Sex. Drugs. Heartbreak. Hesitation Marks. Substance Abuse. Virginity. BDSM. Failure. At 17 years old, I was a devout Catholic who refused to use profanity and was insistent on saving himself for marriage. At 27 years old, I thought about the person I once was while snorting cocaine off of his passport until the early morning at a hotel in West Hollywood. Failing Upwards is the classic coming of age story. Sort of. I spent a decade of my life depressed, angry and aimless. I responded to that with an amoral hedonism that at times, flirted with nihilism. At some point in that decade, something interesting happened - I realized I had an exceptional talent for being a troublemaker. What began as a response to discomfort with myself and the world around me, turned into intentional lifestyle choices. Failing Upwards is about how a Catholic schoolboy morphed into a clove smoking, whiskey spilling, licentious degenerate. Grab a seat. Grab a drink. These are the stories from a life lived questionably.