Ok. So what happened to the letter my mother wrote to her mother?
In a recent Journal posting, I wrote ” I won’t reveal the title’s meaning, but I will say it came from my Seattle friend, Wally Barclay, thirty-three years ago after I’d told him a story from my childhood and that one day, I’d write a book about it. He laughed and said, “You should title it Sell the Monkey.”
So, I have. And to find out about the title, and the letter, and everything else…it’s all in the book.
About the book:
“In Galen Garwood’s wonderfully engaging memoir, Sell the Monkey, the reader is immediately captivated by the exploits and wonder of a young boy left to his own devices, discoveries, and dreams. His poignant descriptions of the many houses, beaches, and relatives he was shuffled between, and his emerging self as a young man often filled with self-doubt are honest, colorful and sometimes very amusing. His metamorphosis into a man of rare artistic talent and the close friendships he made is all the more remarkable because of his self-awareness, his sketchy education, his determination, and his inner voice. This rollercoaster of a life crisscrossing the United States, from Georgia to Alaska, Asia, and Europe in the pursuit of art and artists, sharing moments and ideas with friends and family is beautifully captured in this gem of a book.”
Joanna MacLean, author of Two Eggs and a Lemon
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“In the initial pages of Sell the Monkey, Galen Garwood is being urged to take a chance in life. This is just a microcosm of his life story… Sell The Monkey is not your average autobiography. The title alone proves that, but don’t let that fool you. The narrative is strong, the retelling of a tough past done beautifully. The reader will be glad to be a passenger on a voyage of self-discovery and growth. An excellent autobiography and all around great read!”
Philip Zozzaro, San Francisco Book Review
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