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Charles Bukowski, born in Andernach, Germany, in 1920. He grew up in Los Angeles as the only son of an American Soldier and German mother. After a short stint at Los Angeles City College from 1939 to 1941, Bukowski moved to New York City to become a writer.
Failing to gain any fruitful publishing opportunities he gave up in 1946 and drank heavily for a decade. After the drinking took its toll on his body with the gift of a bleeding ulcer, Bukowski took to the typewriter again. To support himself, he worked a variety of simple jobs:
Dishwasher
Truck Driver
Mail Carrier
Guard
Gas Station Attendant
Stock Boy
Warehouse Worker
Shipping Clerk
Post Office Clerk
His writing was a spotlight to American depravity. Much of his work is a loose autobiography and centred around the impovrished members of America, violence, and sex.
Reading this you may think, “How can this man teach me about life?” Great question. Bukowski, though an incredibly troubled man, had a beautiful view of life. His direct use of the english language, much like Hemingway, is able to paint a view of living that is inspiring and exciting.
Come back to these quotes when you need help being present, or need to be reminded about how trivial many of the thoughts we let occupy our mind truly are.
Remember, to live well you need to be resilient, able to suffer, have passion, and be kind.
5 Quotes From Bukowski To Help You Live
“We’re all going to die, all of us, what a circus! That alone should make us love each other but it doesn’t. We are terrorized and flattened by trivialities, we are eaten up by nothing.”
- Don’t let the trivial sway you!“what matters most is how well you walk through the fire”
- Be resilient! Don’t waver!“You have to die a few times before you can really
live.”
- When you fail, and you will, learn from it! Don’t quit.“I wanted the whole world or nothing.”
- Dream big!“Find what you love and let it kill you.”
- Find something you are passionate about and pursue it fully!
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It took me a few reads of the quotes to decide which was my favourite and it’s definitely #4. All or nothing! It’s how I live my life 😊