Editing Charles Bukowski (section)

=== Black Sparrow years ===
In 1969, Bukowski accepted an offer from [[Black Sparrow Press]] publisher [[John Martin (publisher)|John Martin]] and quit his post office job to dedicate himself to full-time writing. He was then 49 years old. As he explained in a letter at the time, "I have one of two choices – stay in the post office and go crazy ... or stay out here and play at writer and starve. I have decided to starve."<ref name=buktro>{{cite web|url=http://www.jaydougherty.com/bukowski/index.html |title=''Introduction to Charles Bukowski'' by Jay Dougherty |publisher=Jaydougherty.com |date=August 16, 1920 |access-date=July 17, 2014}}</ref> Less than one month after leaving the postal service he finished his first novel, ''[[Post Office (novel)|Post Office]]''. As a measure of respect for Martin's financial support and faith in a relatively unknown writer, Bukowski published almost all of his subsequent major works with Black Sparrow Press, which became a highly successful enterprise. An avid supporter of small independent presses, Bukowski continued to submit poems and short stories to innumerable small publications throughout his career.<ref name="Found" />

Bukowski embarked on a series of love affairs and [[one-night stand|one-night trysts]]. One of these relationships was with [[Linda King]], a sculptor and poet. Critic [[Robert Peters (playwright)|Robert Peters]] reported seeing Bukowski as an actor in King's play ''Only a Tenant'', in which she and Bukowski stage-read the first act at the Pasadena Museum of the Artist. This was a one-off performance of what was a shambolic work.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://www.bookrags.com/criticism/bukowski-charles-19201994/11/|title=Charles Bukowski – Criticism|work=[[BookRags]]}}</ref> Bukowski's other affairs were with a recording executive and a twenty-three-year-old redhead; he wrote a book of poetry as a tribute to his love for the latter, titled, "Scarlet" (Black Sparrow Press, 1976). His various affairs and relationships provided material for his stories and poems. Another important relationship was with "Tanya", [[pseudonym]] of "Amber O'Neil" (also a pseudonym), described in Bukowski's "Women" as a pen-pal that evolved into a weekend tryst at Bukowski's residence in Los Angeles in the 1970s. "Amber O'Neil" later self-published a chapbook about the affair entitled "Blowing My Hero".<ref>Sounes, Howard. ''Charles Bukowski: Locked in the Arms of a Crazy Life''. Grove Press, 1998. 275.</ref>

In 1976, Bukowski met Linda Lee Beighle, a health food restaurant owner, rock-and-roll groupie, aspiring actress, heiress to a small Philadelphia "Main Line" fortune and devotee of [[Meher Baba]]. Two years later he moved from the [[East Hollywood]] area, where he had lived for most of his life, to the harborside community of [[San Pedro, Los Angeles|San Pedro]],<ref>Ciotti, Paul. (March 22, 1987) [[Los Angeles Times]] ''[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-03-22-tm-14539-story.html Bukowski: He's written more than 40 books, and in Europe he's treated like a rock star. He has dined with Norman Mailer and goes to the race track with Sean Penn. Mickey Rourke and Faye Dunaway are starring in a movie based on his life. At 66, poet Charles Bukowski is suddenly in vogue.]'' Section: Los Angeles Times Magazine;  p12.</ref> the southernmost district of Los Angeles. Beighle followed him and they lived together intermittently over the next two years. They were eventually married by [[Manly Palmer Hall]], a Canadian-born author, mystic, and spiritual teacher, in 1985. Beighle is referred to as "Sara" in Bukowski's novels ''[[Women (Bukowski novel)|Women]]'' and ''[[Hollywood (Bukowski novel)|Hollywood]]''.

In the 1980s, Bukowski collaborated with cartoonist [[Robert Crumb]] on a series of comic books, with Bukowski supplying the writing and Crumb providing the artwork. Through the 1990s Crumb also illustrated a number of Bukowski's stories, including the collection ''The Captain Is Out to Lunch and the Sailors Have Taken Over the Ship'' and the story "[[Bring Me Your Love (short story)|Bring Me Your Love]]".<ref>Popova, Maria. [http://www.brainpickings.org/2012/10/08/r-crumb-illustrates-bukowski/ "R. Crumb Illustrates Bukowksi"] www.brainpickings.org. Retrieved September 25, 2014.</ref>

Bukowski was also published in ''[[Beloit Poetry Journal]]''.