# 12 THE MAN WHO LOVED BIRDS
| Author : | Fenton Johnson NEW HAVEN, KY |
| Artist : | Pat Lawrence LEXINGTON, KY |
| Sponsor : | George Van Meter |
Fenton Johnson (1953- ): The Man Who Loved Birds
Fenton Johnson grew up in the Knobs of Kentucky area near the Abbey of Gethsemani, where his family regularly entertained Trappist Monks at the family home. Much of that experience translates to his 2016 novel, The Man Who Loved Birds. Fenton’s characters follow a pursuit of solitude by escaping foreign lands to immigrate to America and take monastic vows. Bengali physician Dr. Meena Chatterjee and Brother Flavian are each seeking safety and security in their quest when they encounter Johnny Faye, a Vietnam veteran, free spirit, and expert marijuana farmer. Johnson, now a University of Arizona professor, is also known for his memoir, Geography of the Heart, about the four years he spent with his partner Larry Rose, who died of HIV-AIDS in 1991.
Pat Lawrence:
BOOKBENCHESLEX.ORG
My design was inspired by Fenton Johnson’s book, The Man Who Loved Birds. Birds are an important part of my life, and the story is set in an area of Kentucky I love. The book covers a broad spectrum of life, and is written with kindness and unusual compassion. Pat Lawrence is a painter from Lexington, Ky.