The Unbearable Banishment: Drunken renaissance man

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Drunken renaissance man

Many of you already know that Charles Bukowski was a pretty decent short story writer and poet. But were you also aware that he was an artist of little renown? It's true! Writing. Painting. Drinking. Fighting with women. Working menial jobs. That guy stretched himself pretty thin throughout his long life. In my column on collecting rare books in the February issue of the Undie Press, I reveal more of my fucked-up past and somehow manage to tie it all into some paintings by Bukowski that I own.

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Over this past weekend, Mrs. Wife and I finally saw The Social Network. For some unexplainable reason, it left me feeling smugly satisfied that I don't have a Facebook account. As though my neglect was a dangerous act of rebellion. My rational for ignoring Facebook has always been that maintaining a blog is egomaniacal enough. (Also, I don't need Facebook to constantly remind me of how few "friends" I have.)

For the record, my last act of rebellion prior to ignoring Facebook was waiting as long as I did to get married and have children.

14 Comments:

Blogger Ponita in Real Life said...

Well, you are very correct that any performer, whether in sports, or the arts, is nothing without the audience. And it seems you have become one helluvan excellent audience participant!

I've never read Bukowski but can't say his artwork does anything for me. Although that postal supervisor looks a bit like The Count, don't you think?

Of course, if you get laid off again, you could sell some of your collection to feed your family... Seems like it's been a worthwhile investment from that standpoint, at least!

February 16, 2011 at 2:15 PM  
Anonymous daisyfae said...

i should get drunk and paint. not that i think i could make anything lovely, or valuable, just that it would be fun. hope i remember to lock up the critters first...

February 16, 2011 at 2:27 PM  
Blogger The Unbearable Banishment said...

Ponita: "you could sell some of your collection to feed your family..."

That's just crazy talk. My kids can certainly miss a few meals.

Daisy: Most of Bukowski's work looks like it was rendered after he had a few too many. I tried to paint once. Useless!

February 16, 2011 at 2:33 PM  
Blogger LẌ said...

I'll be your friend if you joint FB! LOL! BRB! WTF!

February 16, 2011 at 2:38 PM  
Blogger savannah said...

i'm glad we're pals, sugar! i really do like the way you think! :~D xoxoxox

February 16, 2011 at 2:43 PM  
Blogger The Unbearable Banishment said...

XL: I appreciate the offer but you're TOO LATE. I'm riding the crest of the the anti-FB wave. There's no turning back.

Savannah: I'm most happy to have you around, too. I've been wondering what's going on down in GA.

February 16, 2011 at 3:01 PM  
Anonymous nursemyra said...

I try to commit at least one small act of rebellion every day

February 16, 2011 at 4:04 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm also a member of your rebellion. I figure my three friends can always call me if they want to know what I'm up to.

February 17, 2011 at 12:48 AM  
Blogger Nimpipi said...

Hot pics of all those actresses you dated all those years ago, all on Facebook. If you join Facebook, I'll read Bukowski.

February 17, 2011 at 3:19 AM  
Blogger The Unbearable Banishment said...

Nurse: Something tells me that on gold-star days you double-up on your acts of rebellion.

kykn: We should start our own social network! Designed for people who don't have a use for a social network.

Nimpipi: Hot pics of ex-actress girlfriends is the primary reason I stay the hell off FB. I've said it before; FB is the devil's playground.

February 17, 2011 at 7:23 AM  
Blogger Sausage said...

Fecking FB!!!! I joined under much pressure and pleading from old pals, I must admit that I hate it....
Same with twitter, I mean who the freak needs to know that I just ran out of toilet paper....
A load of rubbish, the next generation will not know how to talk to a live person by the time they are adults.

February 17, 2011 at 7:48 AM  
Blogger Kono said...

Is is something in the water on the West Side of Cleveland? you sir are a prince among men. And i'm with Nursie, at least one act of rebellion a day, large, small or in the middle, doesn't matter.

February 17, 2011 at 8:03 AM  
Blogger Kono said...

Okay now i've read your article and i'm pissed, you lucky bastard, i'd make sure that stuff is all insured and kept very safe, you're sitting on a small fortune most likely, and someday Mr. UB we're gonna sit down and have a beer, though i'll admit i'm prone to long periods of silence followed by torrents of words.

February 17, 2011 at 8:15 AM  
Blogger The Unbearable Banishment said...

Sausage: I actually HAVE a Twitter account! I opened it about two years ago on the urging of a friend. It lasted about three weeks. I haven't been back since. All the minutia! WHO CARES?!

kono: Funny...all these years I've been blaming my woes on the waters of the West Side of Cleveland. Never thought of it as a blessing but perhaps I need to revisit that.

February 17, 2011 at 8:18 AM  

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