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Rowan Duncan
Rowan Duncan


“All good stories should offer two main things... existential truth and escape from existential truth.”  ~ Rowan Duncan

Rowan Duncan (b. 1977) is an American novelist, short-story writer, essayist, poet, and philosopher from West Texas. His writing explores themes of Nature, Existentialism, and the darker aspects of the human mind. 

His range of genres includes Crime, Neo-Noir, Neo-Western, Psychological Thriller, Horror, Southern Gothic, and others. 

Literary and poetic influences include Edgar Allan Poe, Herman Melville, Arthur Conan Doyle, Joseph Conrad, William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway, Albert Camus, Sylvia Plath, J.D. Salinger, Jack Kerouac, Jim Morrison, Charles Bukowski, Larry McMurtry, and Cormac McCarthy.

Books

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Dark Jazz

Poems, Lyrics, Sketches

In “Dark Jazz,” Rowan Duncan delivers a haunting collection that masterfully blends the raw emotion of Jazz music with the precise craft of contemporary verse. Through three distinct sections—Poems, Lyrics, and Sketches—Duncan explores themes of mortality, urban loneliness, and the bittersweet nature of love with unflinching honesty and lyrical...

Spaces Between

Poems and Ponderings

I don’t know how to talk about the constant pain, so I express it in Writing. I write it into Poetry or nestle it between the words of a story, hoping someone, somewhere, will read it and understand - maybe even benefit from it. Art is expression. And Writing, especially Poetry, is the highest form. ~ Rowan Duncan


Available in Paperback, Kindle,...

Familiar

In the shadow of the Berkshire Mountains, ancient curses don’t sleep - they wait.

When James Leonard inherits his father’s remote cabin following his suspicious death, he’s forced to confront more than just his grief. Kelli Hart, daughter of a local bookstore owner, arrives at his door seeking help in finding her missing father. Together they...

Other Writing

Laughing Into The Abyss: A Crash-Course On Existential Absurdity Picture

Picture this: You’re standing at the edge of a vast, dark abyss. The wind howls, carrying whispers of forgotten dreams and shattered hopes. That, my friends, is the playground of Existentialism. It’s not for the faint of heart, nope. It’s a philosophy that’ll grab you by the throat and force you to stare into the void until your eyes bleed.

Now, you might be thinking, “What’s the big deal? It’s just another fancy word for a bunch of eggheads to toss around at cocktail parties.” But let me tell...

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The Spirit of Writing: Zen and The Craft Writing. It’s a bitch of a

Writing. It’s a bitch of a mistress, but damned if she doesn’t know how to show a guy a good time.

Robert Louis Stevenson once said he hated to write but loved having written. Well, no offense to RLS, but I’m here to tell you that’s a crock of shit. I love every hellish minute of it - the good, the bad, the ugly!

Let’s get one thing straight: writing isn’t just some fancy way to get your thoughts out there. It’s a friggin art form, as old as cave paintings and twice as messy. Sure, you could...

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The Essence of Creativity Diving headfirst into the wild and wondrous world

Diving headfirst into the wild and wondrous world of creativity, the way it bubbles up from the depths of the human psyche like a geyser of pure inspiration, hot and steaming and ready to burst forth onto the page or canvas or wherever it damn well pleases. It’s a crazy thing, creativity, a force that grabs you by the collar and shakes you awake in the middle of the night, demanding to be heard, to be seen, to be felt and experienced in all its raw, unfiltered glory.

You see, creativity ain’t...

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Latest Updates

"Familiar" Audiobook  The Audiobook version of my novella, "Familiar," will

The Audiobook version of my novella, "Familiar," will be read by the talented Leo Martin - the same narrator on "The Innocence of Doves."

The release date for the "Familiar"...

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"Albatross" Audiobook... Pleased to announce a new collaboration with voice

Pleased to announce a new collaboration with voice actor and narrator, Sam Rosenthal, on the audiobook narration of my newest book, "Albatross."

Sam is an award winning director,...

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"The Bonehouse" Audiobook... "The Bonehouse" - Audiobook edition officially

"The Bonehouse" - Audiobook edition officially has its narrator.

I will be collaborating with Jasmin L. Kirkwood on this project. Jasmin is a voice actor with a background in...

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Events

I have officially been extended an invitation by the director of Literacy Lubbock to be a "Signing Author" at the next Lubbock Book Festival, on August 23, 2025. And I accepted!

Though that is a good ways off, it'll be here before we know it, so lots to do to prepare. It's a great honor to be invited!

The Lubbock Book Festival is an annual event put on by Literacy Lubbock! They provide free literacy and education classes, tutors, and resources to students. They offer classes or one-on-one tutor...

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