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i finished Tell the Wolves I'm Home. it's a
beautiful well-written book that I didn't want to end. i
was spellbound from the moment i read the first page all the
way through to the last word. lonely characters with lush
inner lives. took me back to the early 80's when AIDS had
just burst onto the scene. changing the landscape of so
many lives. i was in kansas then…and truly-madly-deeply
in love with mitch, a drag queen from a local gay bar in a
seedy part of town. we were best buddies. tall
mitch with his calm deep voice. we'd go out drinking, dancing,
and carousing all night then collapse on the chaise lounges by
his mother's pool hungover and chatty. telling each other
secrets, back and forth. one of us had stars in our eyes.
well. maybe we both did, but his were for a
different reason. bonding. something i couldn't do
with all of the fresh-faced farm girls back at the dorm.
me in a small catholic college in salina kansas.
misery. until mitch pulled me onto his little
lifeboat.
beautiful well-written book that I didn't want to end. i
was spellbound from the moment i read the first page all the
way through to the last word. lonely characters with lush
inner lives. took me back to the early 80's when AIDS had
just burst onto the scene. changing the landscape of so
many lives. i was in kansas then…and truly-madly-deeply
in love with mitch, a drag queen from a local gay bar in a
seedy part of town. we were best buddies. tall
mitch with his calm deep voice. we'd go out drinking, dancing,
and carousing all night then collapse on the chaise lounges by
his mother's pool hungover and chatty. telling each other
secrets, back and forth. one of us had stars in our eyes.
well. maybe we both did, but his were for a
different reason. bonding. something i couldn't do
with all of the fresh-faced farm girls back at the dorm.
me in a small catholic college in salina kansas.
misery. until mitch pulled me onto his little
lifeboat.
maybe all i wanted was for Toby to
hear the wolves that lived in the dark forest of my heart.
and maybe that's what it meant. TELL THE WOLVES I'M
HOME. maybe Finn understood everything, as usual. you
may as well tell them where you live, because they'll find you
anyway. they always do.
my favorite book since, The Elegance of the Hedgehog.
anyway now i'm reading Black Chokeberry. a first novel
for Martha Nelson who's in her 60's(!) she wrote THIS article for the huffington post.
unrelated to the book, but so so good. i think, no,
i KNOW you'll love that piece. go read!
hear the wolves that lived in the dark forest of my heart.
and maybe that's what it meant. TELL THE WOLVES I'M
HOME. maybe Finn understood everything, as usual. you
may as well tell them where you live, because they'll find you
anyway. they always do.
my favorite book since, The Elegance of the Hedgehog.
anyway now i'm reading Black Chokeberry. a first novel
for Martha Nelson who's in her 60's(!) she wrote THIS article for the huffington post.
unrelated to the book, but so so good. i think, no,
i KNOW you'll love that piece. go read!
First time visiting your blog after recommendation from a girl I met in an evening class. I just want to say that I love to read your writing and I LOVE your journals.
Hugs from Norway
Linda
I just finished Tell the Wolves I’m Home and what an amazing book! I couldn’t stop reading it. This is definitely on my list of favorites. Beautifully written and heartbeaking. Love, love love. Thanks for exposing it to me!
Mary Ann, thank you for the link to Martha’s article. I have an old address book that I cannot part with because my brothers are still there in that old book.
Am just starting Tell the Wolves and an excited to dive in now. My Mitch was Kevin, I was a freshman in college. We danced liked fools more nights a week than I should have. He was a dear kind friend who could talk me into anything. My mom used to say “he could charm the balls off a cobra”! Love him and miss him every day. He was a casualty of that time and died of AIDS a much too young man.
I love your brain. Be well.
Loving your journal pages, wanting to be inside them, hopping the roof tops and walking the streets. sigh. I had a Mitch in my life, so upon reading that, completely understood. Lyle was gay and was my bff, like no other, we got each other, we could share anything, we spent alot of time talking into the wee hours, we did alot of crazy dancing under the moon and conversations on the phone would sometimes go all night. Those were the days, so young; confident, brave but scared and unsure too, trying to figure out the complexities of our lives and who we were supposed to be. I’m still not sure I’ve got that figured out. Thanks for sharing this with us. It was sweet thinking back.
TELL THE WOLVES is one of my favorite books. I read it thanks to YOU. I may NEVER lend it out, for fear of NOT having it when I need a re-read. Loved HEDGEHOG as well as it’s French movie version. I was happy to have WOLVES after the Hell-Ride that was GONE GIRL. I just finished APRON ANXIETY by a writer/Blogger in NYC. Much lighter fare, but I kinda needed that. It has a dose of Washington DC thrown in (my home town area) and that was fun. Book-On, Dear one and Huffington Post?….always rocks it!
Hola amazing one! I just found your blog. One word: Amazing. I have been lurking and savoring all that you share. Thank you. Oh, were are my manners, so nice to meet you. Blessings y besitos, Yolanda
I cringed when Martha dropped her old address book into the trash. We all know what to do with such a treasure… it certainly isn’t as fodder for the trash heap. What a wonderful book that could become.
Wow, what a great article! I will definitely check out her book; thanks for sharing. Curious- whatever became of Mitch?
Thinking about how to engage your little wild man. Have you seen this book? http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1603429883/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00
Just a thought. Always thinking, that’s me.
I read the piece you linked to and thought the paper ephemera lover inside of you must of screamed NOOOOOO! when she let the pages of her old address book plop into the trash bin.
I recently tried to elongate the reading experience of the novel Half-Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan. The only time I ever didn’t want a book to end was Austin Clarke’s The Polished Hoe . I can’t explain it.
Enjoyed seeing more of your Norway journal pages, enjoyed reading the Huff Post article and just ordered “Black Chokeberry” – I need a good book for upcoming flight to Montana. You always inspire, inform and entertain Mary Ann! Thanks!
Lovely article, thanks for the link. I’m just finishing The Cat’s Table by Michael Ondaatje — highly recommended so put it on your list.
My favorite book was the Elegance of the Hedgehog. I just loved that story. Surprisingly few people have read it. I would also recommend ‘Astrid and Veronika’. It was a lovely story. I thoroughly enjoy your blog and the direction your artwork is going. When you write about your travels, it’s as if we get to go along for the journey. Thank you Mary Ann.
I like you more and more each day. And I’ve liked you from day one. Perhaps it’s the Kansas in you, or the inability to bond to other Kansas girls. ‘Cause I really get that.
I can’t comment on books because I haven’t read one in ages. As a result my magazine piles are healthy and growing because i must have something to read or I will go bonkers. On the other hand, I can comment on the Hansa øl. Beer of my youth, first one I ever tasted. Never really developed a taste for it but enjoyed the time with friends and the places it flowed.
The day I go back to reading books, you’re my go to gal.
Marissa
Ordered Tell the Wolves and read the HuffPost article – thank you so much for sharing……….
I too had to read Tell the Wolves sloooowly, to make it last as long as possible.Rich writing with a story to match its beauty. Thanks for the Chokeberry tip.
sharron
When everyone gets to be who they truly are-you, Mitch,little red hot chili peppers…one soon realizes that the stars ARE the actual skyline.
Sometimes others miss the beauty of the view when staring straight ahead. A glance to the right or more notably the left yields amazing discoveries.
I will put those books on my reading list. Just finished John Irving’s In One Person, parts of it were in the early 80’s and AIDS. Seriousness masked in his lighter writing style. And a lot of boxing as per usual.
Have you read ‘Astrid and Veronika’ by Linda Olsson? A lovely, quiet book. An unlikely friendship formed when need dictates it.
J
This post made me think back to my high school days when one of my best friends was a gay guy. We went to school in a very small town in the middle of Illinois…nuff said!
Thanks for the book recommendations. I’ve added them both to my list.
I just finished Tell the Wolves. The characters were heartbreaking, but it was such a beautiful story. I just want to know what happens to the family over the next 5,10 years…….