Betting on the Muse

“The Walt Whitman of Los Angeles.”—Joyce Carol Oates, bestselling author

“He brought everybody down to earth, even the angels.”—Leonard Cohen, songwriter

Betting on the Muse is a combination of hilarious poetry and stories. Charles Bukowski writes about the real life of a working man and all that comes with it.

One man against the world. One typewriter against the void.

• Raw and Honest Writing: Bukowski’s unmistakable voice—direct, profane, and startlingly beautiful—chronicles a life lived without a safety net.
• Working Class Life: From skid row bars and dead-end jobs to the madness of the racetrack, these pieces capture the struggles and small victories of the everyday.
• Dark Humor: Find laughter in the darkest corners of life, where a confession about pissing in an elevator becomes a commentary on the human condition.
• Poems and Short Stories: A powerful mix of Bukowski’s signature free verse poetry and his hard-hitting short fiction, all in one collection.