Life and How to Live it: Near Wild Heaven

Life and How to Live It: Near Wild Heaven is the second volume of Chaz Holesworth's memoir series. It follows his transition from a Philadelphia childhood marked by religious strictness into adolescence, where he begins to question the rules that shaped him. Raised in an environment where faith meant fear and obedience meant survival, Holesworth enters his teenage years emotionally numb. He was taught that emotions are weakness, questions are sin, and desire is dangerous. When first love and forbidden music enter his life, his understanding of identity, God, and himself begins to shift. Through music, friendships, and movement, Holesworth discovers parts of himself he had never been allowed to claim. As he tries to live faster than his past, he encounters drugs, heartbreak, and adventure. The memoir explores his attempts to break free from indoctrination, survive first love, and find his voice after years of enforced silence, set against the backdrop of mid-90s music and youth culture.