So, about me…

My name is Budd Michael Rodney. I am 35 years old, and for most of my teenage and adult years, I was addicted to drugs, homeless, and surviving day to day. My addiction eventually led me to the streets of Kensington, Philadelphia.

I lived under the El train on Kensington Ave. for over 5 years, been in and out of jail, watched people die, and very nearly lost my own life more than once. The life I led wasn’t glamorous, and this book doesn’t romanticize any of it. There are moments of unbelievable human suffering, and moments of brilliant compassion in my story, and there are some pretty funny parts too.

Kensington Beach: Loss and Survival on the Streets of Philadelphia is my story. It’s raw, it’s real, and it’s written exactly how it happened–from the early days of drug use, to hitting rock bottom, to clawing my way toward recovery with nothing but stubbornness and a few people who believed in me when I no longer believed in myself. This isn’t a book about clean-cut redemption. It’s about the messy, heartbreaking reality of addiction–and the people who live and die inside it.

I wrote this memoir because I needed to tell the truth, not just for myself, but for everyone who’s been there. Everyone who’s walked those corners, waited for a hit, or lost someone they loved to the same streets I walked. These stories aren’t pretty, but they matter. They happened. And too often, they’re ignored.

Writing became a way to process what I went through, to make sense of the pain, and to try to turn all that suffering into something that might help someone else. Whether you’re reading this because you’ve lived it too, lost someone to it, or you’re just trying to understand, I’m glad you’re here. The more we talk openly and honestly about what’s happening out there, the less power the silence has.

I’m still in recovery. I’m still rebuilding. But I’ve made it far enough to tell the story. And that, in itself, is something I never thought I’d be able to say.

Highlights

My story was first featured in Stern Magazine, one of Europe’s largest and most respected news publications. They ran a photo essay by Suzanne Stein Photography and an in-depth write-up by Jan Christoph Wiechmann, focusing on my life in Kensington and the larger crisis unfolding there. The piece reached a global audience and helped bring visibility to a reality most people don’t see—addiction, homelessness, and survival in one of America’s most devastated neighborhoods.

I was later interviewed by Andrew Callaghan for his Channel 5 documentary series, Philly Streets, which has since gained over 9 million views on YouTube. That original interview struck a nerve with viewers and has continued to resonate. Andrew and his crew returned for a follow-up interview as part of a deeper exploration into my recovery, my writing, and what happened after the streets. The second installment is currently in development and will highlight the release of my memoir, Kensington Beach: Loss and Survival on the Streets of Philadelphia.