Finding Meaning: A Philly Man: Writer, Poet: Lover of LifeFinding Meaning: A Philly Man: Writer, Poet: Lover of Life
A Quest for Well-Being
Writer and poet Chaz Holdsworth talks about growing up around heroin, poverty and strict religion, and how addiction functions as a coping tool for deep pain. He explains how writing, poetry and music helped him find meaning, question old beliefs and hold on to empathy in the face of trauma.
51:29•31 May 2026
From Kensington Streets to Poetry: Chaz Holdsworth on Addiction, Faith and Feeling Alive
Episode Overview
- Addiction is framed as a response to trauma and emotional pain, not a deliberate life goal.
- People often turn to drugs, religion, or spirituality as coping mechanisms when they feel they have no other options.
- Chaz stresses that those who stop using substances deserve credit themselves, rather than giving all credit to an external higher power.
- Art, poetry, and music can transform suffering into connection and a sense of being truly alive.
- Practising empathy, doing no harm, and treating others as you wish to be treated are highlighted as simple but powerful principles.
“I don't think anybody goes out of their way to become a drug addict... no one reaches out to say, I want to be an addict. It's trauma.”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This conversation with writer and poet Chaz Holdsworth offers a raw look at addiction, faith, art, and what it means to stay human in the middle of chaos. Growing up in Philadelphia’s Kensington neighbourhood, Chaz was surrounded by heroin, poverty, violence, and intense religious control. His father’s addiction and his mother’s strict born-again Christianity pulled him between two extremes: street-level trauma and spiritual fear.
As he puts it, many people who end up addicted "just want this pain to stop" and "no one reaches out to say, I want to be an addict. It's trauma." Chaz talks about addiction as a coping mechanism rather than a moral failure, describing his father as "suicidal without being suicidal." He questions how organised religion and some 12-step approaches can make people feel they must hand everything over to an external power, insisting instead, "No, you did it.
Pat yourself on the back." Anyone rebuilding life after addiction or family trauma will recognise that tension between needing support and needing self-respect. For Chaz, writing and poetry became the outlet that kept him going. His memoir series *Life and How to Live It* and his poetry collection born from 30 years of work show how art can turn pain into connection, memory, and meaning.
He even wonders if art can take the place of conventional spirituality, describing the creative flow as feeling "alive" and "beyond normal every day." The episode also touches on social justice, class, politics, and the way systems can crush vulnerable people while shaming them for their coping strategies. Still, Chaz returns to a simple ethic: "Empathy is the key...
treat each other like how you want to be treated." If you’ve ever used alcohol, drugs, religion, or work just to numb out, this conversation might have you asking: what could feeling truly alive look like for you?
Do you want to link to this podcast?
Get the buttons here!
More From This Show
The latest episodes from the same podcast.
Related Episodes
Similar episodes from other shows in the catalogue.