'If you do dull shit, it doesn't matter what you die from.' Simply brilliant.

We should call Bukowski's approach to writing the "The Bim Principle."

"I yawned myself to shit!" Loved that.

For Bukowski to say he likes someone as a person seems, from his writing, to be a high compliment indeed.

"He wasn't even a professional drunk" ..proceeds to describe how to get wasted without swallowing vomit. This completely cracked me up hahaha

He's right about seeing patterns and 'repeats' in life. It happens early too; you hear the exact same things, see the exact same scenarios play out.

As someone who takes particular interest in Fantasy and Sci-Fi, both genres suffer from a severe dearth of decent poetry - not _poetry_ as in verse, but poetry as a practical method and an exercise in creative flow. I can't tell you how many celebrated authors have bored the total shit out of me over such a lack. Don't describe your world, make me live in it. Don't write your characters, make me know them.

I love this guy. He is so real yet ultimately subjective and full of shit. His words bring me to tears, and his interviews make me grin or drop my jaw. Very wise of him to welcome death, btw, as it is very natural.

Bukowskis genius is in his honesty and simplicity. A clear son of John Fante but completely original himself.

Regardless of his life philosophy Bukowski makes good points about writing. He definitely had a gift to go mining for the right words instead of talking around a subject. He showed fortitude persevering in shitty jobs and situations then writing at night. No wonder he hit the booze.

Bukowski occupied an interesting position among writers. If you surveyed 10 American English professors, seven have never heard of him, two think he's a pornographer, and one thinks he is the greatest literary genius since Shakespeare. I even like his poetry. His poems are his stories written vertically, and his stories are poems written horizontally. He is the best at what he does, but nobody else is in the exact same category; he's kinda like the Keith Richards of literature.

Love his writing. I finished Factotum last week. All six of his novels are great. His writing style is so much fun and his stories capture a different era, bringing to life the streets of LA from a poor man's perspective. 🍺🥃😏

That's why the book thief is my favourite of all time. It's not about the punchline being set up but each line stands on its own

Feels almost like a crime now not to have read a single thing written by this guy at my age.

Everyday should be like this, love this guys energy and perspective

Orwell talked about this on his rules for good writing. Do not embelish excessively a sentence to say something or it will lose its power. If you can say something in 4 words instead of 10, go for the first option.

So this is why I like Bukowski's style, I've been trying to figure it out. I summed it up as its simplicity but now I'm seeing this I understand. The juice. He has it in his sentences. Its direct. Sometimes there's no need for all the extra things.

I no longer care for Bukowski's nihilism, but he's totally right about exciting writing

Reading Bukowski made me understand what true writing is. Difficult to put it in words but when you read it you know it's the thing. And art appart, his stories are so fun and so bright, great guy

agree 100%. so many modern writers just seem to try to wrack up pages, like if it's not a 1000 page book, you did something wrong.

Great ending to a great video. Man was real and very very cool.

He really lit up when he started talking about the process of writing bless him.. i like how he got fed up with the analytical but dead host

The thing about Bukowski though is that his writing reflects that repetition that he complains about it this interview. If you read more than a few of his stories or novels they all kinda blend together, it's all Henry Chinaski drinking and screwing or drinking and getting in fights. Factotum and Post Office are basically indistinguishable in my memory except for the fact the in one of them he's working as a mailman. Then there are some short stories of him going to the racetrack to place bets and those are some of the dullest things I've ever read, even when I was reading a bunch of Bukowski a few years ago those racetrack stories would make my eyes glaze over. That being said, I've always appreciated his novel Ham On Rye

Such a beautiful broken man... Bless his hearth. A unique voice.

The essence of American writing

"There is nothing new under the sun, its all been done before" -King Solomon

Tom Waits music at the end was a nice touch.

Hank had a calm psychosis about him. His words more so. A great writer of poetry and prose.

I agree a hundred percent. I find myself being bored to death when the writers spend time beating about the bush with exaggerated phrases to describe a simple thing to sound more profound.

"If you write dull shit, it doesn't matter what you die from." This is infinitely wise.

i love the story he tells about the guy who pulled a gun on him at that apartment party

I keep seeing this clip over and over again

0:08 "Why, you have have a nice wife?" Wow, I didn't know Borat Sagdiyev actually got to interview Bukowski

So real and authentic. Love this guy would pay to have a beer with him.

'Under the Volcano' is a dull read, but Hank's a poet applying poetic judgment to literary prose. He sounds like a poet looking for like effects in all the prose he tried to read. There's a place for rapid-fire, rat-a-tat-tat writing, but that's what '40s detective noir novels were for (and some others, of course). 'Dull' doesn't equate to 'bed' if by 'dull' the critic means 'It didn't snap and crackle like a poem.'

If you are unfamiliar with Bukowski's work. He wrote several novels and several collections of poems. One of my favorite poems is The Man With The Beautiful Eyes. There's a great narration/animation of it on KZfaq

The professional drunk line is my favourite and most savage and hysterical comment ever made on this planet. You died choking on your own vomit? Amatuer! What you do after a big drink is position your head over the bed so you vomit on the floor, fucking idiot!. What a glorious person and i like his wit as it feels half serious. If you are going to be a fuck up in life and do stupid things like drugs or alcohol abuse, you better have some sort of plan in place on how to deal with that stuff and not just go into it willy nilly.

Absolutely priceless! Thanks!❤

Be nice if the interviewer had the presence of mind to ask Bukowski who he thought were good or even great writers (present company excepted)!

Love him roasting this man’s death hahaha

still love your work!!

This is so cool. Honestly I thought there was something wrong with me that I couldn’t get with the kinds of writing that he was criticizing and that I could only keep my interest with writers who do bim bim bim. Nathaniel West comes to mind as one of my favorites who totally exudes that style in Miss Lonelyhearts. So glad I came across this!!

Great interview.

His writing is lively all right. Really easy to read. Quite like Hemmingway. Short punchy sentences. Sterling Hayden's autobiography was similar.

I always click on Charles' interviews. He doesnt hold back on his opinions like most are afraid to do, especially in the entertainment world.

His approach to writing can and should be applied to any creative medium.

"sir how do i write" "bimbimbim" "cool but sir how do i write" "i throw up on the floor!" "mr. bim how the fuck do i write"

This is fantastic.

I must be living on a different level because life continues to surprise me even in late middle age. I learn and grow every month, sometimes even in the space of a week! But times are different.

Jack Kerouac also thought the same about writing. Every line must full of life

It seems "Mr. McGillicuddy" is translated as "Meneer Huppeldepup" a 2:54

We couldn't hear to Dostoevsky, but Bukowski is there to fill that gap

pace, life, sunlight, flavor, , delicious, juice such direct wisdom

is totally true what he says, i feel it in my own writings and lyrics, i see and feel the difference when you put the juice on it

He's a tired old drunk but he's right. If you're doing everything to set up a climax, no one will even care about it if you've bored them along the way to get there.

love his voice

the end of this video is so awesome

I fully agree with Charles about every line needing its own life.

Most celebrities emerge from Borat interviews looking ridiculous. Not Charles. CLASS act ❤

"" Enjoy this man. Forget this interview. "" ❤❤

Holy Bukowski…reading his books its like talking with him…lucky interviewer.

As an english major I have such mixed feelings about what I'm hearing.. But I'm dropping out so I guess in the end he must have some kind of point lol This killed me 3:55 💀💀

My all time favorite writer!

Great clip/ thx

Well said, well said, well said.

I love this man

Thanks friend

Ham on Rye was a seriously page turning book. Really good reading.

Thanks for the Tom Waits at the end.

Incredible

Tough men together, through the horrors of Life

as I get older this unfortunately speaks to me in a very profound way

Refreshing

Legend ❤

The Belgian reporter interviewing Charles, was Fernand Auwera (1929-2015), this interview was taken in 1980, my year of birth by the way. Fernand was a brilliant, yet troubled mind. Same goes for Bukowski, probably why Charles liked Fernand so much.

I love you, Henry

jesus I'm 25 and it's been like this since forever. idk how did this come up to me?????

The man was a genius RIP 🙏

In the movie “Barfly”, Mickey Roarke had a blast playing this character

Bukowski would’ve loved Midwest emo

Bucky youre the best man!

this is the atomic age 😀

There was a bar in Boston named after this genius. One of the best burgers I’ve ever had. Wonder if it’s still there?

Words of truth

Bukowski, hahaha. This was great, explaining how to vomit properly as a 'professional drunk'. Can't help but smile at that

Flavor and Power baby!

I definitely relate to his sentiment on things taking on a repeat. I'm already tired of life in my 40's.

I believe you Charles!

Cheers to that.

Yesterday I wrote some beautiful poetry: bim bim bim bim bim bim bim bim bim bim bim bim

For anyone wondering, the song at the end is "Waltzing Matilda" performed by Tom Waits.

Charles Bukowski was all about the harsh truth most of the time, but he had a Poet's heart and sometimes a flower bloomed out of that mire. What he is talking about here is a good contrast between poetry and prose really, but there are boring poets too of course.

The bim bim bim technique is good sometimes but not always. Thomas wolfe was not a bim bim writer and I love him but I also love bukowskis minimalism

0:22 I like how the interviewers must think he's asking if the filming has ended or ssomething while he's just making his point

The music that comes through at the end when Bukowski gives up the axe is almost comical.

We're tough men TOGETHER through the HORRORS of LIFE

"Things repeating" = "Tired of myself"

Repeatition in itself does not make life tiresome. This morning, I had my 7000th coffee. Not less delightful than my 100th. But if Im tired of life, if doesnt matter if it was my first ever sip, I wouldnt appreciate it enough. Repeatition is life, and if you enjoy life, you will look forward to repeating what makes it worthwhile.

In perceived many here at coment session never read Charles Bukowski because they're talking non-sense shit. bukowlski was very famous even from his time, and an excellent writer who catch you in every line of his books. Read the book first folks and comment later, trust me it will be worthy

The way he talks man, it's just something else. "Oh that's ookaaaay..."