Bukowski on Acne From Ham on Rye Black Sparrow Press 1982 Ham on Rye, a semi-autobiographical novel, follows Henry Chinaski, Bukowski’s thinly-veiled alter ego, during his early years. It contains harrowing descriptions of Bukowski’s suffering from acne conglobata and his reflections on the dermatologists who treated him.  Fortunately, today, isotretinoin can help most of these patients. Here are some excerpts from Ham on Rye:   Chapter 29 I was ashamed of my boils at school.  At Chelsey, you had a choice between gym and ROTC.  I took ROTC because then I didn’t have to wear a gym suit and nobody could see the boils on my body. Handling the rifle … Continue reading →