Hi Friends,
When my friend Stephen Jon Thompson was nine years old, his mother abandoned him and his four younger siblings (ages one to six) in a hotel in Reno, Nevada.
I met Stephen Jon Thompson in a youth group in ~1984. He lived at Carson City’s orphanage, known as The Home. I lived in the Safari Trailer Park on Tiger Drive. We instantly hit it off and have been fast friends ever since.
When Stephen began working with Memoir Mentor, Marnie, she asked to speak with me. Stephen and I’ve known each other for over forty years, and as she guided him through his revisions, she wanted to understand Stephen and our long-term friendship better.
Our November 2019 conversation went something like this.
Marnie: Upon reflection, which personality traits did you and Stephen have in common back then?
Me: We were students of human behavior.
Marnie: How so?
Me: We watched and learned from people whom we respected. We didn’t have positive role models in our lives, so we went in search of them.
Marnie: As young people, when did you and Stephen first confide in each other about your complicated lives?
Me: We never did. We didn’t need to. I knew Steve lived at The Home, and he knew I lived on Tiger Drive. In the nineteen eighties, our addresses spoke volumes.
I wouldn’t learn the stunning details of Stephen’s childhood until I started reading his draft in 2014 while I wrote my novel, Tiger Drive. Since then, I’ve read multiple versions of his memoir, Hotel Goodbyes. With each readthrough, I’ve smiled wider, wept harder, and applauded more. My friend is resilient and has an unwavering ability to leverage a negative experience and turn it into an opportunity.
Now, I proudly hold the hardback copy of Hotel Goodbyes in my hands which Readers’ Favorites says is “Pulitzer-worthy.”
Find out where Stephen is today and how he got there. Hotel Goodbyes will be released on September 10, 2024, and can be pre-ordered now. Once you read his story, you will question how you want to perceive your opportunities and “failures” in the future. And wow, you’ll cherish your friends, family, and community more than ever. Let me know if you read it.
So, what else do Stephen and I have in common in our fifties? We’re both authors. Congratulations, buddy. I am proud of you and love you.
Do you typically read memoirs or autobiographies? Do you have a favorite? Please let me know. My TBR pile needs to be fed.
Thanks for being you.
Teri
P.S. I’ve written about Stephen previously. Here is the original newsletter which includes his TED Talk.