Kevin Wilson: Out of Print

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Moth — "Kevin Wilson: Out of Print"

Episode Information

• Title: Kevin Wilson: Out of Print
• Host/Author: The Moth
• Release Date: November 2, 2009

Introduction In this episode of The Moth, host Dan Kennedy introduces a heartfelt and introspective story by Kevin A. Wilson, a freelance automotive writer from Waterford, Michigan. Recorded live at the first Detroit Moth Story Slam at Cliff Bells, Wilson's narrative delves into the complexities of young love, personal growth, and the enduring impact of written words.

Story Overview

1. Early Connections and First Love Kevin Wilson begins his story by painting a vivid picture of his teenage years, highlighting the stark differences between himself and Susan, his first love.

“She wore White Shoulders perfume and went to honors college at Michigan State and I wore my hair long and parted in the middle as I still do and went to Michigan Tech and a mechanical engineering program.” (03:55)

At 18, before the era of instant digital communication, Kevin opted for the tactile intimacy of letter writing as a means to connect with Susan. He meticulously crafted daily letters filled with youthful musings and budding romantic sentiments.

2. The Art of Letter Writing and Poetic Endeavors Kevin's dedication to expressing his newfound understanding of love led him to compose poems, albeit imperfectly.

“I remember rhyming orange juice with syringe use.” (04:30)

Despite his creative efforts, the sheer volume of his correspondence began to impact his academic performance, ultimately leading to his departure from engineering school.

3. Personal Struggles and Life’s Unfolding Path Post-college, Kevin found himself working at the Ford Utica trim plant, a stark contrast to his engineering aspirations. Life seemed to move without a clear plot, marked by societal events and personal setbacks.

“And I ended up in a hospital. Susan only came once, long enough to hear chronic lifelong incurable Crohn's disease, and she never came again.” (06:10)

Susan's battle with Crohn's disease introduced an unforeseen challenge in their relationship, leading to prolonged separation.

4. The Return of the Letters Years later, as Kevin's son prepared for college, a nostalgic moment triggered the rediscovery of his old letters.

“I went fishing in the drawer and there was the book.” (07:45)

The 60-page binder, once a symbol of his youthful love and creative expression, now served as a tangible memory of a bygone era.

5. Reflections on Love and Legacy Kevin reflects on the evolution of his relationship with Susan and the lessons learned from nurturing love beyond mere words on a page.

“Love wasn't something I'd create on a page, but sort of a seed we'd nurture and grow together.” (08:35)

The story culminates in the poignant realization that genuine love transcends written expressions, requiring mutual growth and understanding.

Insights and Conclusions

Kevin Wilson's narrative offers profound insights into the nature of love, communication, and personal development. Through his journey from heartfelt letter writing to real-life relationship challenges, he underscores the importance of genuine connection over superficial expressions. The rediscovery of his letters years later serves as a metaphor for introspection and the enduring impact of our early experiences on our present selves.

Notable Quotes

• “She wore White Shoulders perfume and went to honors college at Michigan State...” — Kevin Wilson (03:55)

• “I remember rhyming orange juice with syringe use.” — Kevin Wilson (04:30)

• “And I ended up in a hospital. Susan only came once...” — Kevin Wilson (06:10)

• “I went fishing in the drawer and there was the book.” — Kevin Wilson (07:45)

• “Love wasn't something I'd create on a page, but sort of a seed we'd nurture and grow together.” — Kevin Wilson (08:35)

Conclusion Kevin Wilson's story, "Out of Print," is a testament to the enduring power of storytelling and the human capacity for love and growth. Through candid reflections and vivid anecdotes, Wilson invites listeners to contemplate their own journeys of love, loss, and the words that capture them.

Additional Information For more stories and to support The Moth, visit themoth.org. Consider attending the annual Moth Ball or explore membership opportunities to become a part of this vibrant storytelling community.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

Hello and welcome to the Moth Podcast. My name is Dan Kennedy and I'm your host. The Moth is all about true stories told live on stage and they are stories that are told without notes. The stories that you hear on the podcast are taken from our storytelling series in New York, Los Angeles and now also Chicago and Detroit. Plus we tour across the country regularly so they're taken from all over. If you'd like to learn more about that, Visit our website themoth.org Also it is time for the Moth Ball. That is our big annual formal event that we have to raise money for the Moth. It's going to happen November 17th in New York City. Garrison Keillor and Jonathan Ames will be hosting. Anna Deavere Smith will accept the 2009 Moth Award. Consider coming out for that support the Moth. The tickets are on sale now and you can hit our website for more information. Themost.org the story you're about to hear by Kevin A. Wilson was recorded live at the first Detroit Moth Story Slam that we had at Cliff Bells. I was hosting that night and the crowd was amazing. The storytellers were incredible, as you're about to hear, and thanks to WDET for their support that night. The theme of the evening was Firsts.

[C]

She wore White Shoulders perfume and went to honors college at Michigan State and I wore my hair long and parted in the middle as I still do and went to Michigan Tech and a mechanical engineering program. It was a long time ago, before cell phones or all that cheap communication. The best miracle of communication at the time was some herky jerky black and white video from the moon. So our first month's phone bill cost more than my textbooks for the semester and I thought maybe I should take up letter writing. And so I did. Every day I sat down in front of a picture of a round faced girl with iron flat blonde hair, her name Susan embossed in gold in the lower right corner. And I wrote to her. I wrote to her about all that sappy stuff that a 1718 year old is just discovering about the world, the colors of the autumn leaves and the blue ice on Lake Superior and the northern lights over Houghton, Michigan when you're high as a kite on PCP laying on the roof of a frat house. And I also thought since I was in love and being 18 and having invented love for for the first time, of course, that I should write her some poems. And well, these were mechanically engineered poems, but they were heartfelt and you know, there were maybe a haiku with an extra line or a sonnet with a couple extra words in the end of a line or I remember rhyming orange juice with syringe use. So I wrote so much in fact that I didn't do very well in school. So I wasn't invited back to engineering school, but I had sent all these things to Susan, and I'd never copied any of it. But she kept it all. Until one day on my 19th birthday, she gave them all back to me. No, not like that. It was this beautiful feminine hand, purple ink on yellow onion skin. 60 pages in a final binder about yay by yay, every page touched with a drop of white shoulders. I wasn't going back to engineering school. I was working at the Ford Utica trim plant pulling Mustang tube bumpers off the molds. And life tumbled along as it does without much plot. You know, a president resigns, a war ends, people line up to pay 55 cents a gallon for gasoline, and I ended up in a hospital. Susan only came once, long enough to hear chronic lifelong incurable Crohn's disease, and she never came again. And the book went in the back of a desk drawer alongside a slide rule I'd never use again and Grandpa's jackknife and a few Boy Scout merit badges. And all that came with me when I joined my life with that of a curly haired woman who taught me that love wasn't something I'd create on a page, but sort of a seed we'd nurture and grow together. And a few years ago, our oldest son was about to head off for college and I was telling him, you know that MacBook, you know, what I got to go to college with was a slide rule. And he said, what's a slide rule? So I went fishing in the drawer and there was the book. And I kind of hesitantly remembering orange juice and syringe juice, opened the top and I can tell you this, you won't find this formula in the Dangerous Book for Boys. But if you put purple ink on yellow onion skin, bind it in vinyl and hold a little White Shoulders perfume in there, you've got good recipe for disappearing ink. 60 pages with not a word, not a trace, except a little whiff of White Shoulders perfume. And that's the story of how I wrote my first book, now long out of print. Something to be grateful for in a lot of ways.

[B]

Kevin A. Wilson is a freelance automotive writer who lives in Waterford, Michigan. As you know, the MOTH is a non profit organization. You certainly heard me saying that in your ipod headphones a few times by now. But consider getting involved with us and supporting the free podcast that you're listening to and maybe even becoming a Moth member. Learn more about all those things at our website, themoth.org and now you can also download the Moth podcast directly to your smartphone and listen on the go. Visit stitcher.com and you can download the free application there today. Our podcast host, Dan Kennedy is the author of the recently published book Rock An Office Power Ballad. Learn [e-mail] thanks to all of you for listening. We hope you have a story worthy week. Podcast audio production by Paul Ruest at the Argo Network Podcast hosting by PRX Public Radio Exchange helping make public radio more [e-mail].