Five by Five—The story of a nontraditional traditional relationship

By Max Bowen 

Over 40 years, Marsh Rose and Jack shared a relationship living in separate homes but with a bond that ran deep. When Jack passed from a stroke, Marsh was encouraged to turn a column she was working into a memoir, “A Version of the Truth,” set to be released in October.

Set in the famed Northern California wine country, the book explores themes of feminism, sexuality, identity, love and loss, inviting readers to think about the search for truth and the ways in which we must confront its mystery to find a version we can live with.

In this interview, Marsh talks about how she and Jack met and the nature of their relationship. She talks about the grieving process after Jack passed and how she turned that story into this new memoir.

Let’s begin with how you and Jack met and how the relationship began.
We bonded over DIY projects. Jack was a neighbor when I lived in a decrepit rental in northern California. The landlord was upset about rent control (he deemed it “socialism”), he wouldn’t make repairs and the place was falling apart. Jack was a construction worker and helped keep the place from collapsing around me. We developed a routine of two nights a week together and daily phone calls. Neither of us wanted to get married or live together.

Can you talk more about the unique nature of your relationship?
We had little in common, superficially: no shared upbringing, lifestyle, interests or friends. But we both craved intimacy while also protecting our privacy and independence. This foundation helped me to allow our differences to inform my own life and perspectives over the years.

What was your grieving process, after so many years together?
I relied on two special friends, my journal which always helps anchor me to sanity, and the need to stay grounded so that I could keep working, remain healthy and possibly write about it.

What inspired you to share yours and Jack’s story?
I was working with my mentor, Marion Roach Smith, to develop an essay I hoped to submit to the New York Times’ “Modern Love” column, about helping a partner with health problems in a nontraditional relationship. When I was a few weeks away from finishing the essay, Jack had a stroke and…the ending happened, to my ultimate surprise. Marion and I decided to turn the essay into a full-length memoir. I see it less as a story about the relationship, which is just the vehicle, and more as the discovery that we don’t always get the answers we need.

Any messages that you hope the readers take from it?
These days, especially as AI becomes more and more prevalent in our lives, we’re led to believe we can have all the answers to all our mysteries. We can’t, but we can find a way to live with unanswerable questions. I hope the readers get that message. To abuse the wise words of Mick Jagger, we can’t always get what we want but maybe, in this story, some readers may get something they need.

Citywide Bytes—In her new book, Donna Levin explores a romanticized past

In author Donna Levin’s new book, “The Talking Stick,” we meet Hunter, who has lost…..well, just about everything. Her husband has left her for her former friend, now best enemy Angelica. She has no job, no prospects, and is unsure of what comes next.

That “next” happens while exploring a San Francisco flea market. Here, she’s sent on a journey with three other women who join her journey to reexamine pasts, explore grief, addictions, parenting, and marriages, and discover that some of their most-cherished memories are romanticized versions of the truth.

In this interview, we look at what inspired this book and introduced to Hunter and Angelica. Donna talks about the element of a Talking Stick and why it was included in the book. She shares a look at the journey Hunter’s on and the people she’ll be sharing it with and just where it’s all going.

Dany Horovitz shares stories of love, loss, and life in “Free Times”

BONUS TRACK: Leezy talks about her battle with addiction and how it inspired “Sierra”

Singer-songwriter Dany Horovitz is back, and he has some big news to share. His debut album “Free Times” is now available! Dany joined me last fall to talk about his singles “Seasons Change” and “Moving On,” and along with these two songs, the album features another eight with an array of sounds and tales.

Dany and I talk about the response the album has seen from fans and music journalists in Canada, where he lives. He shares his poetry and how it ties into his music as well as the real-life connection behind the songs. Dany worked with some amazing people in bringing this album to life and he talked about the process. In addition to the album, a music video release for his song “Scar” was released and we go into how the two mesh.

Following our discussion, enjoy “Scar,” one of my favorite tracks from the album.


And in the second interview, Chicago-based artist Leezy dives into “Sierra,” a new single that takes us through her battle with addiction when she was 18. Leezy talks about how it all began and the work she put in to become sober a year later. Leezy's mother inspired the song, and was a pillar for the young artist as she sought treatment, and even had a brief role in the music video for “Sierra.”

As the episode comes to a close, check out “Sierra,” which shifts from a mellow tune to a rock-themed sound, matching the artist's battle.

Caitlin Garvey's debut novel looks at love, loss, and the meaning of moving on

Author Caitlin Garvey's debut novel, “The Mourning Report,” looks at the passing of her mother and the 

subsequent battles she had with depression and being admitted to a psychiatric facility after a suicide attempt.

In her book, she interviewed the people who were part of her mother's care, including a hospice nurse, a priest, an estate planner, a hairstylist, and a funeral director. If she figures out how they could function after being so close to her mother’s death, then maybe she can learn how to navigate her own life. Caitlyn shares some of the stories told in these interviews and what they meant to her, as well as what she thinks it means to “move on.”

This book is scheduled to be released in print and electronic formats on Oct. 6 through Homebound Publications.

Breaking the stigma of suicide

In this episode, we learn what it means to lose someone to suicide. My guest, Nancy Caissie, lost her husband Larry on May 28, 2011 to suicide and she talks about the events leading up to this and the aftermath. She talks about the reaction from family and friends and the challenge of speaking about it with other people. She also looks at her life now: remarried, with her young children now grown up, and how she was able to take that step forward.

If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of self-harm, know that help is available. The links below will take you to organizations that can offer support and counseling.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

Suicide Prevention Services of America

Suicide Prevention Services

Crisis Text Line

Suicide Prevention Resource Center

Rhode Island Author Expo, Part 3

Well, here we are, the final round of interviews from the Rhode Island Author Expo. Up first, Angelina Singer talks all about her soon-to-be-released book, “Forgetting What I Couldn't Remember.” Like much of her previous work, it touches on a personal part of her life.

Up next, The Pie Sisters make their big return! Leigh Brown and Victoria Corliss talk about their fourth book and how they co-write effectively.

Mary Catherine Volk believes that loved ones that have passed still have things to tell us and do so through signs, as she explains in her book, “Believe in Forever.”

Wrapping things up, Sam Kafrissen has a new book out in his Doherty Mystery series, and shows us how the character has evolved over the many titles.