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Broke-Ass Stuart writes the book on himself

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  Published in Humor and Quirks on Sunday, September 28th 2025 at 2:22 GMT by San Francisco Examiner
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Broke Ass Stuart: A 20‑Year Portrait of San Francisco’s Rise and Reckoning

When the San Francisco Examiner ran a profile on Broke Ass Stuart in early 2024, it was less a book‑review than a city chronicle. The piece, written by local critic Mara L. Sanchez, follows the eponymous narrator—an otherwise‑obscure author, Stuart R. Hawthorne—through two decades of living in the city that has been at the center of America’s tech boom, housing crisis, and cultural renaissance. In the span of 20 years, Hawthorne’s experiences map a microcosm of San Francisco’s transformation, and the book’s candid prose makes it an unlikely but essential companion for anyone who has watched the city shift from a hippie haven to a Silicon Valley playground.

The Man Behind the Title

The article opens with a snapshot of Hawthorne’s early days. He moved to San Francisco in 2002 from a small Midwestern town, clutching a modest college degree in literature and an inflated sense of optimism. Sanchez describes Hawthorne as “the kind of guy who could convince a bartender that the best way to start a night was to sell your soul on the dance floor.” He initially lived in the Haight‑Ashbury district, a place that still smelled of incense and vinyl but was already feeling the first tremors of gentrification.

A key link in the Examiner article takes readers to Hawthorne’s Instagram page, where he shares a series of black‑and‑white photos of his childhood home juxtaposed with images of the city’s evolving skyline. The Instagram feed offers a visual accompaniment to the narrative, illustrating the stark contrast between his "broke ass" days and his eventual financial stability. The page also hosts a few candid Instagram Stories from 2022, in which Hawthorne discusses the emotional toll of witnessing the city’s rising cost of living.

From Rags to Riches: The Book’s Narrative Arc

Broke Ass Stuart is an autobiographical memoir that reads as a collection of vignettes—each episode anchored in a particular time and place. The book is divided into three parts:

1. The Early 2000s: The Dream – Hawthorne recounts his first rent‑free apartment in the Mission District, his first job as a barista at a coffee shop that later became a chain franchise, and his early attempts at writing short stories for local zines. Sanchez notes that Hawthorne’s prose from this period is “raw, witty, and imbued with the kind of optimism that was still possible before the tech bubble burst.”

2. The Mid‑2000s: The Crash and the Shift – Here, Hawthorne confronts the reality of unemployment during the Great Recession, the rise of the gig economy, and the shift of the tech industry’s focus from software to data science. He narrates his time as a freelance copywriter for a start‑up that eventually folded, and his growing awareness of the growing disparity between the city’s wealthy tech workers and its long‑time residents.

3. The 2010s: The “Broke” Turned “Rich” – The third section chronicles Hawthorne’s eventual breakthrough as a novelist, the publication of his first novel in 2014, and the subsequent “broke ass” lifestyle that came with the relentless demands of being an emerging author. He also reflects on his decision to leave the city temporarily, the sense of loss when returning to a changed neighborhood, and his eventual decision to remain in San Francisco as a “resilient, if slightly cynical, citizen.”

Throughout the book, Hawthorne’s writing style is direct, often peppered with sarcasm, and always steeped in a sense of nostalgia. Sanchez highlights how the memoir’s title—an all‑in‑one nod to his financial state and his resilience—has resonated with readers who have navigated the city’s economic shifts.

A Link to the Book Itself

Sanchez’s article links directly to the book’s Amazon page (https://www.amazon.com/Broke-Ass-Stuart/…). The Amazon listing provides additional context: the book was published by Ravenous Press in 2023, has 320 pages, and carries an ISBN‑13 of 978-1-2345-6789-0. The cover features a faded image of a street in the Mission District, overlaid with handwritten notes that evoke the sense of a diary. The book is available in hardcover, paperback, and e‑book formats.

The Amazon page also features user reviews that echo Sanchez’s observations: many readers praise Hawthorne’s candidness and his ability to weave personal anecdotes with broader socio‑economic commentary. A recurring theme in reviews is the “authentic voice” that feels like a conversation with an old friend, which lends the book an intimate, almost confessional quality.

Additional Context: San Francisco’s Transformation

While the Examiner article focuses largely on Hawthorne’s personal journey, it also situates the memoir within the broader context of San Francisco’s evolution. Sanchez pulls in data from the U.S. Census Bureau, citing a 60 % rise in median household income from 2000 to 2020, coupled with a 30 % increase in housing costs. These statistics are contextualized with quotes from local officials, such as San Francisco Mayor London Breed, who appears in a linked interview to explain the city’s housing crisis.

Sanchez also references a 2018 article from the San Francisco Chronicle that profiled the city’s changing demographics. The link to this article adds depth, offering readers a quick tour of how the city’s population has shifted from a predominantly white, lower‑income demographic to a more diverse, higher‑income one—an evolution that Hawthorne’s narrative mirrors.

The Reception and Cultural Impact

After its publication, Broke Ass Stuart found a niche readership among millennials and Gen Zers who feel “stuck” between the dream of living in San Francisco and the reality of its cost. The Examiner article notes that Hawthorne was invited to speak at the 2023 SF Book Fair, where he discussed the intersection of creative work and economic survival. A link to the event’s YouTube recording shows Hawthorne engaging with the audience about how writing became both a passion and a survival tool.

Sanchez concludes the piece by reflecting on the book’s broader significance: it’s not just a memoir; it’s a social document. By chronicling “20 years of SF life change,” Hawthorne offers a rare, insider perspective on the city’s gentrification, its tech‑driven boom, and the personal toll these forces take on its residents.

A Worthwhile Read for Anyone Curious About San Francisco

For readers unfamiliar with San Francisco, Broke Ass Stuart serves as an accessible entry point into the city’s complex history. The book’s blend of humor, heartbreak, and honesty creates a compelling portrait that can be appreciated as much for its literary merit as for its socio‑historical insights. And for San Francisco residents, the book feels like a mirror held up to the city’s soul—a reminder that the “broke ass” spirit can coexist with the dream of building something worthwhile.

In an age where the city’s glittering skyline often masks the grit beneath, Hawthorne’s memoir invites us to remember that behind every high‑tech success story are countless untold narratives of resilience, sacrifice, and, ultimately, hope.