There's a scene where the 5th grade alter Bukowski ego makes up a story of him seeing President Hoover come to town. The teacher compliments him on it even after he admits to making up.
So you can't tell how much of this is real and what's made up.
Bukowski's prose is clear and objective. His alter ego is a Hemingway fan. But Hemingway's men do heroic things like drive ambulances in wars or catch huge fish. Bukowski's guy is the bottom of the bottom in down out depression LA.

Here's a good passage:
Walking home I had the medal in my pocket. Who was old Sussex? Just some guy who had to shit like the rest of us. Everybody had to conform, find a mold to fit into. Doctor, lawyer, soldier – it didn’t mater what it was. Once in the mold you had to push forward. Sussex was as helpless as the next man. Either you managed to do something or you starved in the streets.
I was alone, walking. On my side of the street just before reaching the first boulevard on the long walk home.....
I turned away from the window and walked along some more. Just before reaching the boulevard I stepped into the street and saw an enormous storm drain almost at my feet. It was like a great black mouth leading down to the bowels of the earth. I reached into my pocket and too the medal and tossed it toward the black opening. It went right in. It disappeared into the darkness.