Launch of Memory Lane

I’ve finally finished Memory Lane, a project that I’ve chipped away at over a number of years since the early days of the pandemic. On this site, I wrote a large number of stories that dated from my earliest memories and came up to the then-present day. There wasn’t a lot of rhyme, rhythm, or order to them as I wrote them, but I always figured they’d be good to have gathered for my family. This is the sort of thing we’re advised to do in our religion. With my father having died young (59) and having seen a LOT of death over my life, I’ve always been exceptionally aware of my own mortality. So now my kids and posterity have my own view of my history (albeit in third person, but it’s hard not to look at my past self as a different person). A big shoutout to my friend Bob Brown who can literally do anything, including amazing photography, and whose photo of the Memory Lane Cemetery gate is the cover.

I say all this here because I’m connected to various of my cousins, aunts, uncles, and others that I don’t see too often and many of which I haven’t seen in years. My parents did not stay in Utah but moved us across the country and then South to Texas. I served a mission near LA, did my time at BYU, and then moved East. I’ve not been in Utah a lot over the years (or in nearby states), where most of the family remains. So this is the personal history most of the extended family didn’t share.

Likewise, I’m connected to a lot of old mission companions and friends, and my mission figures prominently in the stories–how could it not?

The print and Kindle versions are organized in chronological order. They also include a preface, some faux reviews from people I wish would review me (Michael Christenson, Dave Barry is the first), and two articles of literary criticism written by me of my own work (they’re in the high falutin voices of stuffy academics). I emphasize, it’s not a commercial project–all of the actual stories are available for free on gordonlaws.com. The book format just makes it easier for posterity. Thanks for reading, and there will be more.