Finding Healing Through Humor: Writing Memoir with Dana Bowman {ep. 177}

Alexa's Publishing Chat

In this episode of Alexa’s Publishing Chat, Alexa sits down with memoirist and humorist Dana Bowman to talk about how humor can be a lifeline when writing through heartbreak, recovery, and tough life moments. They discuss how humor not only helps the writer process heavy emotions but also provides relief and connection for readers navigating similar experiences.

In this podcast, Alexa and Dana discuss:

• Why humor is such a powerful tool for healing and recovery writing
• The balance between funny and serious when addressing trauma
• How Dana’s own sobriety journey influenced her books Bottled and How to Be Perfect Like Me (Amazon Aff links)
• The infamous “carrot cake incident” that turned a fight into a hilarious memoir scene
• Why some readers resist humor in serious topics—and why that’s okay
• The craft of writing humor alongside grief (inspiration from O. Henry, Nora Ephron, Fredrik Backman)
• Resources Dana recommends for writers: Stephen King’s On Writing and Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird
• Dana’s podcast and creative projects, including A Neighbor Good and her blog at DanaBowmanCreative.com

Dana's new book, Humble Pie: Sober Menopause, Sugar Addiction, and the Sweetness of Recovery publishes November 13, 2025.
Dana Bowman is the author of two memoirs: Bottled, A Mom’s Guide to Early Recovery, and How To Be Perfect Like Me, both published by Central Recovery Press. Bottled was selected as a Kansas 2016 Notable Book.
She speaks and writes about the perfection myth, creativity, writing and recovery. A high school English teacher for over twenty years, she now teaches writing at Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas. Last summer she attempted standup comedy for the second time, and survived.
Visit her at danabowmancreative.com where she shares about creative hacks for productivity.
Listen in to her podcast The Neighborgood about the power of a good story.
Connect with her on her socials where she posts far too many pictures of her cat, Steve.
Facebook: @danabowcreative
Instagram: @danabowman_creative
TikTok: @thedanabow