New essay collection offers humor, honesty, and heart for anyone entering a new season of life, from divorce to aging parents and major life transitions
PA, UNITED STATES, January 7, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — As a new year begins and many people find themselves reflecting on the losses that shape their lives, writer and content creator John Colbert offers a refreshingly honest and humorous perspective with Damaged Goods. The essays center on Colbert’s grief after losing his father while also speaking to the many ways people experience loss, from divorce and identity shifts to aging parents and major life transitions.
A collection of personal essays, Damaged Goods blends laugh-out-loud moments with vulnerability, capturing the absurdities of navigating grief in everyday life. From awkward run-ins with well-meaning but clueless neighbors to the deeply uncomfortable experience of binge-watching shockingly sexual Diane Lane movies with his mother, Colbert turns moments of discomfort into connection.
Rather than treating grief as a singular, solemn experience, Colbert broadens the conversation. Along the way, he introduces his own six stages of grief, a reframing designed to resonate with readers who have lost more than just a loved one, whether it’s a marriage, a sense of self, or a future they once imagined.
“Grief isn’t neat, quiet, or linear,” says Colbert. “It definitely doesn’t look the same for everyone. Damaged Goods is for people who feel broken by life in ways they can’t always explain and who need to know it’s okay to laugh through the mess.”
Colbert brings the same wit and emotional honesty to Damaged Goods that has resonated with his growing social media audience. The book speaks directly to readers who don’t see themselves in traditional grief narratives, reminding them that grief doesn’t disqualify joy and that sometimes laughter is the most human response of all.
Damaged Goods is available on Amazon, BarnesandNoble.com, and IngramSpark.com.
About the Author
John Colbert is a writer and content creator whose work blends humor with emotional honesty. With more than 15 years of experience as a creative director and copywriter, he has shaped stories across television, social, and digital platforms for brands including Taco Bell and Tylenol. He is followed by more than 41,000 people on Instagram, where he shares dad-life humor and candid reflections on grief and everyday life, and lives in Pennsylvania with his wife, two kids, and dog. To learn more, visit https://www.itscolbert.com/.
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