Dostoevsky, Fyodor. Notes from the Underground. 1918.

Bukowski credited Dostoevsky as one of his literary and life inspirations. This is evident on his poem dedicated to him. In this work the narrator is an obscure figure who struggles to find his place in the late 19^th century society of Russia. The Underground Man struggles to find satisfaction in his day to day life because he views himself as an acutely conscious individual and therefore intellectually superior to his peers. This acute consciousness is the basis for his commentary throughout the book and is indicative of his inner struggles with self- acceptance. Using this to analyze Bukowski is important to understanding the complex nature of his interactions with others in Post Office.

Encke, Jeffrey. “Run-of-The-Mill Lunacy.” Journal of American Studies, vol. 37, no. 1, 2003, pp. 47–58. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/27557253.

Encke opens the article with an interview with Bukowski that provides insight into his childhood. The rest of the article focuses on the eccentric habits and “otherness” that Bukowski sets his life around. The main point made is that Bukowski “may have conceptualized madness and normalcy”.

Fox, Hugh. “Hugh Fox: The Living Underground: Charles Bukowski.” The North American Review, vol. 254, no. 3, 1969, pp. 57–58. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/25117001.

Fox reviews aspects of Bukowski’s writing that pertain to his “outsider status”. He does this by analyzing biographical aspects of Bukowski’s life as well as recounting personal experiences he had during various meetings with him. This article provides a first hand account of Bukowski’s character in relation to his work.

Madigan, Andrew J. “What Fame Is: Bukowski’s Exploration of Self.” Journal of American Studies, vol. 30, no. 3, 1996, pp. 447–461. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/27556179.

Madigan analyses aspects of Bukowski’s writing that deal with the self. Or rather how Bukowski’s cult readership has created the image for him and over time his work has been kept alive and promoted for the sake of keeping it relevant, a fact that ironically goes against any values Bukowski might have held.

Rosenshield, Gary. “The Fate of Dostoevsky’s Underground Man: The Case for an Open Ending.” The Slavic and East European Journal, vol. 28, no. 3, 1984, pp. 324–339. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/307831.

Rosenshield analyses the possible outcomes for Dostoevsky’s Underground Man. Whether his fate was “dismal” as most scholars say it is or the story ends with a sense of hope is the core of his argument. This article also discusses the themes of desire for redemption and apathetic tendencies held by the Underground Man.

Spencer, Liese. “Bukowski: Born into This.” Sight & Sound, vol. 14, no. 6, June 2004, pp. 49–50. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=hft&AN=505084100&login.asp&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

This is the documentary about Bukowski’s life from his troubled childhood to the present. I watched it to help me better understand him as a person as well as a writer.