Papers of Charles Bukowski

Charles Bukowski (1920-1994) was born in Andernach, Germany and came to the U.S. when he was three. He grew up in Los Angeles and began writing as a child. He published his first story at age 24 and first poem at age 35. He spent much of his life drifting. Although Bukowski did not associate with "beat writers," his style attracts readers and followers of the beat generation. A prolific writer, much of his work is based on his own experience using the language and subjects of the street. He wrote long-hand, much of it sent to publishers and never seen again. Bukowski became widely known after the movie "Barfly" which was based on his life around the time was written and featured Mickey Rourke. Bukowski wrote the screenplay and was involved with the movie production. Prior to "Barfly", he was best known by the public for his novel . In literary circles, Bukowski was praised for his poetry. Yet, he had a strong disregard for formal structure and did not consider himself a poet. He died in his adopted hometown of San Pedro, California.