Kensington Beach:
Loss and Survival on the Streets of Philadelphia
A Memoir
By Budd Michael Rodney
This book is a raw, brutal, and honest look at a life consumed by addiction. From a correctional officer with a promising career to a desperate man on the unforgiving streets of Philadelphia’s Kensington, Budd loses everything—his job, his dignity, and nearly his life. Through every devastating relapse, every close call with death, and every broken promise, he paints a vivid portrait of a world where survival is a daily battle and hope is a fleeting luxury. When a cruel twist of fate forces a final choice, he discovers that the ultimate rock bottom can also be the turning point that saves your life.
Author
Budd Michael Rodney
I am a writer, a survivor, an addict, and a human.
My memoir, Kensington Beach: Loss and Survival on the Streets of Philadelphia, chronicles my harrowing journey through addiction, homelessness, and self-destruction on the streets of Philadelphia. As a former correctional officer, I lost my career, my health, and eventually my legs to frostbite before finding a path to recovery. Today, I am sober, rebuilding my life one day at a time, and I am committed to sharing my story to bring awareness to the harsh realities of addiction and offer hope to those still struggling. I now live with my family in rural Pennsylvania, where I am focusing on my recovery.
“Philly Streets”
Yeah, I’ve been clean before. Five years, two years, a year and a half. Eventually, it becomes a spiral downward, and it takes you to a place like this… i.e., Kensington
Stern Magazine
Kensington Beach
The reality of addiction is that there’s no such thing as rock bottom; you keep digging until you die, or you get lucky and something pulls you out.
English