did bukowski write any notable works while in the depths (of working in) the post office? i know he wrote as a kid (like in factotum) and as an older man. was wondering if delivering mail in torrential rain, with nothing but matches and a clipboard for 20 (?) someodd years slowed down his creative motivation.
post office
- Thread starter nomadi
- Start date
Buk was a carrier from 1952-55 and then worked as a sorter from 1958-70. See the Timeline we have here at our disposal for the works he produced while working there.
mjp
Founding member
While he was carrying mail (from 1952-55, as Purple Stickpin said), he wrote very little. While he worked as a mail sorter (from 1958-70), he wrote very much. But mainly poems. In 1969 he published a book of short stories, Notes of a Dirty Old Man, and started writing a weekly alternative newspaper column, also called Notes of a Dirty Old Man.
He didn't finish his first novel until he quit the post office. But that doesn't mean he wasn't writing, he was writing a lot. And a lot of it was notable. But again, mainly poems.
So to answer to your question of whether working in the post office slowed down his writing, no, it did not. He wrote much more after leaving the post office, but you'd expect that since he had 9 or 10 more hours a day to write.
He didn't finish his first novel until he quit the post office. But that doesn't mean he wasn't writing, he was writing a lot. And a lot of it was notable. But again, mainly poems.
So to answer to your question of whether working in the post office slowed down his writing, no, it did not. He wrote much more after leaving the post office, but you'd expect that since he had 9 or 10 more hours a day to write.
Johannes
Founding member
You could argue that Bukowski was born or broke through as a writer while working the night shift as a mail sorter from 1958-1970.
Just how fucking much he wrote begins to dawn on you when you look at his letters alone. Not even to mention the poems, articles, short stories, occasional forewords to other peoples work, started novels, book reviews and later in the 60's his weekly column for Open City.
Just how fucking much he wrote begins to dawn on you when you look at his letters alone. Not even to mention the poems, articles, short stories, occasional forewords to other peoples work, started novels, book reviews and later in the 60's his weekly column for Open City.