My Journey

I’m Mike Allen.

 

I'm a musician and author based in Des Moines, Iowa. My work explores themes like loss, grief, identity, addiction, and madness, both through my music and my writing.

 

My first book, Not Another Recovery Success Story (Or Is It?), is a raw and brutally honest account of my battle with alcoholism and my journey toward recovery. It captures my descent into madness and my slow return to sanity, written with the hope that others struggling with addiction might find some sense of connection, reflection, or even hope. (Check out the community forum to connect with others.)

 

Whether in words or music, I try to confront the darker parts of the human experience with honesty and, when possible, a bit of humor. My path to sobriety doesn’t follow the traditional route of AA or the Twelve Steps, and that difference often sparks conversations about what recovery can look like outside the usual mold.

 

This site brings together everything I’ve created — the book, the e-book, the audiobook, and my music — for anyone interested in art, writing, music, recovery, or just being human.