Pádraig Ó Tuama’s meditative book is part memoir, part theological reflection on what it means to be gay and Christian. He’s a poet, and the book’s lyrical prose and peripatetic style is interrupted by poems at regular interludes. I’m not sure I loved the “Hello to the XX” refrain, but I loved his storytelling. The book really got me thinking about the genre of memoir. There’s an entire sub-field of memoirs that feature the writer’s religious childhood–for instance, Mary McCarthy’s Memories of a Catholic Girlhood.
After reading the book and discussing it with some friends, I got to meet Ó Tuama at a community keynote lecture. I was so impressed with his public speaking. One of his areas of expertise is conflict resolution and reconciliation–something we desperately need in this country. His tales of Northern Ireland are so compelling, and all the more meaningful because I got to spend a few days in Belfast and took a walking tour about the Troubles a couple years ago.
