Laurence Davidson, Author

Welcome to laurencedavidson.comI am the author of The Flow.
Coming Soon: SOAPBOX and Kill All the Butterflies.I am also a sommelier, chef, musician, traveler, and long-time Theravada Buddhist meditation teacher living in Walla Walla, Washington.Those sound like unrelated pursuits. They did to me too until I realized they've all been asking me the same question in different ways:What does it mean to be human?I explore that question through memoir, literary fiction and sometimes through shorter essays about cultural parallels, technology, philosophy, food, music, and the strange ways we connect and occasionally stumble into wisdom.My first book, The Flow: A Hedonist's Guide to Buddhism, Meditation and Travels in Thailand, follows a month I spent at a high mountain monastery before wandering Thailand in search of temples, remarkable meals, unexpected friendships, and a deeper understanding of why we spend so much of life chasing things that never quite satisfy us.Then there are two very different novels.Kill All the Butterflies is a literary novel about power, reputation, moral ambiguity, and the stories we tell ourselves to survive. I began this tale years ago then set it aside. The idea never left me so I finished the beast. Coming... soon.SOAPBOX, a more recent addition, examines technology, outrage, and what happens when algorithms learn not only how to manipulate us, but eventually know us better than we know ourselves. Coming Sept 15th, 2026.Different stories. Different worlds. The same fascination with the contradictory creatures who inhabit them.I have zero interest in easy answers, fashionable certainty from today's darling-of-the-moment, or polished perfection. I'm far more interested in the awkward, heartbreaking places where real people live and love, so if you're looking for immaculate prose scrubbed free of humanity and humor, you've taken a wrong turn.If, on the other hand, you're curious about books, essays, travel, meditation, cooking, wine, or the occasional rabbit hole that begins in philosophy and somehow ends with discussing the nut radius of vintage Fenders over a plate of street food, welcome. Pull up a chair.You'll find links below to my books and my Substack (where new essays appear whenever an idea refuses to leave me alone.)And if you're interested in becoming an Advance Reader for upcoming releases, I'd love to hear from you. There's a secure contact form below.But wait... there's more... Indeed there is but that all under wraps for now and I've always loved that cheesy line!One small request. If you're reaching out to sell me SEO, guaranteed reviews, AI training, web traffic, branding, or the latest revolutionary marketing solution, I sincerely wish you a long and prosperous career. But, quite bluntly, it won't be with me.Thanks for stopping by.