Bukowski

If there is anything more futile than coveting a man's soul, it is pretending to be that man.I wanted to be the poet Charles "Hank" Bukowski.I tried to be Bukowski.Now Hank is dead, and I've stopped trying.This month, leukemia took Hank away at 73. His family came to America from Germany when he was 3, landing first in Baltimore. They settled in Los Angeles. It was here that Hank suffered his father's stern discipline, without escape, until finding solace in a bottle at age 13. Like Los Angeles, booze would both corrupt and create his writing all his life.

Appointments * Shirley Bigley LaMotte of Baltimore Reads Inc. has been appointed to the Baltimore City Workforce Investment Board by Mayor Sheila Dixon. On the board * Robert E. Grady, a partner in the Carlyle Group, has been named to the board of directors of Rockville-based The Symbio Group. Openings * Bukowski Public Relations has opened in Bel Air. The new agency will focus on providing communications and public relations services to small to midsize companies in the Baltimore-Washington market.

I knew Charles Bukowski. We bet the horses together sometimes. I can still see him, in an old undershirt and army-surplus pants, his face like a spoiled melon, upturned, watching the tote.This was many years ago. Back in L.A. Before the movie ''Barfly.'' Before many of the 40 books: ''Notes of a Dirty Old Man,'' ''Flower, Fist and Bestial Wail,'' ''Erections, Ejaculations, Exhibitions and General Tales of Ordinary Madness.'' The cult around Bukowski was still small back then, made up of druggies, whores and other outcasts, and peach-fuzz kids like me fascinated with the slimy underbelly and barely literate enough to read Bukowski's simple, brutal picture of it.Now Bukowski has died a hard death at 73, leukemia and pneumonia, disappearing in the dead of winter.

Five years ago, actor Wayne Willinger knew almost nothing about the life and works of the late author Charles Bukowski. Tonight, he will become him. If you go Bukowski in Baltimore is at 9 tonight at Flux Studios, 1821 N. Charles St. Tickets are $6. Information: myspace.com/thisisflux.

There is one indelible scene in the new documentary Bukowski: Born Into This in which we find the poet and novelist Charles Bukowski standing old and craggy in the driveway of his childhood home, next to the lawn he mowed as a boy, explaining how his father would beat him if he missed a single blade of grass. Naturally, then, his father beat him every time he mowed the lawn. Born Into This makes the argument that those beatings and other hardships helped form Bukowski, who died in 1994, into a writer who reclaimed poetry for the people, ripping it from the clutches of the academics to speak for the drunk, the angry and the poor.

LOS ANGELES -- Charles Bukowski, the prolific writer and poet laureate of Los Angeles low-life whose rough-hewn autobiographical poems, short stories, novels and 1987 film "Barfly" chronicled his hard-bitten alcoholic youth, died yesterday. He was 73.Mr. Bukowski, a cult favorite in Europe before he achieved fame at home, died of leukemia at San Pedro Peninsula Hospital, said his wife, Linda. She said that although he had suffered from the disease for about a year, he had worked until recently.

The American writer and poet Charles Bukowski is certainly an acquired taste, and Factotum may be just the film for determining whether one wants to acquire it. Based largely on Bukowski's autobiographical 1975 novel, the movie stars Matt Dillon as Bukowski's stand-in, Henry Chinaski. Factotum doesn't let us in on much of Chinaski's background, but his present is plenty bleak enough to help us fill in the blanks. A cynical, iconoclastic drifter whose only ambition is to write, Chinaski wafts from menial job to menial job, rarely keeping them for more than a few days (mostly because he spends more time at the nearest bar than on the job)

Five years ago, actor Wayne Willinger knew almost nothing about the life and works of the late author Charles Bukowski. Tonight, he will become him. If you go Bukowski in Baltimore is at 9 tonight at Flux Studios, 1821 N. Charles St. Tickets are $6. Information: myspace.com/thisisflux.

On August 4, 2005, ERMA JACOB WEBER; beloved wife of the late Laughton F. Weber; devoted mother of Cathy Palley and Joyce Zajdel; loving sister of Herman Jacob; loving son in-law Leonard Zajdel; dear grandmother of Gina Bukowski and Sandy Zajdel and great-grandmother of Corey and Lauren Zajdel, & Hunter and Sawyer Bukowski. Friends may call at the CVACH/ROSEDALE FUNERAL HOME, 1211 Chesaco Avenue, on Sunday, 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 P.M. Funeral service Monday, 11 A.M. at the funeral home. Interment Gardens of Faith Cemetery.

The Anne Arundel County school board nominating convention selected Pamela K. Bukowski and Edward P. Carey last night as its choices to fill two seats with expiring terms. Carey, the current board president, ran unopposed as an incumbent and received 59 of 78 votes by convention delegates. For the second board seat, Bukowski received 48 votes - 30 more than runner-up Enrique M. Melendez, an Arnold aviation executive. But all three names will be sent to Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., who can ignore the nominating commission's wishes in making the appointments.

The American writer and poet Charles Bukowski is certainly an acquired taste, and Factotum may be just the film for determining whether one wants to acquire it. Based largely on Bukowski's autobiographical 1975 novel, the movie stars Matt Dillon as Bukowski's stand-in, Henry Chinaski. Factotum doesn't let us in on much of Chinaski's background, but his present is plenty bleak enough to help us fill in the blanks. A cynical, iconoclastic drifter whose only ambition is to write, Chinaski wafts from menial job to menial job, rarely keeping them for more than a few days (mostly because he spends more time at the nearest bar than on the job)

Ben Lee Ben Lee's album Awake Is the New Sleep has been hailed by fans and critics alike, particularly the single "Catch My Disease." The Australian singer-songwriter will play Fletcher's on Wednesday. It's a great chance to see the indie performer in an intimate venue. The place's capacity is about 160, according to Fletcher's manager Matt Bukowski. He said they expect the show to sell out. Fletcher's is at 701 S. Bond St. Doors open at 8 p.m. Tickets are $12 and are available by calling 410-547-SEAT or visiting ticketmaster.

On August 4, 2005, ERMA JACOB WEBER; beloved wife of the late Laughton F. Weber; devoted mother of Cathy Palley and Joyce Zajdel; loving sister of Herman Jacob; loving son in-law Leonard Zajdel; dear grandmother of Gina Bukowski and Sandy Zajdel and great-grandmother of Corey and Lauren Zajdel, & Hunter and Sawyer Bukowski. Friends may call at the CVACH/ROSEDALE FUNERAL HOME, 1211 Chesaco Avenue, on Sunday, 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 P.M. Funeral service Monday, 11 A.M. at the funeral home. Interment Gardens of Faith Cemetery.

The Anne Arundel County school board nominating convention selected Pamela K. Bukowski and Edward P. Carey last night as its choices to fill two seats with expiring terms. Carey, the current board president, ran unopposed as an incumbent and received 59 of 78 votes by convention delegates. For the second board seat, Bukowski received 48 votes - 30 more than runner-up Enrique M. Melendez, an Arnold aviation executive. But all three names will be sent to Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., who can ignore the nominating commission's wishes in making the appointments.

There is one indelible scene in the new documentary Bukowski: Born Into This in which we find the poet and novelist Charles Bukowski standing old and craggy in the driveway of his childhood home, next to the lawn he mowed as a boy, explaining how his father would beat him if he missed a single blade of grass. Naturally, then, his father beat him every time he mowed the lawn. Born Into This makes the argument that those beatings and other hardships helped form Bukowski, who died in 1994, into a writer who reclaimed poetry for the people, ripping it from the clutches of the academics to speak for the drunk, the angry and the poor.

A Severna Park lawyer and an Annapolis parent were nominated last night from a field of four candidates vying to replace outgoing Anne Arundel County school board member and Vice President Anthony Spencer. Attorney Michael G. Leahy and Pamela K. Bukowski, a mother of six and frequent school volunteer, garnered the most votes from more than 100 delegates who attended the county school board nominating convention at South River High School. Now that the delegates -- representatives of residents associations, churches, parent groups and business associations -- have spoken, the convention committee will recommend Leahy and Bukowski to Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., who makes the appointment.

A Severna Park lawyer and an Annapolis parent were nominated last night from a field of four candidates vying to replace outgoing Anne Arundel County school board member and Vice President Anthony Spencer. Attorney Michael G. Leahy and Pamela K. Bukowski, a mother of six and frequent school volunteer, garnered the most votes from more than 100 delegates who attended the county school board nominating convention at South River High School. Now that the delegates -- representatives of residents associations, churches, parent groups and business associations -- have spoken, the convention committee will recommend Leahy and Bukowski to Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., who makes the appointment.

Ben Lee Ben Lee's album Awake Is the New Sleep has been hailed by fans and critics alike, particularly the single "Catch My Disease." The Australian singer-songwriter will play Fletcher's on Wednesday. It's a great chance to see the indie performer in an intimate venue. The place's capacity is about 160, according to Fletcher's manager Matt Bukowski. He said they expect the show to sell out. Fletcher's is at 701 S. Bond St. Doors open at 8 p.m. Tickets are $12 and are available by calling 410-547-SEAT or visiting ticketmaster.

Pretty is not a word that Arundel coach Tom Degner uses often to describe his girls soccer team's style of play. Then again, fancy adjectives don't necessarily translate into victories, and wins are all that matter to the No. 15 Wildcats, who edged visiting South River, 2-1, yesterday in Gambrills. Arundel, which improved to 4-1 overall and 3-0 in Anne Arundel County, eschewed its finesse game for the long-ball route, earning two goals from sophomore forward Alli Wilkerson. "These are never pretty games," Degner said.

Eastern Tech hurler Bret Waskiewicz finished yesterday's 2-1 victory at defending Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association B Conference champ Cardinal Gibbons exactly the way he started it, by striking out a batter swinging. Waskiewicz pitched seven strong innings, striking out out 10, walking two and hitting one. The 6-foot-2, 180-pounder gave up only three hits, improving to 1-1 on the year. The right-hander also fueled the Mavericks (1-1) at the plate, as his second-inning double scored Matt Bukowski for the game's first run. Waskiewicz was walked in the fifth inning, and his courtesy runner, Steve Shepers, eventually scored the game-winning run. Shepers crossed the plate from third base when the shortstop misplayed a difficult one-hopper that glanced off his knee.