I Wrote Another Book!

Here’s more about the thing I’ve been hiding behind.

For about five years now, I’ve been writing a memoir.

Some of you know.

Most of you have seen me reference “the book” in passing, never quite finishing the thought or providing any details.

A few of you have asked me how it’s going and watched my face contort before I changed the subject.

There’s a reason.

It’s been really, really hard to write.

It’s a memoir about hiding. About performing. About the painful work of getting honest. About shame purges. About inner belief exorcisms and the distinction between growing up and growing old.

Writing the book was me doing the work itself, and that was uncomfortable in the good times and excruciating on the bad days.

There were many bad days.

I’d spend a day writing something, hate it, come home grumpy, and not look at the book for weeks.

Just last night, as we were celebrating the completion of the writing, Kendra said to me, “Do you remember when you’d spend months avoiding this thing?”

I did that more times than I can count.

And it embarrassed me for a while, until I remembered that art isn’t formulaic.

It’s not as simple as baking bread. There’s no recipe to follow, no countdown timer indicating it’s done.

This material had to marinate in me, work itself through my system, and alchemize itself into something palatable, engaging, and worth reading.

The book is called A Giraffe Named Feelings.

The subtitle is: A memoir of avoiding, performing, and finally coming up for air.

It’s structured around the evolution of whales.

Yes, really.

Why?

Because whales spent millions of years figuring out where they belonged and how to become, and that struck me as a useful metaphor for life.

There are four parts of the book: who I was, who I was becoming, who I became, and a mystery section you’ll have to see for yourself. The content detours through poker tables, pooped pants, an addiction nobody asked about, a couple of relationships I couldn’t hold onto, a devastating natural disaster, parent wounds, and a mentor who showed up at exactly the right time.

Because I’m going Full Jer with this project, that means dorking out, taking swings, doing things differently, and making the most exciting book in the best way I possibly can. I had an odd vision for this, so I hired four world-class creators to help get the book done.

It’s funny. It’s hard. It’s the most honest, best thing I’ve ever made. And it’s going to exist in the world soon, with original cover art and section illustrations from my close friend, Padhia, who is a genius.

There will be a pre-sale window. The first 100 people to order will get a memorable surprise along with their book. (You’ll have to see and read the book to know why.) I’ll tell you when that happens, but it’s not today.

Today, I just want to let you know that the book is real and the book is done.

If you’re already subscribed, you’ll get the pre-sale link the moment it’s live.

If you’re not, and maybe someone forwarded this, or you found it some other way, the only thing you need to do to be first in line is hit subscribe, below.

After years of hiding behind limiting beliefs, procrastination, excuses, fear, and doubt, I’m on the other side of it.

Thank you for being patient. Thank you for being here.

This next stretch is going to be a whole lot of fun.

Jeremy