The Small Bow Substack

How to Love the Worst Person in the World

More of The Past. A poem by Thomas Lux. Pema! The Far Side. Japanese proverbs. Other cool stuff.

Fear

What's Wrong With Me?

Self-inventory means self-hate. A poem by Russel Edson. Groovy quotes from the Tao Te Ching and Thich Nhat Hanh. A stunning story about being a mother with an unhoused son.

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Meditation Is Supposed to Be Unbearable

How to meditate through the coughing. Thoughts on yelling. A poem by Nick Flynn. James Baraz. Essay by Amie Barrodale.

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+11

Waitin' for a Superman

Shitting all over the First Agreement. Superman and the Joker. Pema. George Bilgere.

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The Place Where the One You Lost Resides

Grief redux. Adult Children. Nick Cave. Really Good Search Engine. Frank O'Hara.

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Now We're Here: The Best Essay to Read as You Tumble Into 2024

Notes on the life in front of you. Fresh starts! Brooding, et cetera. MONEY SHAME. Scocca obv. Roger Angell. James Tate.

Sober parenting

Fellow-Passengers to the Grave

Recovery and loss during holidays. Dickens Et Cetera. A killer from Louise Glück.

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Ah Daddy, I Wanna Stay Drunk Many Days

An interview with our resident interventionist, Joe Schrank, about how to help the addict you love during the holidays. Plus our usual recovery rundown and a dreamy Frank O'Hara classic.

Dementia

+11

How to Make 9 Million Dollars on Substack Typing in the Nude Whilst Engulfed in Flames

A Year-End Roundup of Notes on the Creative Process in Recovery.

About The Small Bow

We Have All Turned Into Ourselves

More dementia stuff. Four Agreements revisited. Plus, a good haunting Linda Pastan poem, mirth amidst the ruins et cetera.

Dementia

+10

Everyone's Wide Awake But Looks Incredibly Tired

Lots of reading recommendations about common suffering. Plus, quotes from Montaigne about death, a James Tate heartbreaker, brain stuff.

Sober Holidays