Charles Bukowski

For most disaffected layabouts, ennui-filled ne'erdowells, and booze-addled navel gazers, or those who aspire to be such (and respected as such), Charles Bukowski is a beacon. For them and even those who are weekend layabouts/ennui-filled ne'erdowells/booz-addled so and sos, etc, he said a lot of meaningful things.

Everyone who wants to be different, edgy, carefree, nihilistic, etc, mentions Bukowski as their inspiration or muse. He was kind of a modern day Diogenes, although instead of a lantern, he probably stumbled around with an empty bottle of Jack Daniels, looking for an honest man.

But he had some pithy quotes. Here's one of his good ones that was on some punky kid's profile:

"If it weren't for physics and law enforcement, I would be unstoppable." It's a great one to be sure.

He wrote Barfly, one of my favorite movies. A great musical score in that one, too.

And he also had a great quote that fills me with hopeful procrastination; although it's from Wikipedia so's a bit suspect. Nonetheless, it's pretty good:

'Somebody at one of these places ... asked me: "What do you do? How do you write, create?" You don't, I told them. You don't try. That's very important: not to try, either for Cadillacs, creation or immortality. You wait, and if nothing happens, you wait some more. It's like a bug high on the wall. You wait for it to come to you. When it gets close enough you reach out, slap out and kill it. Or if you like its looks you make a pet out of it.'

We need more people like him today.