Pat Conroy is one of the giant writers of the modern American South. He grew up in Beaufort, South Carolina, in the so-called “Lowcountry,” south of Charleston. The son of a decorated but semi-abusive Marine pilot, he went to the Citadel, a military college in Charleston, then all-male, and played basketball. He wrote about all of this in several memoirs alongside other great works of fiction. Some of the fiction have even been turned into movies. He died in 2016, and loved ones collected some of his last writings into this collection. Reflecting on life, he conveys a deep, sophisticated heart with a variety of love-filled experiences with adoring people.

Conroy describes his life, particularly his early life, as being surrounded by dysfunctional people. Thus, his stories – such as The Great Santini and The Prince of Tides – are filled with flawed characters, but he continually finds redeeming qualities in them. This trait, I admire and find inspirational. I suspect he first received this outlook in his Catholic grade-schools yet cultivated it through an enduring faith and love of humanity.

This collection occasionally highlights his broad reading in the world of fiction. It also brings out a wide span of individuals that have marked his journey, like his friend who suffered from AIDS, only to become one of the first to receive curative HAART therapy. He shares about his Citadel classmates and about numerous women authors, who, a rarity at the beginning of his career, became dominant in today’s marketplace. He displays a complex yet tender personality that always looks for a witty yet caring word to spin.

If you’re looking for a collection of essays that will warm your heart, you need search no more than this short volume. You can read them in short spurts – none of them are particularly long – or read several at once. They portray a fascinating, human author whose warm words have touched many. He’s a product of his time, for sure. For instance, he frequently comments on women’s beauty, but also always addresses each one’s ingenuity. Nonetheless, in the particularity of his experiences and his words, he comports something eternal and lasting. That depth makes me grateful to have picked up this work. ( )

A book of various writings from Pat Conroy about many different things from speeches, his blog and letters written. This was put together after his death. It is like a bunch of short stories about various topics that if you are a fan of Conroy you will enjoy. ( )

One of my favorite writers. Loved hearing the stories behind the novels and about the people he wrote about and why. Makes me want to read his books all over again. ( )

Reading this compilation of blog posts, speeches, interviews, etc. made me feel like I was re-reading old letters from a beloved friend who has passed away. You might call this book the most informal essay collection ever written. Mr. Conroy was not a fan of blogging and approached it with a healthy amount of skepticism, so the entries may seem a little random at first. But there are nuggets of beauty, insight, and humor in the randomness that make this a read more than worth your time, whether you have read Pat Conroy extensively or not. (The only book of his I've read is Beach Music, an all-time favorite of mine.)

Four and a half stars. Highly recommended. ( )

A posthumous collection of Conroy's blog and other short essays and speeches. His writing is most vivid when he is talking about his friends, and about the books he loves, which is why this didn't sing for me quite as much as [My Reading Life] did. But I felt I got a powerful sense of the man and his life, and having recently located my buried copy of [A Prince of Tides], I'll be nudging that up the tbr mountain. ( )