I was the head server at one of Savannahs most successful and popular restaurants, The Firefly Cafe, catering to the best of this citys blue-bloods. But, once the restaurant was sold, everything changed. The new owners were running the business into the ground, my partner left, my father was diagnosed with a terminal illness, and my weight dropped to a 115 pounds. And while most people find themselves escaping into drugs and alcohol, I became obsessed with knitting. I spent long hours chugging beer after beer and working on any pattern I could come across, developing a psychotic routine of mindless action while life around me was crumbling.
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Called “part Marlene Dietrich, part Edith Piaf,” Siouxsie Sioux (Siouxsie and the Banshees) has influenced art, fashion, film and an entire generation of musicians with her dark, poetic lyrics and theatrical beauty. Now her influence reaches into the literary world with this collection of short stories. From the lyrics of RAWHEAD AND BLOODYBONES, SKIN, THIS UNREST, and THE LAST BEAT OF MY HEART, these stories of gothic romance, psychological misfits, and animal rights pay homage and tribute to one of the most iconic women in music.
The Phantom Ghores are vain, arrogant people who dress themselves in 1930s clothing. They have enormous wealth and power, not to mention manners that exceed the limits of pomposity. Theirs is the most exclusive club in the world, and yet there is only one requirement for joining: you must be dead. Revealed here is an expose on their lives and deaths. Learn about Acquisitions and Resurrections, Grave Diggers and Vocalists, Houses and Death Scars. Learn from one of their own about this secret society of the dead where deceit and trickery are artful endeavors and where your only ambition is to belong…
This is the stream of consciousness memoir of a man, “left alone to find God in the wilderness of the soul,” while dismissing the concepts of the contemporary Christian church. After having an apocolyptic nightmare, whilst living as a vagrant in Key West, Gregory Patrick begins searching for the truth behind spirituality, battling questions about the homosexual place in the church, the hypocricy of modern Christians, and the ridiculousness of war inspired by God. Through his interior searchings he questions his own authenticity in a world beset by homogeny before finally coming to battle his ego, his “foe,” in a Benedictine monastery.
Gregory- Wow! You are one incredible person! You are so talented! I’m moved and humbled by your life. This is yet a bump (a large one) but a bump in the road of life that will get better. I’m going through a lot right now also. I love that you are a guy who knits, I think it’s cool. I’m praying for you and your feline friend. Keep the faith! You have a friend in me.
Sincerely,
Mark
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Could you contact me, please – I have a couple skeins of Fisherman’s Wool that I won’t be using and would like to send to you.
Joan! As soon as I get the PO BOX (because I don’t know where I’m going to be now), I’ll let you know. I WILL GLADLY take the Fisherman’s wool.
I am in awe, truely. Sometimes the most amazing people are not the richest (financially), or even the most well-known, but they still touch people. I wanted you to know that today you have touched me, inspired me to keep going with my own ventures, and if I can find a way to help you in return then I will.
Silva, we’re all in this together. My favorite book, as you might have read, is “Howard’s End.” And again the one term comes again and again and again: “Only Connect….”
God, I love that book. I’m happy to have connected with someone who wishes to find the spark inside to endeavor their own ventures.
Well, would you know, I used to live just down from the house they filmed Howard’s End in. A small village in Oxfordshire, England and very, very beautiful. A fine movie too! My dad even did some house painting for the owners.
I’ve just discovered your blog via Ravelry. I’ve bought your book in Kindle edition. Looking forward to read your adventures. Thanks!
Gregory,
Just finished reading Mad Man Knitting on my Kindle and just wanted to drop you a line and say, thank you. It was a wonderfully written book and reminded me of a lot. I was born in Orlando and used to live there until about 2006 when I moved to JAX. We probably bumped into each other and didn’t even know it. I used to work at school behind the Fashion Square and visited that JoAnn’s often when I started my own knitting journey, teaching myself starting about ’04. By 2007 I was living just north of Savannah in Jasper County, SC, though I would often visit the Empress City since it was only about a 45 min drive. In fact I was eating lunch at the Fly with friends when I got the call confirming I was HIV positive. It was my only time I ever ate there, but I wish I had been able to eat there more, and your writing did make wish it all the more. . .especially during the good times. It was hard living out here in the country with no friends. It still is hard, but knitting has helped me through the depression, through the sadness, and through the loneliness. Anyway, thank you again for the book, and the renewed inspiration.
Gregory (yup, sharing the same name was one of the first things that attracted me to the book).
I have all ideas we probably DID bump into each other on occassion! You never know! How small the world is, these days. Thank you for the kind words, I’m glad you enjoyed the book and knit on, brother!
Your book was amazing. I felt as if I were visiting an old friend. I bought both your patterns this week and started the search for the “perfect” yarn. You know the drill. Anyway, I would love to see a book with your original patterns along with the story of how they came to be. Best wishes to you!
Reading your intro to the “Fly” paraphrase: while most people turn to drugs and alcohol, I turn to knitting, chugging beer after beer. Gee, and that’s not being an alcoholic?
Did you read the book? Because I thought I made it perfectly clear toward the end of it that I was eluding myself, lying to myself and saying that “No, no….beer isn’t the problem. Knitting is.” I used knitting as the surface addiction, while the greater addiction was something I kept hidden from everyone. And yes, that is being an alcoholic.
“My Books | Mad Man Knitting” was indeed a terrific read and
I really was in fact truly joyful to locate it.
Thanks for your effort-Shayne
It took me just a bit to realize that this is an older post brought to the surface again.
I’m reading “Just as soon as I get a PO box … I don’t know where I’m going to be …” and then I saw the dates. Hope this morning finds you and Mario well and happy! Good to see something from you, even if it IS a teensy bit elderly. 
P.S. This is either a shameless plug or “information,” but I switched my blog to WordPress a week ago … http://playingfortimeblog.com/
Stop by and see me! MUAH!
I am assuming that since it isn’t listed, that your books are not available for the Nook? Is that correct?