Jef Rouner - Author

I always describe this podcast as me talking to artists and performers “who live and work in party scenes”. This week, I talk to someone with a very different experience. Jef Rouner is an author and a journalist. We’ve known of each other for several years, but I did not know he was sober until he contacted me to write an article about this podcast for the Houston Chronicle. I might be biased, but I think it was the best headline ever written: “Stripping clown explores sobriety, one podcast at a time”.

Yup. That’s me!

Being an author isn’t typically associated with a party lifestyle, unless you’re Hunter S. Thompson (but that guy partied enough for everyone, ever). However, addiction is still an issue within that community. It is, as Jef called it, a creative isolationist culture. We discuss internet bullying, the science of dopamine, and fake love. I hope you enjoy it!

If you’d like more info on some of the stuff we discuss, here are the links:

• Wickedly Abled: an anthology featuring Jef’s short stories
• Stripping clown explores sobriety one podcast at a time
• Jef’s interview with Art Alexakis of Everclear
• Horses and other bizarre “treatments” for addiction 
• Maternal Fetal Stress Transfer (cortisol and adrenal glands)
• This American Life #474 Back To School (cortisol and adrenaline production and its effects on children) 
• Hemingway’s interview
• Clown, Interrupted on Instagram
• KiKi Maroon on Instagram

If you like the podcast, please consider signing up to my Patreon. Your donation helps with the operating cost and is the easiest way to say, “thanks for making this!”

The Clown, Interrupted theme song is graciously provided by The Last Domino. You can listen to or purchase the full song HERE.

Full Transcript:

KiKi Maroon: Welcome back! I hope you’re all doing well. First off, thank you so much for your messages about the last episode. Bobby was so kind and wonderful. I’m glad that even the non-clowns out there related to what he had to say. I’m doing pretty good. Well, no, no, no. I’m not. So here’s something I didn’t factor into sober dating – drunk texts! It’s been so long since I sent one, I forgot they exist! I’ve said several times, I don’t need to date a sober person. It’d be nice so they understand, but it’s not a requirement. I get that m