Despite all of the up-and-downs of his often ramshackle life, despite his fondness for intoxication, despite his loneliness and personal problems, Bukowski made no excuses when it came to the act of writing. Unlike most writers, Bukowski actually wrote. The consistency, conscientiousness, and care he poured into the act borders on the religious, and for this the old bard deserves nothing but praise and recognition as far as I'm concerned.