Тонкое искусство пофигизма
Chapter 1
Bukowskiwrotebacktotheeditor: “Ihaveoneoftwochoices—stayinthepostofficeandgocrazy...orstayouthereandplayatwriterandstarve. Ihavedecidedtostarve.”
Uponsigningthecontract,Bukowskiwrotehisfirstnovelinthreeweeks. ItwascalledsimplyPostOffice. Inthededication,hewrote,“Dedicatedtonobody.”
Bukowskiwouldmakeitasanovelistandpoet. Hewouldgoonandpublishsixnovelsandhundredsofpoems,sellingovertwomillioncopiesofhisbooks. Hispopularitydefiedeveryone’sexpectations,particularlyhisown.
StorieslikeBukowski’sarethebreadandbutterofourculturalnarrative. Bukowski’slifeembodiestheAmericanDream: amanfightsforwhathewants,nevergivesup,andeventuallyachieveshiswildestdreams. It’spracticallyamoviewaitingtohappen. WealllookatstorieslikeBukowski’sandsay, “See?Henevergaveup.Heneverstoppedtrying.Healwaysbelievedinhimself.Hepersistedagainstalltheoddsandmadesomethingofhimself!”
ItisthenstrangethatonBukowski’stombstone,theepitaphreads: “Don’ttry.”
See,despitethebooksalesandthefame,Bukowskiwasaloser. Heknewit. Andhissuccessstemmednotfromsomedeterminationtobeawinner,butfromthefactthatheknewhewasaloser,acceptedit,andthenwrotehonestlyaboutit. Henevertriedtobeanythingotherthanwhathewas. ThegeniusinBukowski’sworkwasnotinovercomingunbelievableoddsordevelopinghimselfintoashiningliterarylight. Itwastheopposite.
