Charles Bukowski (1920-1994)

Henry Charles Bukowski was a German-American poet, novelist, and short story writer. His writing was influenced by the social, cultural, and economic ambience of his adopted home city of Los Angeles. Bukowski's work addresses the ordinary lives of poor Americans, the act of writing, alcohol, relationships with women, and the drudgery of work.

Quotes

An intellectual says a simple thing in a hard way. An artist says a hard thing in a simple way.
You begin saving the world by saving one man at a time; all else is grandiose romanticism or politics.
I don't hate people, I just feel better when they aren't around.
Of course it's possible to love a human being if you don't know them too well.
For those who believe in God, most of the big questions are answered. But for those of us who can't readily accept the God formula, the big answers don't remain stone-written. We adjust to new conditions and discoveries. We are pliable. Love need not be a command or faith a dictum. I am my own God. We are here to unlearn the teachings of the church, state, and our educational system. We are here to drink beer. We are here to kill war. We are here to laugh at the odds and live our lives so well that Death will tremble to take us.
Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must lead.
The difference between a democracy and a dictatorship is that in a democracy you vote first and take orders later; in a dictatorship you don't have to waste your time voting.