Some stories don’t knock politely. They kick the door open, hijack your phone, and force you to thumb-type a memoir at 30,000 feet while your body battles a virus.

In this conversation, I sit down with James (HVR) , who writes as Hawtorn V. Rabot, to talk about his debut memoir Too Soon et pero Too Late: French Grace. American Collapse. Colombian Care, a raw, funny, uncomfortable, cinematic book about illness, memory, travel, marriage, fatherhood, longing, and the strangers who sometimes care for us better than the people closest to us.

We talk about writing before you forget, why labels can become tiny identity prisons, and what happens when the most honest version of your story is also the one you have to keep quiet.

We also get into Substack, community, masks, authenticity, American collapse (personal and maybe political) and finding connection in unexpected places.

This one is for writers, memoir-lovers, Substack people, deep-feeling creatives, and anyone who has ever tried to make sense of their life by putting words in order.

👉 Watch, leave a comment if something lands, and subscribe for more conversations on creativity, writing, self-expression, and the beautifully ridiculous project of becoming a person.

👉 Buy James’ debut memoir, Too Soon et pero Too Late: French Grace. American Collapse. Colombian Care.With Love & Rebellion,

Ashley aka Fake Guru ❤️

Thank you The In Between, Becky Hayward, Lynn J. Broderick, Kimmy Win she/her 🩷💛💙🏳️‍🌈, Caner Şen, and many others for tuning into my live video with James (HVR)! Join me for my next live video in the app.

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