LIFE AND HOW TO LIVE IT

This memoir traces a boy growing up in 1980s Philadelphia as he navigates gangs, addiction, fractured faith, and a home life wired with chaos, finding his only lifeline in the music that gives him a sense of self. It’s a raw, darkly funny look at survival, identity, and the stubborn hope that rises even when you’re raised in the wreckage.
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WHEN THE LIGHT IS MINE

A poetry collection that cuts through the noise with sharp, confessional poems about capitalism, faith, identity, depression, and the messy business of surviving yourself. It moves from raw disillusionment to moments of real tenderness, offering an unfiltered look at modern life that challenges, unsettles, and still manages to land on hope. Learn More

TOPICS OF CONVERSATION

• About the Book and the Inspiration Behind It
• Growing Up in Kensington and the Lasting Impact of Poverty and Violence
• The Influence of a Deeply Religious Upbringing and Conflicting Family Dynamics
• Music as an Emotional Lifeline and Catalyst for Self-Discovery
• Navigating Identity and Personal Beliefs Amid a Restrictive Environment
• Developing an Authentic Writing Voice and the Decision to Tell His Story Without Filters
• Themes of Resilience and What He Hopes Readers Take Away
• The Role of Poetry as Creative Expression and Expansion of His Storytelling
  

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chaz Holesworth writes from the gritty edge of lived experience. Raised in Philadelphia by a father struggling with heroin addiction and a mother bound to extreme fundamentalist Christianity, he grew up in a world defined by poverty, trauma, and contradiction. Out of that turbulence emerged a voice that is both unflinching and lyrical, capturing the weight of survival, the failures of society, and the fragile hope that persists despite it all.

Over the past twenty-five years, Chaz has been sculpting those experiences into stories and poems. His memoir offers a brutally honest account of his past, while his poetry collection distills decades of struggle and reflection into themes of love, depression and loneliness, religion, and the fault lines buried beneath our society. Chaz strives to both trace the contours of intimacy and confront the politics of power, inviting readers into a deeply personal yet universally resonant search for meaning.

Now living in the suburbs of Philadelphia with his wife and their beloved dog, Chaz continues to write with the urgency of someone who knows the cost of silence. His work speaks to anyone drawn to poetry and memoirs that dwell on deeper things, offering not just snapshots of a difficult life but the possibility of connection, understanding, and light.

CONNECT WITH CHAZ HOLESWORTH

Website: https://chazholesworthbooks.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chazholesworthauthor/