The next meeting of The Catastrophe Hour Book Club is scheduled for Wednesday, July 2, at 3:00 p.m. ET. We will discuss the fourth essay of the collection, Species Of Grief.
The book club meets for 14 consecutive Wednesdays at 3:00 p.m. ET, beginning June 11. The book club is for yearly paid subscribers only, so if you want to join, please upgrade your subscription.
Species Of Grief was written in May of 2019 and appeared as one of my columns in Medium’s GEN Magazine. Here’s how Chat GPT summarizes it.
After a long-delayed memorial for her father, the author puts down her beloved dog, Phoebe—a Saint Bernard who had been with her through divorce, cross-country moves, and personal upheaval. Though her father’s death was deeply sad, her grief for Phoebe is far more visceral, overwhelming, and destabilizing. Phoebe had been more than a pet; she was a constant presence, an extension of the author’s identity, and even her social face in New York City.
Through Phoebe’s life—rescued from meth dealers, afflicted with chronic illness, stubborn and strong—the author reflects on how dogs, like parents, are companions fated to die before us. Yet their loss often feels uniquely annihilating. With Phoebe gone and no new dog on the horizon, the author grapples with a sense of invisibility and aging, coming to accept that profound grief, especially for those who saw us most clearly, is both inevitable and deeply human.
Thanks, Chat GPT for the bold type!
How to Join The Book Club
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Housekeeping
📖 Order my new book, The Catastrophe Hour: Selected Essays, on Amazon or directly from the publisher here.
📘 The Catastrophe Hour book club for yearly paying subscribers starts June 11 and will run for 14 consecutive Wednesdays, 3-4 pm ET. We will meet on Zoom.
📹 The Unspeakeasy Live livestream takes place every Thursday at 3:00 p.m. ET. Look for a notification on your Substack app when we’re live.
Stuff to read and listen to:
New York Times, Jan 31, 2025: The L.A. Fires Taught Me To Accept Help
Recent(ish) solo episodes :
January 9: The First 24 Hours
January 16: The Immaterial World
January 27: Housing Wars
February 5: Remembrance Of Things Past
February 13: What Is A "Catastrophe?"
March 2: A Mental Infection
March 31: Dignity Is Out Of Style
📺 Visit The Unspeakable on YouTube.
✈️ Tickets are now on sale for our very special COED retreat October 11-12 in New York City. This features more attendees and multiple speakers, including the recently-added Rob Henderson! Programming and ticketing info here.
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