"So, when our mortal flame shall be disjoined / The lifeless lump uncoupled from the mind / From sense of grief and pain we shall be free / We shall not feel, because we shall not be."
Crazy how few likes this piece has. Love the epicurean ideas gleaned from Bukowksi’s words. His view on death, certainly, mirrors epicurean ideas. His ideas on moderation though??? But great ideas here.
Thanks Dane! Glad you enjoyed it. On the moderation note, interestingly enough -- his longtime publisher claimed in a 2014 interview with Vice that he never saw Bukowski drunk:
"I knew him for what, 35 years or more? I never saw him drunk. Never once, never... He was not drinking very often, but when he did he drank a lot. I mean, he drank every day, and toward the end it was good wine. Remember, he lived to write, and just like lots of writers, during the course of writing—say, between 8:00 in the evening and 2:00 in the morning—he would sip wine; it kept him sort of greased."
Obviously this clashes with the character and lifestyle that Bukowski projected, and there are tons of videos of readings and interviews where Bukowski is clearly hammered, but still interesting. Here's the full Vice interview if you're interested: https://www.vice.com/en/article/bukowskis-longtime-publisher-i-never-saw-him-drunk/
That's really interesting. Seems a lot like Hemingway in that sense. Made sure to get his writing done before having a drink. I need to dive more into his poetry (I've mostly just read his books), to glean what I can about his philosophy. What collections do you think most represent his Epicurean philosophy?
Crazy how few likes this piece has. Love the epicurean ideas gleaned from Bukowksi’s words. His view on death, certainly, mirrors epicurean ideas. His ideas on moderation though??? But great ideas here.
Thanks Dane! Glad you enjoyed it. On the moderation note, interestingly enough -- his longtime publisher claimed in a 2014 interview with Vice that he never saw Bukowski drunk:
"I knew him for what, 35 years or more? I never saw him drunk. Never once, never... He was not drinking very often, but when he did he drank a lot. I mean, he drank every day, and toward the end it was good wine. Remember, he lived to write, and just like lots of writers, during the course of writing—say, between 8:00 in the evening and 2:00 in the morning—he would sip wine; it kept him sort of greased."
Obviously this clashes with the character and lifestyle that Bukowski projected, and there are tons of videos of readings and interviews where Bukowski is clearly hammered, but still interesting. Here's the full Vice interview if you're interested: https://www.vice.com/en/article/bukowskis-longtime-publisher-i-never-saw-him-drunk/
That's really interesting. Seems a lot like Hemingway in that sense. Made sure to get his writing done before having a drink. I need to dive more into his poetry (I've mostly just read his books), to glean what I can about his philosophy. What collections do you think most represent his Epicurean philosophy?