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Kate Bowler
  • ABOUTExpand

    • Meet Kate

      Hi, I’m Kate. I’m a Duke professor, podcaster, and author with a single mission: giving you permission to feel human. After years of being told I was incurable, I was declared cancer-free. But there’s no going back. I am forever changed by what I discovered: life is so beautiful and life is so hard. For everyone.

      ABOUT KATE

      Get to Know Me

      HUMAN
      AUTHOR
      PODCAST HOST
      SPEAKER

      How to Connect

      NEWSLETTER
      BOOKING
      EVENTS
      CONTACT
      PRESS
      Kate Bowler sitting in front of books

  • PODCASTExpand

    • Everything Happens.

      Are you living your best life now? Not always? This is a podcast for you. Duke Professor Kate Bowler is an expert in the stories we tell about success and failure, suffering and happiness. She had Stage IV cancer. Then she didn’t. And since then, all she wants to do is talk to funny and wise people about how to live with the knowledge that, well, everything happens. 

      See All Episodes
      Suleika Jaouad

      Living the Questions (Without Fixing Yourself)

      Listen Now Living the Questions (Without Fixing Yourself)
      Malcolm Guite

      What If Prayer Isn’t What You Think It Is?

      Listen Now What If Prayer Isn’t What You Think It Is?
      Mark Rank

      The Randomness of Everything

      Listen Now The Randomness of Everything
      Molly Worthen | Ross Douthat

      The New Shape of American Religion 

      Listen Now The New Shape of American Religion 
  • BOOKSExpand

    • Books

      Let’s untangle our culture’s obsession with toxic positivity and self-help, shall we? Kate studies the cultural stories we tell ourselves about success, suffering, and whether (or not) we’re capable of change. She is the author of seven books including three instant New York Times bestsellers.

      All Books

      Joyful, Anyway

      Everything Happens for a Reason

      (And Other Lies I’ve Loved)

      Have a Beautiful Terrible Day!

      Daily Meditations for the Ups, Downs & In-Betweens

      No Cure for Being Human

      (And Other Truths I Need to Hear)

  • RESOURCESExpand

    • Resources

      Our goal with Everything Happens is to create rich language and vibrant community that sustains us when life comes apart. Below, you’ll find categories that may be good starting points for you. Inside are a mix of podcasts, blessings, support guides, and bonus resources that we hope will be useful.

      ALL RESOURCES

      Types

      BLESSINGS
      DEVOTIONALS
      SUPPORT GUIDES
      COURSES
      FREE DOWNLOADS
      Discussion Guides
      FOR MINISTRY

      Topics

      ILLNESS
      GRIEF
      WHAT NOT TO SAY
      RESILIENT FAITH
      INSPIRING LIVES

      NUANCED HOPE
      CARING AT HOME
      CARING AT WORK
      COMPLICATED FAMILIES
      MOVING FORWARD

  • MERCHExpand
    • Sweatshirts
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    • Goodies
  • SUBSTACK
Kate Bowler
Kate Bowler

Leaving Church by Barbara Brown Taylor

Discussion Questions

More Like This

Far from the Tree by Andrew Solomon

Option B by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant

Leaving Church by Barbara Brown Taylor

A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis

All BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

Every week I usually forget most of the basics:
a) you are loved. b) life is absurd. c) it’s hard to be a human.

If you want some smart, kind, and funny encouragement to get you through your week, sign up for my newsletter. I’d love to be your reminder. 

Follow along on socials

@katecbowler

For the ache you can’t fix.
For the life that didn’t turn out how you planned.
For the quiet, stubborn joy that still shows up anyway.

This is a litany for real life.

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 18066260414677702
For the ache you can’t fix. For the life that didn’t turn out how you planned. For the quiet, stubborn joy that still shows up anyway.This is a litany for real life.

Such a joy (the real kind, not the “everything is perfect” kind) to talk with @annshoket and @SheMedia.

We got into the kind of joy that doesn’t wait for your life to calm down… or your inbox to hit zero… or your relationships to suddenly become effortless (lol). What I keep learning is that joy doesn’t stay contained. It moves. It spreads. It catches.

When one person admits life is hard and still notices what’s good, it gives everyone else permission to do the same.
Joyful, anyway—and apparently, contagious.

Also, in related news, would you like to see my giant puppet face talk about this argument from many angles? BEHOLD!

Loved bringing Joyful, Anyway to the stage at @sxsw — if I thought I was excited to go on tour before this, I was wrong. I am now… alarmingly pumped. T-MINUS NINE DAYS PEOPLE.

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 18302473285273885
Such a joy (the real kind, not the “everything is perfect” kind) to talk with @annshoket and @SheMedia.We got into the kind of joy that doesn’t wait for your life to calm down… or your inbox to hit zero… or your relationships to suddenly become effortless (lol). What I keep learning is that joy doesn’t stay contained. It moves. It spreads. It catches.When one person admits life is hard and still notices what’s good, it gives everyone else permission to do the same. Joyful, anyway—and apparently, contagious.Also, in related news, would you like to see my giant puppet face talk about this argument from many angles? BEHOLD!Loved bringing Joyful, Anyway to the stage at @sxsw — if I thought I was excited to go on tour before this, I was wrong. I am now… alarmingly pumped. T-MINUS NINE DAYS PEOPLE.

Blessed are we who were made to love and lose and risk and ache in a world where Everything Happens.

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 18048617942733610
Blessed are we who were made to love and lose and risk and ache in a world where Everything Happens.

On this International Day of Happiness, a small confession:

Happiness is great! But it`s... not all its cracked up to be.

Joy, though—joy doesn`t require good circumstances. Joy can appear even when nothing is measurably better.

If you want more of that, Joyful, Anyway is coming soon.

Pre-order at the link in bio.

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 18012044426687357
On this International Day of Happiness, a small confession:Happiness is great! But it's... not all its cracked up to be.Joy, though—joy doesn't require good circumstances. Joy can appear even when nothing is measurably better.If you want more of that, Joyful, Anyway is coming soon.Pre-order at the link in bio.

A small publishing secret: pre-orders matter. A lot.

They tell bookstores to stock the book.
They tell the publisher people care.
They tell the mysterious book-algorithm creatures to wake up and pay attention.

So if JOYFUL, ANYWAY is already on your “someday” list, today is a beautiful day to make it official.

Pre-order at the link in my bio and consider it a tiny act of literary enthusiasm. 📚✨

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 17874277179558300
A small publishing secret: pre-orders matter. A lot.They tell bookstores to stock the book. They tell the publisher people care. They tell the mysterious book-algorithm creatures to wake up and pay attention.So if JOYFUL, ANYWAY is already on your “someday” list, today is a beautiful day to make it official.Pre-order at the link in my bio and consider it a tiny act of literary enthusiasm. 📚✨

Swipe to see who my very special mystery guest will be in San Francisco!!

To say I`m excited to run it back would be the understatement of the CENTURY. Grab your tickets at the link in my bio. Or comment "SF" below, and I`ll send you a link to purchase. 🎟️ 💃💕

Can`t wait to see you April 23 @annelamott!!

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 18061820441352581
Swipe to see who my very special mystery guest will be in San Francisco!!To say I'm excited to run it back would be the understatement of the CENTURY. Grab your tickets at the link in my bio. Or comment "SF" below, and I'll send you a link to purchase. 🎟️ 💃💕Can't wait to see you April 23 @annelamott!!

I wrote Joyful, Anyway for anyone who has ever wondered: Is joy still possible when life hurts?

So hearing these generous words from people I admire feels like a small miracle. ✨

Swipe through to read what they said about the book. Their encouragement means the world.
And if there’s one thing this book insists on, it’s this:

Joy isn’t reserved for perfect lives.
It shows up in the middle of the real ones.

Link to pre-order is in my bio. ❤️

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 18104876161845624
I wrote Joyful, Anyway for anyone who has ever wondered: Is joy still possible when life hurts?So hearing these generous words from people I admire feels like a small miracle. ✨Swipe through to read what they said about the book. Their encouragement means the world. And if there’s one thing this book insists on, it’s this:Joy isn’t reserved for perfect lives. It shows up in the middle of the real ones.Link to pre-order is in my bio. ❤️

Bless you who let in the light in a world where Everything Happens.

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 17861102490548910
Bless you who let in the light in a world where Everything Happens.

 

If you are reading this you have great eyesight. But also, thanks for being a person with me. The world is strange and hard for soft-hearted humans, but I think you’re a delight.

© 2026 Kate Bowler
Development by Penner Web Design

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Everything Happens.

Browse by topic
Complicated Families
grief
resilient faith
what not to say
moving forward
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  • ABOUT

    • Meet Kate

      Hi, I’m Kate. I’m a Duke professor, podcaster, and author with a single mission: giving you permission to feel human. After years of being told I was incurable, I was declared cancer-free. But there’s no going back. I am forever changed by what I discovered: life is so beautiful and life is so hard. For everyone.

      ABOUT KATE

      Get to Know Me

      HUMAN
      AUTHOR
      PODCAST HOST
      SPEAKER

      How to Connect

      NEWSLETTER
      BOOKING
      EVENTS
      CONTACT
      PRESS
      Kate Bowler sitting in front of books

  • PODCAST

    • Everything Happens.

      Are you living your best life now? Not always? This is a podcast for you. Duke Professor Kate Bowler is an expert in the stories we tell about success and failure, suffering and happiness. She had Stage IV cancer. Then she didn’t. And since then, all she wants to do is talk to funny and wise people about how to live with the knowledge that, well, everything happens. 

      See All Episodes
      Suleika Jaouad

      Living the Questions (Without Fixing Yourself)

      Listen Now Living the Questions (Without Fixing Yourself)
      Malcolm Guite

      What If Prayer Isn’t What You Think It Is?

      Listen Now What If Prayer Isn’t What You Think It Is?
      Mark Rank

      The Randomness of Everything

      Listen Now The Randomness of Everything
      Molly Worthen | Ross Douthat

      The New Shape of American Religion 

      Listen Now The New Shape of American Religion 
  • BOOKS

    • Books

      Let’s untangle our culture’s obsession with toxic positivity and self-help, shall we? Kate studies the cultural stories we tell ourselves about success, suffering, and whether (or not) we’re capable of change. She is the author of seven books including three instant New York Times bestsellers.

      All Books

      Joyful, Anyway

      Everything Happens for a Reason

      (And Other Lies I’ve Loved)

      Have a Beautiful Terrible Day!

      Daily Meditations for the Ups, Downs & In-Betweens

      No Cure for Being Human

      (And Other Truths I Need to Hear)

  • RESOURCES

    • Resources

      Our goal with Everything Happens is to create rich language and vibrant community that sustains us when life comes apart. Below, you’ll find categories that may be good starting points for you. Inside are a mix of podcasts, blessings, support guides, and bonus resources that we hope will be useful.

      ALL RESOURCES

      Types

      BLESSINGS
      DEVOTIONALS
      SUPPORT GUIDES
      COURSES
      FREE DOWNLOADS
      Discussion Guides
      FOR MINISTRY

      Topics

      ILLNESS
      GRIEF
      WHAT NOT TO SAY
      RESILIENT FAITH
      INSPIRING LIVES

      NUANCED HOPE
      CARING AT HOME
      CARING AT WORK
      COMPLICATED FAMILIES
      MOVING FORWARD

  • MERCH
    • Sweatshirts
    • Shirts
    • Hats
    • Goodies
  • SUBSTACK