Anthony Bourdain: Junk, Romance, and a Lust for Life (REWIND)

About this episode

This episode explores the life of Anthony Bourdain, highlighting his struggles with addiction and his journey to success as a writer and TV host.

Anthony Bourdain had a lust for life. He went all in on adventure, indulgence, food, romance – including the romance of a heroin addiction that he chased through the restaurant kitchens and grimy rock clubs of 1980s Manhattan. For years he was a struggling cook and writer, but his first book, published when he was 43 years old, was an overnight success. He parlayed success as a writer into success as a TV host, traveling all over the world, dining with rockstars, presidents, and everyone in between. He dodged bullets, the real and the figurative kind, the figurative kind from the tabloids having the most impact. But in the end, he was unable to dodge the truth, which to a romantic like Anthony Bourdain, was hard to come to terms with. To see the full list of contributors, see the show notes at  www.disgracelandpod.com . This episode contains themes that may be disturbing to some listeners, including sexual assault and suicide. If you’re thinking about suicide, or are worried about a friend or loved one, call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255. This episode was originally published on February 20, 2024. Sign up for our newsletter…

Topics covered

• addiction
• romance
• cooking
• television
• true crime
• celebrity culture

Keywords

• Anthony Bourdain
• heroin addiction
• restaurant kitchens
• 1980s Manhattan
• TV host
• celebrity
• suicide

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Suicide Prevention Lifeline

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