Yesterday I had discovered that despite my interest in various fictional genres such as sci-fi, paranormal, romance, fantasy, comics of all shapes and varieties, and manga of just as many topics, that memoirs just might be my favorite genre to read. The drama, loves, and losses of real people are far more fascinating than anything people could make up. And by proxy it’s fun to get a window into the lives of others to adapt to your own writing. From the way they form a sentence, to a certain personality quirk or two.
After my virtual inhaling of Josh Kilmer-Purcell’s I Am Not Myself These Days and suddenly bolting out of bed at 6AM to excitedly tell Mom the ending, as of last post I indeed did as promised and tore into Josh’s second memoir The Bucolic Plague. And finished it by 4 PM as Mom returned from a day of hairdressing to excitedly tell her about it once again.
The Bucolic Plague is the story of how Josh and his partner Brent of The Fabulous Beekman Boys became The Fabulous Beekman Boys. It’s far less tawdry than Josh’s first memoir about his adventures as the party queen Aqua and more a gentle and sweet natured but the wit is no less sparkling and hilarious.
What began as a wrong turn on the New York interstate landed our intrepid heroes in the tiny village of Sharon Springs. A second wrong turn down the road led them to the Beekman mansion. The fabulously for sale Beekman mansion. Josh described that he and Brent fell under a shared fit of insanity to by the mansion that had been on the market for four years and decided to have a go at being gentleman farmers.
For Josh’s 39th year of life taking care of the Beekman had it’s ups and downs, it’s trials and tribulations, and it’s hilarious unfortunate events with baby goats and their excrement. Josh and Brent’s relationship had undergone their own kinds of ups and downs when Josh had learned his life devolved into the roles of he as Oprah and Brent as the Avatar of all things Martha Stewart. Josh was determined to live what Oprah described as living his Best Life and he would have it one way or another.
Year One of the Beekman faced the great economic crash and near breakups. By the middle of it I was getting choked up about the uncertain future of the Beekman as well as Josh and Brent and their great Oprah versus Martha clash. Even now the story still continues and unfolds in front of millions of viewers each week. At the very least Josh tells his audience to never forget to say ‘I love you’, because when you do it’s easy to forget love completely.
I’m rooting for Josh and Brent to stand the test of time. And did I not suggest earlier Brent needs to hurry up and get on bended knee? Seriously. These guys majorly deserve their happily ever after.
Now pardon me while I consider what scent of Beekman 1802 goat milk soap to buy or plan my and Mom’s future trip to Sharon Springs. Mom wants to meet Polka Spot. She’s her biggest fan. XD