At least among the general public, Charles Bukowski has probably been the most influential American poet since World War II. His exceptionally short lines, his abandonment of rhymes and formal rhythms, and his themes (women, booze, gambling, jadedness, and economic distress) have inspired many — especially young men — to follow his approach. This is true for Taylor Dibbert as well. (He even invokes Bukowski’s approval in one of his poems.)

Every entry in ON THE ROCKS is grounded on drinking, whether he is reflecting on his love life, his divorce, the death of a beloved pet, his Peace Corps experiences, or the ordinary, mundane, events of his life — all of which are celebrated or consoled with one or more of his favorite beverages. 

He is asked in the volume’s first poem why he enjoys writing poetry and his reply is personal before it becomes philosophical:

The search for freedom

The examination of pain

Revisiting old scars and

Processing fresh wounds

Readying myself for the fresh trauma and triumphs ahead

And he closes his mediation with a description of poetry’s effect on poet and receiver alike:

The urgent need to get to the point

And the fact that there is nowhere to hide

This statement is, I believe, the appeal for the Bukowski style. There is little or no metaphor, no fancy language, no flowery flights of fancy, no obscure vocabulary. I’m not sure how truly autobiographical Bukowski is — after all, in his work he refers to himself as Henry Chinaski — but nearly all his poems are relatable to readers who have experienced similar events or feelings; the unapologetic persona seems honest to a fault, using language that is easy to understand and relate to on a personal level.

Dibbert here follows Bukowski’s direction. After reading ON THE ROCKS we should all be able to form a clear opinion of Dibbert’s personality, his character, and his history in an empathetic way. 

Taylor Dibbert’s On the Rocks is available here.