An Ordinary Disaster

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My entire book-length memoir, serialized right here on Substack

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Memoir and methods on finding the voice of self.
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Memoir

My entire book-length memoir, serialized right here on Substack

Twenty-nine chapters of An Ordinary Disaster

Bowen Dwelle
Dec 1, 2022
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My entire book-length memoir, serialized right here on Substack

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If you’re not already a subscriber, please subscribe now (it’s free) to receive updates on my memoir, as well as all of my new writing. Click here ↓

Learning To Listen

An Ordinary Disaster is one man's proof that despite what may seem like our inability to hear it, and all of our attempts to avoid it, we can all learn to listen to ourselves, and to act upon the inner voice of our self, our sanity and our soul.

This raw, gritty, vulnerable memoir takes us from the author's vibrant but emotionally vacant youth in 1980’s San Francisco through a deeply conflicted adulthood of depression, isolation, and addiction that lay hidden beneath a successful careers in the early days of the internet and as a small-business entrepreneur. Starting, growing and eventually selling his own business  while desperately trying to escape his inner darkness through sex, travel, and drinking, the author eventually rediscovers his love of the outdoors and his connection to physical movement and adventure, which leads to an awakening of his intuition, the end of his life-long dependence on alcohol, and the rediscovery of his identity as a man.

A provocative combination of truth-telling, hard-won life lessons, and powerful prose, An Ordinary Disaster is a concrete and hopeful demonstration that there is a way forwards for anyone who is plagued by a repeating chorus of "I don't know," feels stuck in a state of existential dissatisfaction and depression, or hopelessly disconnected from their inner voice and sense of self.

Interview with the Author

My friend Michael Lipson interviewed me recently about the development and writing of the book, which began with the clear feeling that “I'm here to tell the truth.” Writing “cemented my sense of self,” and “made me feel like another person.” “The creative act is a form of dreaming,” and in doing that dreaming, I came to feel a great weight lifted, and an expansion of self. Listen to the full interview here.

Table of Contents

The full book is currently about 63,000 words, or about 250 pages. I’ve serialized the entire work here in pre-publication form. You can of course read in sequence, but feel free to jump in anywhere!

Chapter 1 — Learning to love Mickey's Malt Liquor—and waking up with a concussion

Chapter 1 — Learning to love Mickey's Malt Liquor—and waking up with a concussion

Bowen Dwelle
·
December 28, 2022
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02 / Round File

02 / Round File

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Jan 10
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03 / North Dallas Forty

03 / North Dallas Forty

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Jan 27
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04 / The Wall

04 / The Wall

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Jan 28
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05 / The Knife Goes on the Left

05 / The Knife Goes on the Left

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Feb 10
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06 / Sex Ed

06 / Sex Ed

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Feb 24
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07 / Church Street

07 / Church Street

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Mar 12
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08 / The Golden Gate

08 / The Golden Gate

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Mar 17
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09 / I Let Confusion In

09 / I Let Confusion In

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Mar 22
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10 / Thursday Night Whiskey Night

10 / Thursday Night Whiskey Night

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Mar 30
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11 / Hunger Awakened

11 / Hunger Awakened

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Apr 4
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12 / Wired, Tired, Fired

12 / Wired, Tired, Fired

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Apr 13
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13 / Desperate Exit

13 / Desperate Exit

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Apr 19
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Chapter 14 — A desperate move, a mistake, and a wreck that made everything worse.

Chapter 14 — A desperate move, a mistake, and a wreck that made everything worse.

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Apr 26
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Chapter 15 — Saved by a climbing gym, two real friends, kitesurfing, and a half-naked haircut.

Chapter 15 — Saved by a climbing gym, two real friends, kitesurfing, and a half-naked haircut.

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·
May 3
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Chapter 16 — A vision of hell, and a warning

Chapter 16 — A vision of hell, and a warning

May 10
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Chapter 17 — Learning that I didn't have to do it all myself

Chapter 17 — Learning that I didn't have to do it all myself

May 18
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The amateur athlete’s speedball

The amateur athlete’s speedball

May 24
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Dreaming up something new in New Orleans

Dreaming up something new in New Orleans

Jun 7
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Learning how to do good magic in Chile

Learning how to do good magic in Chile

Jun 14
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How to answer "What's next?" when it's far too soon to know—and trying to decide doesn't work.

How to answer "What's next?" when it's far too soon to know—and trying to decide doesn't work.

Jun 21
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Waking up Running

Waking up Running

Jun 28
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The Boat Was Called Discovery

The Boat Was Called Discovery

Jul 5
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Psychic Heartburn

Psychic Heartburn

Jul 12
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The Dream I've Dreamed a Thousand Times

The Dream I've Dreamed a Thousand Times

Jul 26
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Who Holds You?

Who Holds You?

Aug 2
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I Can Fly That Plane

I Can Fly That Plane

Aug 9
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Learning to Love, Alone

Learning to Love, Alone

Aug 17
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The Thing That Refuses To Be Named

The Thing That Refuses To Be Named

Aug 23
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Subscribe for your Collectors Edition

Now with this initial version of the manuscript complete, I’ll begin working towards publication. That will be another journey in itself, and, needless to say, getting to this point is a major milestone. I’ll have a lot more to say about this book project and my next steps in the weeks to come. For now, please enjoy, and, as always, I’d love to hear your comments.

Especially if you’ve been following my work with interest, now is the time to become a paying subscriber. Paying subscribers will be able to order a FREE* copy of the first collector’s edition of the book (you pay only the cost of shipping), and, just as importantly, your financial commitment will show your appreciation for the work I’m doing here, and your support as I move into the next chapter of the book’s journey.

Become a paying subscriber

You can also become a founding member and receive, in addition to the benefits of paid membership, a print from my personal collection of adventure photos and one free Guide Service session.

Become a founding member

If you’re enjoying this work, please share this post with someone that loves memoir, and perhaps check out my post on 46 Of My Favorite Memoirs, which also includes quite a few other writers right here on Substack!

…and please hit the little heart ♡ down below if you’d recommend my work to others.

👇🏻

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My entire book-length memoir, serialized right here on Substack

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My entire book-length memoir, serialized right here on Substack

bowendwelle.substack.com
Jean Hsu
Aug 24

whooohhooo congratulations 🎊

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