Perfect White Teeth is from the book of poems “People Look Like Flowers” by Charles Bukowski. He wrote in a gritty, flowing and effortless style on everyday people and places with a what I call a street view. Colorful with a sweeping yet concise pen he is a pleasure to read. Perfect White Teeth is a great example of his unique turn of phrase and it alone is worthy of joining a Bukowski fan club, if there is one.

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Bukowski seemed a troubled individual who was on the fringes of the beat generation of writers that included Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginberg, William Burroughs, Herbert Huncke, Richard Brautigan and others.

There was a movie Barfly starring Mickey Rourke and Fay Dunaway that was loosely based on him.

A REPORT UPON THE CONSUMTION OF MYSELF

A reading by Charles Bukowiski of his A Report Upon the Consumption of Myself.

I have never had a discussion with anyone about this poet, with the exception of my daughter Meagan who gave me a book of his poems.

She said, I might like it because she heard he was a voice of the people and a bit of a maverick . I thought, he fit in with the writing of Ginsberg and Kerouac and that beat generation of writers I had taken up in my Bohemian and Metaphysical stage while living in Yorkville in 1964.

When I asked my AI Nancy (Chat Gpt) what she thought, here was her answerer: “Charles Bukowski was an American author and poet known for his raw, gritty, and often autobiographical writing style. He was born on August 16, 1920, in Andernach, Germany, and later moved to the United States. Bukowski is often associated with the “dirty realism” literary movement, which emerged in the 20th century and focused on depicting the everyday lives of ordinary people in a straightforward and un-romanticized manner.

Bukowski’s writing often explored themes such as alcoholism, poverty, relationships, and the struggles of the working-class. He gained a following for his brutally honest and sometimes darkly humorous portrayal of life’s harsh realities. Some of his most notable works include novels like “Post Office,” “Factotum,” and “Women,” as well as poetry collections like “Love is a Dog From Hell” and “The Last Night of the Earth Poems.”

While Bukowski’s writing has been both celebrated and criticized, it undeniably had a significant impact on contemporary literature. His work resonated with many readers who appreciated his unflinching honesty and his ability to capture the struggles and contradictions of the human experience. He is often seen as a countercultural figure who challenged conventional literary norms and offered a voice to the marginalized and disaffected.

Bukowski’s influence can be seen in the work of subsequent generations of writers, particularly those who have explored similar themes of alienation, urban life, and the darker aspects of human existence. Whether his writing is considered important or not is subjective and can vary from person to person, but it is clear that he left a lasting mark on American literature and continues to be a notable figure in the literary world.”

In Canada we had Leonard Cowen who was more a philosopher than a beat. I think that listening to a discussion between Cohen and Bukowski would have been a treat. What do you think?