title: Lost on Treasure Island A Memoir of Longing, Love, and Lousy Choices in New York City
author: Steve Friedman
published: 2011
genre: memoir/humor
source: sent for review by Skyhorse Publishing
pages: 304
first line: Everything here is true.
rated: 3 out of 5 stars
What do you get when you plop a moody Midwesterner in Manhattan, the land of the quick and the mean, then grant him a dream job and visions of true love? One disaster after another…
In Lost on Treasure Island: A Memoir of Longing, Love, and Lousy Choices in New York City, Steve Friedman recounts with utter honesty and mordant clarity those fateful years, starting with his first job at GQ, including his awkward efforts to impress his terrifying boss and find his future wife. Friedman’s misadventures include real and imagined love affairs, catastrophic encounters at work and play, and desperate attempts to find authenticity – nearly all of which, in the end, fail miserably.
About:
Lost on Treasure Island A Memoir of Longing, Love, and Lousy Choices in New York City is Steve Friedman's candid and sometimes humorous memoir where he shares his experiences working in New York City as a literary editor for GQ.
Originally from St. Louis, Steve takes the plunge and moves to NYC. While working for GQ he makes friends out of work colleagues, has affairs with different women, has his heart broken and meets actress Mary-Louise Parker among a few other celebs.
Steve makes some bad choices in fashion (he wears a lime-green business suit to a job interview), makes bad decisions in love and pitches some interesting story ideas to his boss.
In his mid-forties, Steve realizes he wants to settle down and find Mrs.Friedman. He embarks on what he calls 'The Plan' in order to find a wife.
Steve takes the reader along his personal journey of ten years while living in New York, which includes several bad dates, betrayal by loved ones, his joining a self-help group and his difficulties at work.
My thoughts:
I enjoyed reading Lost on Treasure Island and found it to be an open and honest memoir by Steve Friedman.
As I read, I felt like an old friend was sitting next to me telling me his life story. Some of it was funny, some of it was endearing, some of it was awkward, all of it was interesting and well written.
Steve tells his story and you can either like him or not. He writes about his several affairs, and even cheating on his girlfriend.
Although Steve had a drinking problem in the past and suffered from chronic stomach aches and sleeplessness, he manages to add humor to his story and keep his memoir light and even inspirational at times.
I found it to be refreshing reading a memoir that wasn't depressing.
Steve always tried to keep his head up, and when things got tough his mantras were It is a pleasant day. I am my own worst enemy. Things aren't so bad. This too shall pass.
Steve had me laughing out loud as I read with his witty remarks and his reactions to different people and situations.
I recommend Lost on Treasure Island to anyone in the mood for a memoir that's open, honest and funny.
About the Author:
Steve Friedman, writer-at-large for Runner’s World, Bicycling, and Backpacker magazines, is the author of four previous books, including The Agony of Victory and Driving Lessons: A Father, a Son, and the Healing Power of Golf. His work has appeared in Esquire, GQ, Outside, and the New York Times, and in a number of anthologies, among them The Best American Travel Writing and The Best American Sports Writing. He lives in New York City. For more information, please visit www.stevefriedman.com
