Low life writer and alcoholic Henry chinaski was born to survive. Now, at the age of fifty, he is living the life of a rock star, running three hundred hangovers a year and a sex life that would cripple Casanova.

Forfatterens alter ego - poeten Henry Chinaski - er halvgammel og ulækker. Alligevel scorer han lykkeligvis hele tiden kvinder, for hans livs interesse ER kvinder, sex, sprut og poesi