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My writing is jagged and harsh, I want it to remain that way; I don't want it smoothed out.
Charles Bukowski
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Bukowski prefers his writing to be raw and unrefined, reflecting authenticity.

This quote by Charles Bukowski emphasizes the importance of authenticity in art and writing. He expresses a desire for his work to retain its inherent jaggedness, suggesting that a lack of polish allows deeper truths to emerge, and that the rough edges of one's expression can be more genuine and impactful than a smooth but artificial presentation.

Themes

WritingAuthenticityRawArtExpression

In practice

Example use cases

In a workshop on creative writing, one might quote Bukowski to encourage students to embrace their unique styles.

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I can never drive my car over a bridge without thinking of suicide. I can never look at a lake or an ocean without thinking of suicide.
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The masses are always wrong...Wisdom is doing everything the crowd does not do. All you do is reverse the totality of their learning and you have the heaven they're looking for.
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I'm going to open another vottle. not a vottle, but a bottle. you open it and I'll drink it. and you try to write as much as I did without falling off of your chair.
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To experience real agony is something hard to write about, impossible to understand while it grips you; you're frightened out of your wits, can’t sit still, move, or even go decently insane.
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I lapsed into my pathetic cut-off period. Often with humans, both good and bad, my senses simply shut off, they get tired, I give up. I am polite. I nod. I pretend to understand because I don’t want anybody to be hurt. That is the one weakness that has lead me into the most trouble. Trying to be kind to others I often get my soul shredded into a kind of spiritual pasta. No matter. My brain shuts off. I listen. I respond. And they are too dumb to know that I am not there.
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