Jason, I feel that it is unwise to throw out Bukowski’s poetry on the basis of its association to alcoholism, drugs, illicit sex, etc. Spiritually speaking, if you are an advocate of chastity, temperance, and Christian morality in general, then Bukowski’s exploration of sex, drugs, and “poison hell” provides a pretty good example of the spiritual corruption that follows from that lifestyle. I may be wrong, but I suppose that calling him “just a dirty old man…” was an emotional reaction, a negative correlation between his poetry and your painful history as a nonbeliever. It hurts worse when art (especially, bitter pessimistic art) reflects your own life, but that ought to only further highlight its usefulness in communicating the liberation Christ offers from those enslaving vices. Your own life, which testifies to the grace and freedom of the gospel, also testifies to the authenticity and validity of his poetry.

Insofar as poetry is concerned, his raw, uncoventional style and content was hugely influential on poetry of the 20th century. We’d be remiss to ignore that influence, lest we completely isolate ourselves from those who need the gospel.

D