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Not in the Mood: Essays
Not in the Mood is a genre-defying collection of essays by Henry 磊磊 Roark, blending memoir, cultural critique, spiritual reflection, and literary exploration with wit, vulnerability, and incisive clarity. Originally published as part of the interactive newsletter Asking for a Friend, these essays span seven years of introspection and conversation, now curated into four thematic The Spiritual, The Cultural, The Literary, and The Personal.
Roark writes with a voice that is at once intimate and expansive—inviting readers into his experiences with bipolar disorder, queer identity, faith, friendship, and the everyday facepalms of modern life. Whether unpacking the Enneagram, navigating the nonprofit industrial complex, or reflecting on the poetry of R.S. Thomas and Richard Siken, Roark’s essays are rich with cultural references, philosophical inquiry, and emotional resonance.
This collection is for anyone who’s ever asked themselves a question they couldn’t find answered elsewhere. Not in the Mood doesn’t offer answers—but it does offer companionship, insight, and a reminder that we’re never alone in our wondering. Questioning everything is more than half the battle.
Roark writes with a voice that is at once intimate and expansive—inviting readers into his experiences with bipolar disorder, queer identity, faith, friendship, and the everyday facepalms of modern life. Whether unpacking the Enneagram, navigating the nonprofit industrial complex, or reflecting on the poetry of R.S. Thomas and Richard Siken, Roark’s essays are rich with cultural references, philosophical inquiry, and emotional resonance.
This collection is for anyone who’s ever asked themselves a question they couldn’t find answered elsewhere. Not in the Mood doesn’t offer answers—but it does offer companionship, insight, and a reminder that we’re never alone in our wondering. Questioning everything is more than half the battle.
232 pages, Paperback
Published August 3, 2025
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
November 1, 2025
This was pretty bad, Incoherent, and truly a waste of my time. It was so bad I couldn't even bring myself to donate it to anywhere.
So the problems, feels like this is a flat telling, there was no life to the words. On top of that the editing was horrible. If I could recommend a book to burn...it'd be this one.
To bad cause the title had me intrigued, but the rest of the book was a failure.
So the problems, feels like this is a flat telling, there was no life to the words. On top of that the editing was horrible. If I could recommend a book to burn...it'd be this one.
To bad cause the title had me intrigued, but the rest of the book was a failure.
Displaying 1 of 1 review