Illuminated by a resonant voice and conjuring the desperation and absurdity of being human, the perceptive poetry of Charles Bukowski transcends its particular moment to speak to us as forcefully today as when it was written. Taking on a wide range of subjects—from love to death to sex to writing—Bukowski’s unvarnished poetry touches on enduring concerns while remaining sharply aware of the day-to-day.

With his keen eye for the ridiculous and the troubling, Bukowski speaks to the deepest longings and strangest facets of the human experience. Granular yet expansive, this is tough, unrelenting poetry touched by grace.

This is the essential Bukowski.