Boys in the Trees: A Memoir (52 page)
Read Boys in the Trees: A Memoir Online
Authors: Carly Simon
To Larry Ciancia, my manager at the time we brought this book home. He is a great friend of the family and has been essential to my years of writing.
At Flatiron Books, I want to thank the president and publisher, Bob Miller, whom I have known since I was still living within the timespan of this book. I don’t think I’m lying when I say I remember conversations between him and my mother at our kitchen table in Riverdale. Bob had been after me to write a book for as long as I can remember, and when the time came, he introduced me to Colin Dickerman, Flatiron’s editorial director. When Bob and Colin visited Hidden Star Hill to work on the book, Bob mentioned that he played guitar—lefty, too. It just so happened I had some strings, and he was able to restring the ones he needed. For most of the weekend, Colin and I could hear Bob Miller playing the blues from an adjacent room. Colin is funny and deep and smart, and we got to know each other at a fast pace, which proved the worth of what we worked on together, because I don’t think either of us thought we were compromising. Thank you, Colin, for understanding why I made every phone call to you after it was a little too late to change the placement of a comma.
Also at Flatiron, I want to recognize James Melia, Liz Keenan, Marlena Bittner, Karen Horton, and my copy editor Greg Villepique.
And then there are those special people on my team who have contributed immensely, organized in no particular order: Jonathan Lyons, Berta Baghjajian, Susan Kamil, Mali Hunter, Claudia McGinnis, Andy Ward, Frank Filipetti, Diane Hirschhorn, Deb White, Martha Sherrill, Danielle Ambrose, Arlyne Rothberg, and Bob Levine.
Of course, there are the people who have read some of the book and remarked on things deeper than typos. In order of picking them out of a hat:
Jessica Hoffman Davis (as conspicuously important to my life as she is to this book, also a great editor and friend), Herman Wouk, Carol Craven, Trish Kubal, Carinthia West, Jenny Blackton, David Seidler, Pam Frank, Tamara Weiss (my longtime friend and mother to my godsons Jules and Noah. She is my foremost tracker), Mia Farrow, Kenneth Cole, Jimmy Ryan, and Rose Styron.
And finally, thanks go to my family and roommates in this housing complex:
Richard Koehler, my mate.
Ben and Sally Taylor, both of you, my funny and dear-hearted children. You assured me that writing about your father was a reasonable and brave thing to do. Naturally for me, this was the most sensitive issue.
My sisters, Lucy and Joey, who heard things they might have preferred to forget. In contrast, other memories described herein provoked howling laughter.
My brother, Peter, the outstanding photographer and gentle soul.
Dean Bragonier, Bodhi Bragonier, and the entire extended Simon and Taylor families.
Special thanks and love to Jim Hart.
I would especially like to thank all the trees that produced the wood that was needed to make the paper used for the many drafts of this book. If any tree is personally and unduly affected, I will send a young girl up to the top branch of a “Sister tree” and have her sing this song (in nine languages):
I’m home again in my old narrow bed
Where I grew tall and my feet hung over the end
The low beam room with the window looking out
On the soft summer garden
Where the boys grew in the trees
Here I grew guilty
And no one was at fault
Frightened by the power
In every innocent thought
And the silent understanding passing down
From daughter to daughter
Let the boys grow in the trees
Do you go to them
Or do you let them come to you
Do you stand in back
Afraid that you’ll intrude
Deny yourself and hope someone will see
And live like a flower
While the boys grow in the trees
Last night I slept in sheets the color of fire
Tonight I lie alone again
And I curse my own desire
Sentenced first to burn and then to freeze
And watch by the window
Where the boys grew in the trees
For more information, please visit
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Carly Simon
lives on Martha’s Vineyard.
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CONTENTS
9.
The Hardships of the Mistral
The names and identifying characteristics of some persons described in this book have been changed, as have dates, places, and other details of events depicted in the book.
BOYS IN THE TREES.
Copyright © 2015 by Carly Simon. All rights reserved. For information, address Flatiron Books, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
All song lyrics reprinted by permission of Carly Simon
Photographic credits:
Chapters 5–7, 9, 12–15, and 19, opening and closing photos; chapters 10, 18, 20, and 24, opening photos; and chapters 11, 17, 21, and 22, closing photos: copyright © Peter Simon
Chapter 18, closing photo: copyright © Tom Hanley
Chapter 20, closing photo: copyright © Bruce Weber
Chapter 21, opening photo: copyright © Jim Shea
Chapter 22, opening photo: copyright © Norman Seef
Epilogue, closing photo: copyright © Richard Koehler
All other photographs courtesy of Carly Simon
Cover design by Karen Horton
Cover photograph courtesy of the author’s personal collection
The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data for the print edition is available upon request.
ISBN 978-1-250-09589-3 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-250-09590-9 (e-book)
e-ISBN 9781250095909
Our e-books may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at (800) 221-7945, extension 5442, or by e-mail at
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First Edition: November 2015