Shadowboxing with Bukowski is the tragicomic, cautionary tale of Nicholas Kastinovich, a young bookseller who struggles to keep his bookstore afloat in the harbor town of San Pedro, CA, where the infamous Charles Bukowski resides. Kastinovich is pushed to the edge by events beyond his control, not least of which is the curmudgeonly ghost of the former owner, his flailing marriage, and the community that sees him as an outsider. The intrepid book lover fights the noble battle against mediocrity and apathy, while in a moment of desperation his wife enlists Bukowski's aid.