All My Heroes are Drunks

All My Heroes are Drunks
(A Love Poem for the writers)

If you are young, and drink, or use drugs, you’re a fool, if you are old
I suppose, it might do…! Sometimes its takes booze to talk to fools.
The only thing worse than booze, is suicide. It no longer offers pleasure,
Only veils loneliness, and attempts to escape. I drank for
Many years, and then, for many years I didn’t, but it
Haunts me, it has its own mind. Drinking starts with a word
And ends with a word. I never could think straight, I
Guess that was the premise of it all. I
Laughed, talked and danced, and was
Never sure with whom. I never
Knew my potential
Until I stopped drinking…!

For my Heroes (all writers and all drunks):

Truman Capote (1924-1984) 59-years old at death
RAYMOND CHANDLER [1888-1959] 71-years old at death
FREDERICK EXLEY [1929-92] 63-years old at death
JACK KEROUAC (1922-1969) 47-years old at death
JACK LONDON (1876-1916) 40-years old at death
F. SCOTT FITZGERALD (1896-1940) 44-years old at death
EDGAR ALLAN POE (1809-1949) 40-years old at death
WILLIAM FAULKNER (1897-1962) 65-years old at death
ERNEST HEMINGWAY (1899-1961) 62-years old at death
HUNTER S. THOMPSON (1937-2005) 48-years old at death
- CHARLES BUKOWSKI (1920-1994) 74-years old at death

#2163 1-19-2008

Notes (Commentary on my heroes): Faulkner and Hemingway, both Nobel Prize winners, both drunks, both thought they were intellectuals, and were not; both never went to college, somehow made history in their push in the literary world though. Faulkner was also invited to Harvard to speak, another poor choice on behalf of Harvard Professors. I have read all of Faulkner’s works, nothing impressive, dull stories to say the least, but for its time perhaps a little above the C-plus status. Bukowski, a Los Angels poet, also considered the Poet Laureate of Skid Row, was of a German background (I have a book signed by him). He did attend college for two years, more than I can say about half the poets I know.
Out of the eleven-heroes I have mentioned, most died in their 40s, a few in their early 70s, as the same for a few in their early 60s, and none in their 80s.
I have books signed by Truman Capote, Jack London, William Faulkner, and Charles Bukowski, I like their writings-perhaps with most of them on how and why, and some history within them, and perhaps the best writer, or most faultless writer—of them all being, Capote. His heroes were Faulkner and Poe. We all have heroes. “Music for Chameleons,” was his last work he did and published, and I think his best. That is the book I have signed by him. Raymond Chandler known especially for the screenplay he collaborated on “Stranger on a Train,” which was made into a movie, by Alfred Hitchcock. Frederick Exley, was admitted to the state institution, his heart was not too good, as was his drinking (‘Last Notes from Home’’). In addition to a few books he wrote, he also wrote poetry and articles.