This documentary chronicles the writer Charles Bukowski, who is as well known for his drinking binges as for his poetry and prose. Using interviews with Bukowski and other footage, filmmaker John Dullaghan tells the story of a man who struggles to make a living while he writes from the heart. Then, after editor John Martin of Black Sparrow Press discovers Bukowski, his work becomes much more widely read. The film also includes comments from famous fans Bono, Sean Penn and Harry Dean Stanton.