WARD, 1974
• BURNING IN WATER DROWNING IN FLAME, 1974
• FACTORUM, 1975
• LOVE IS A DOG FROM HELL, 1977
• WOMEN, 1978
• SHAKESPEARE NEVER DID THIS, 1979
• PLAY THE PIANO DRUNK/LIKE A PERCUSSION INSTRUMENT/UNTIL THE FINGERS
• BEGIN TO BLEED A BIT, 1979
• DANGLING IN THE TOURNEFORTIA, 1981
• HAM ON RYE, 1982
• BRING ME YOUR LOVE, 1983 (with R. Crumb)
• HOT WATER MUSIC, 1983
• THE BUKOWSKI-PURDY LETTERS, 1983
• THERE'S NO BUSINESS, 1984
• UNDER THE INFLUENCE, 1984
• WAR ALL THE TIME, 1984
• THE MOVIE: BARLY, 1984 (screenplay for the 1987 film, dir. by Barbet Schroeder)
• ALONE IN THE TIME OF ARMIES, 1985
• THE DAY IT SNOWEN IN L.A., 1986
• YOU GET SO ALONE AT TIMES THAT IT JUST MAKES SENSE, 1986
• GOLD IN YOUR EYE, 1986
• LUCK, 1987
• THE ROOMINGHOUSE MADRIGALS: EARLY SELECTED POEMS 1946-66, 1988
• THE MOVIE CRITICS, 1988
• HOLLYWOOD, 1989
• WE AIN'T GOT NO MONEY, HONEY, BUT WE GOT RAIN, 1990
• SEPTUAGENARIAN STEW: STORIES & POEMS, 1990
• IN THE SHADOW OF THE ROSE, 1991
• THE LAST NIGHT OF THE EARTH POEMS, 1992
• SUPPOSEDLY FAMOUS, 1992
• RUN WITH THE HUNTED: A CHARLES BUKOWSI READER, 1993
• SCREAMS FROM THE BALCONY: SELECTED LETTERS 1960-1970, 1993
• PULP, 1994
• SHAKESPEARE NEVER DID THIS (Augmented edition), 1995
• THE CAPTAIN IS OUT TO LUNCH AND THE SAILORS HAVE TAKEN OVER THE SHIP, 1998 (illustrated by Robert Crumb)

Compiled by Kuusankoski Public Library, Finland (© 1997) and René Märtin (© 1998-2001).