Good Bukowski Quote

[madelinemasoch]

There's a good quote in this video around timestamp 3:21 where Bukowski says this: "The writer has no responsibility except to jack off in bed alone and type a good page."

I wholeheartedly agree with that statement. What about you?

 

[magic_rat]

Bukowski could clear his throat and I'd consider it the wisdom of the gods.

 

[SimonDoom]

What's interesting to me about this is it shows how completely different the creative enterprise is from one writer to another. I can see and admire his point, but it doesn't capture my way of looking at writing.

 

[gunhilltrain]

Reading him as a young, blue-haired punk was refreshing, but looking back, I wouldn't take too seriously a completely broken man who drank 24/7, trying to escape his childhood demons.

His work could be very uneven. Most, if not all, of his prose work was semi-autobiographical. He went to the well with his Henry Chinaski alter-ego too often. By the time he got to one of his later works, Hollywood, he seemed to have run out of ideas. His alcoholism was his main subject much of the time.

Yet I think he did the best possible within his limitations. All of the writers on Lit can probably identify with that. We do what we can, try to do it better, but we're usually pushing against our boundaries. I have to give him credit for getting as far as he could. I have quoted him at times on this forum.

 

[VerbalAbuse]

Bukowski said many things. Should you pay attention?

For an instance, he said that if the writing does not gush out of you, you should not write -- just stop right there, put the pen down. Not exactly what new or would-be writers want to hear.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

Reading him as a young, blue-haired punk was refreshing, but looking back, I wouldn't take too seriously a completely broken man who drank 24/7, trying to escape his childhood demons.

And what did Sylvia Plath do?

 

[pink_silk_glove]

When he says "it hasn't shown any guts, it hasn't shown any dance, it hasn't shown any moxy," I immediately think of Tab A and Slot B and the unicorns that go with it.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

Expanded her ignore list.

Busted.

 

[Britva415]

For an instance, he said that if the writing does not gush out of you, you should not write -- just stop right there, put the pen down. Not exactly what new or would-be writers want to hear.

Or what professional writers practice.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

For an instance, he said that if the writing does not gush out of you, you should not write -- just stop right there, put the pen down. Not exactly what new or would-be writers want to hear.

Or what professional writers practice.

I will similarly disagree with Bukowski's statement if taken as an absolute. I actually do agree with him largely in practice personally because for me 90% of the crap that I throw away is the stuff that I write when I force myself without inspiration. However, I know that for other people the process can be much different and still get equal results. Just because it works for Bukowski and me doesn't mean that it's the right way and everyone else should follow suit.

However, BritVa's quote is equally short-sighted, as it simply insinuates that the opposite is right and Bukowski's way is wrong.

Bukowski: the only way to write is THIS. ( <- rather heavy-handed statement )

BritVa: no, that's the wrong way to write. ( <- equally heavy-handed statement )

Truth: everyone has their own methods to get an equal result. One method works great for one writer yet is terrible for another.

 

[gunhilltrain]

Bukowski said many things. Should you pay attention?

For an instance, he said that if the writing does not gush out of you, you should not write -- just stop right there, put the pen down. Not exactly what new or would-be writers want to hear.

I guess there are as many ways to write as there are people who do it. Sometimes it can be painstakingly slow. One way to interpret what he said is to not stop writing forever, but just for the day. That is just a guess; probably I'd have to have the quote in context to know more.