On Drinking

The definitive collection of works on a subject that inspired and haunted Charles Bukowski for his entire life: alcohol

Charles Bukowski turns to the bottle in this revelatory collection of poetry and prose that includes some of the writer’s best and most lasting work. A self-proclaimed “dirty old man,” Bukowski used alcohol as muse and as fuel, a conflicted relationship responsible for some of his darkest moments as well as some of his most joyful and inspired.

In On Drinking, Bukowski expert Abel Debritto has collected the writer’s most profound, funny, and memorable work on his ups and downs with the hard stuff—a topic that allowed Bukowski to explore some of life’s most pressing questions. Through drink, Bukowski is able to be alone, to be with people, to be a poet, a lover, and a friend—though often at great cost. As Bukowski writes in a poem simply titled “Drinking,”: “for me/it was or/is/a manner of/dying/with boots on/and gun/smoking and a/symphony music background.”

On Drinking is a powerful testament to the pleasures and miseries of a life in drink, and a window into the soul of one of our most beloved and enduring writers.

This career-spanning collection reveals Bukowski’s world in his own words:

• Unfiltered Poems and Prose: See the world through Bukowski’s eyes in pieces that treat alcohol as both muse and destructive force.
• Gritty Realism: Experience the raw, unapologetic voice of a self-proclaimed "dirty old man" chronicling a life of bar fights, cheap rooms, and creative fire.
• Candid Letters and Interviews: Go behind the scenes with Bukowski as he discusses his writing process, his influences, and the role drinking played in his art.
• Iconic American Literature: A testament to the pleasures and miseries of a life in drink, this collection is an essential window into the soul of an enduring counter-culture legend.