For the Sender (A Few Thoughts)

This is a book that can be read (and re-read) in one or two sittings. 

I did have to do a bit of re-reading since I wasn't picking up on what Alex Woodard was doing until I got to the chapter at the end of the book called "The Box" and read the line from Steinbeck, "Maybe all men got one big soul ever'body's a part of." 

That's when Woodard, reflecting on his life as revealed gradually through snippets of song lyrics, letters, and disjointed narrative, makes the point. Excerpts of letters from four very different people, unrelated events in the author's life, 12 songs, plus 1. Is there a thread, a connection? There is, but he had to discover it, and the undiscerning reader had to wait for it. That's when I had to go back and re-read, though in fact the structure of the book is revealed in the table of contents (if one had eyes to see). 

It's been a long time since a book made me cry like this. 

Last month, I saw a performance of Woodard's newest For the Sender project called, "Love Letters from Vietnam" at North Coast Repertory Theater in Solana Beach. Performing with him was the beautiful Molly Jenson, the daughter of a dear friend, who has collaborated with him on many of these songs. Molly can be seen here in this short promotional video. 

For more information about Woodard's For the Sender project, go here. 

Always save ticket stubs!

Of course I'll wait for the author to sign his book!

The beautiful Molly with her dear sweet mom, Mary.