| Title | : | Excuse Me, Sir! Memoir of a Butch |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 242 |
| Publication | : | Published October 11, 2023 |
Excuse Me, Sir! Memoir of a Butch , is a story of the outsider. It’s about what it means to be marginalized, the journey of overcoming and enduring the agony of addiction and how even in our darkest times, we can still find levity, laughter and hope.
"Excuse Me, Sir! Memoir of a Butch arrives at the perfect time in our history. The details shared describe experiences many of us can relate to and gain power in feeling seen and thus, understood. Finding strength through struggle isn’t easy and Shaley’s ability to guide us through her experiences with thoughtfulness, transparency, accountability and humor make this not only an enjoyable read, but an important one. While the journey to fully embrace who we are can be arduous, sharing her story will certainly make it easier for others." -Kevin Cook/Poison Waters of Darcelle XV
"Shaley Howard excels at telling her own story of being closeted and addicted, offering hard truths along with a healthy dose of humor. She reminds us that even in the grip of life’s toughest moments, we can still laugh, and find it in ourselves to come back to the life we deserve to live." -Whitney Otto, Bestselling Author of How to Make an American Quilt
Excuse Me, Sir! Memoir of a Butch Reviews
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We formerly had Shaley as a dog walker for our pup for several years. Even with that somewhat shallow interaction, we appreciated her warmth, sense of humor, and reliability (as it turns out from reading her memoir the last trait not always evident in her youth). But the fact that our dog liked her counted for a lot too as I trust canine opinions about people's trustworthiness, as much or more than human ones. While we have not needed her services recently we have kept in touch through her blogging and local PR of her many charitable activities. The book itself is a fine read. I usually avoid reading memoirs of any living person, especially one in the prime of life like you but made an exception in your case. I appreciated the honesty and depth of feeling and humor ( the story about her client Mary in one of the chapters is worth the price of the book by itself). Her ability to critique and analyze her own behavior within the text is admirable. Even though it presents a specific tale of coming to grips with one's sexuality, alcoholism, drug addiction, and familial dysfunction much of the message is universal about resilience and personal growth, regardless of the issues one faces in life. I highly recommend as both a informative and enjoyable reading experience.
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Shaley Howard has written an entertaining, upbeat and funny book.
“Excuse Me, Sir! Memoirs of a Butch” is about the authors’ life growing up as a closeted butch lesbian in Portland, Oregon during the 1980s and 1990s. Shaley is an engaging storyteller, leading us through the oftentimes challenging path of her life. She grew up in up in a fractured family to living a painful and awkward life as a closeted lesbian for many years, to two bouts with addiction—first to alcohol, then several years later, to pain pills. Oh, did I mention the book is funny?
If I seem to be harping on the latter point, it’s because I came away with the strong sense that the author might not have survived these ordeals to reach the midpoint of life, let alone thrive without a robust sense of humor that she’s unafraid of turning on herself. Thrive she has, running a successful business, contributing to the community in a variety of ways, and serving as a role model and mentor to countless young LGBTQ youth.
Spend a few hours with Shaley Howard. I guarantee you’ll be entertained and uplifted. One thing you won’t be is disappointed. -
Howard's memoir, “Excuse me Sir! Memoir of a Butch” is a page turning, heart wrenching, cup filling, laugh out loud, tear inducing, Shero’s journey. She details with depth and hilarity the complexities of her addictions, the whirlpool of shame strains and veritable blanket of fear keeping her closeted for two decades, finding her way within a family of origin lead by a self-obsessed and drenched in sadness mother who was also just doing her best as a “successful" female product of the Patriarchy of the 1950s – this memoir is a testament to the human spirit that in midlife, yes that’s right, at age 40 – we can begin again and not just survive, but thrive.
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When a friend says they're writing a book, it's terrifying because you might have to lie and tell them it was really good, when actually it was crap. Luckily, my friend Shaley is not only a good writer, but an honest and witty storyteller. I thoroughly enjoyed reading her memoir. While we have little in common, her story was remarkably relatable and I now have even more admiration for this beautiful human in my life who gives me and so many others hope for a better world. I feel privileged to know her. She's brave, she's charismatic, she's inspiring. My only complaint is that it was over too quickly. I haven't read a book that fast in a long time.
