2 Books to Fill the Pat Conroy-Sized Hole in Your Heart: Our Prince of Scribes and The Lost Conroy

pat conroy books

 

If you’re new to this blog, Pat Conroy is my all-time favorite author. If you’ve been here awhile, you know how very much I love his work. So now that I can’t read any new work from him (he died of pancreatic cancer in 2016), I’m reading books about him.

The more I read about him, the more I realize how complex a person he was. He was beloved, but could also be cruel to those closest to him. And, that’s the dichotomy these two books really illuminate. Our Prince of Scribes focuses on the reasons people adore him and The Lost Prince delves into his dark side. Reading them more or less simultaneously was perfect for me because sometimes I needed some Conroy sunshine during the difficult portions of The Lost Prince (there are some parts that Conroy fans will find very hard to read…at least I did).

Two Books to Fill the Pat Conroy-Sized Hole in Your Heart

Our Prince of ScribesOur Prince of Scribes edited by Nicole A. Seitz
Nonfiction – Essays (Released September 15, 2018)
320 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Source: Purchased (Publisher: University of Georgia Press)

Plot Summary: A collection of essays celebrating the life and work of author Pat Conroy…written by fellow writers and people in the publishing industry.

My Thoughts: Pat Conroy was one of those larger than life personalities who owned the room the second he walked into it. He wasn’t flawless by any means, but he was never without an entertaining story to tell (sometimes of questionable truth) and he made people thankful they were in his orbit. He tirelessly mentored and championed other authors and described himself as a “blurb slut,” writing blurbs for gobs of authors just getting their start. And, that’s the general theme of these essays. Most of the essays were written by authors he championed and others who worked with him over the course of his career. They knew him in that capacity…and not nearly as well as his inner circle, one of whom you’ll hear from in the next book in this post. So, this collection is mostly a celebration of his good qualities and avoids his dark side. The essays had a sameness to them, which on the one hand showed me he had a consistent personality, but also leads me to recommend you read this collection in little snippets. My one complaint was I wish there was a short bio for each contributor at the beginning of each essay.

Every good novelist has a massive ego—it’s an essential tool for the job—but Conroy’s ego was contained in a package of sweetness, comedy, and full-Irish savagery that made him irresistible.

Lost PrinceThe Lost Prince: A Search for Pat Conroy by Michael Mewshaw
Nonfiction – Memoir (Released February 26, 2019)
288 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Source: Publisher (Counterpoint Press)

Plot Summary: Author Michael Mewshaw had a decades-long friendship with Pat Conroy until Conroy asked Mewshaw to do him a terrible favor, after which they didn’t speak for 6 years. Pat asked Michael to write about what happened, so this book is Mewshaw’s way of fulfilling Conroy’s request.

My Thoughts: Y’all know how much I love Pat Conroy (he’s my all-time favorite author), so you can imagine I was a little nervous to read a book that examined some of his flaws. But, this is a riveting story and an excellent compliment to Our Prince of Scribes. While the essays in Scribes are written mostly by people in the literary world, The Lost Prince is written by arguably one of Conroy’s closest friends (who is also an author, but their friendship goes far deeper than that). The Mewshaws lived in Rome with the Conroys (and much of the book takes place in Rome) and their families were best of friends. This story is far more intimate…and nuanced than the stories in Scribes. It shows Conroy at his best and worst…the worst being a side those in the literary world (to which Conroy gave himself entirely) didn’t see much. Mewshaw portrays Conroy as a complicated and difficult man…one that could enthrall every single person in his orbit, but also deeply hurt the people closest to him. The end of the book is riveting and horrifying and sad. It was certainly hard to read some parts (particularly Pat’s emails to his daughter, Susannah), but I’m glad I’m getting a more full picture of Conroy as a man, not just an author. That beings said, I’m very glad I was reading Our Prince of Scribes at the same time to take away some of the pain.

No sparrow ever fell in any dark forest that Pat didn’t volunteer to help. But all too often he failed to notice that the woods were on fire and his own house was in flames.

How do you feel about reading about the lives of your favorite authors?

Get Weekly Email Updates!

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

8 Comments

  1. Jeana wrote:

    Where do you recommend I start with Pat Conroy? I have been meaning to read his books for years.

    Posted 3.5.19 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      I’d recommend The Lords of Discipline. It’s a bit shorter than Prince of Tides (and it’s my favorite of his), even though Prince is his most well known. I’d do Prince next if you like Lords.

      Posted 3.8.19 Reply
  2. Sarah, what a nice tribute to your favorite author. I’m glad you got to knowPat Conroy a little better and that despite his flaws (we all have them) you still admire the man.

    I’ve only read The Prince of Tides and Beach Music, but liked both so much.

    Posted 3.5.19 Reply
  3. Darlene L. Overton wrote:

    Whew! It’s hard for me to see the dark side of my heroes. I’d admire you for going there.
    Both books sound great. I still have a lot of Conroy left to read. It’s hard for me to imagine anything better than Prince of Tides.
    I’ll keep these two on my list.

    Posted 3.5.19 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      The Prince of Tides was great…but, my favorite of his was Lords of Discipline!

      Posted 3.8.19 Reply
  4. Amanda wrote:

    This sounds brave Sarah! I don’t know that I’d want such a deep look into one of my faves. Though my curiosity is definitely piqued now.

    Posted 3.5.19 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      It was definitely nerve-wracking!

      Posted 3.8.19 Reply
  5. What a fascinating book pairing! It’s interesting that they give such a different perspective on the same person.

    Posted 3.6.19 Reply

Get Weekly Email Updates!

Join our mailing list to receive all new blog posts in one weekly email. Plus, news of special updates and offers!

You have Successfully Subscribed!