Matthew Sloane; Tulie’s Garden ~ a book review
by Boysen Hodgson
Tulie's Garden
“Tulie’s Garden; the place where I abandon and reclaim who I am”, written and illustrated by Matthew Alexander Sloane. Available at the author’s web site.Click Here to purchase the book.
Target; this is an ideal book to give to a young man in your life … it is a deeply personal book … and it is an access point to a nearly universal set of themes and memes that men experience.
Energy embodied; loving, welcoming, open, patient, vulnerable
Empowering intent; To create the space for any man to see how is connected to other men and how he is connected to himself.
Primary archetype; the lover, the magician
Commitment; 2-3 hours
We wear masks. We keep parts of ourselves hidden. We have multiple aspects of ourselves that sometimes battle for control of our minds and hearts. Ultimately, we each hope that the journey may lead us to inner peace. Tulie’s Garden is a book that gently, almost like a meditation, opens the door for the exploration of feelings and self judgments that aren’t easily shared.
Why can’t I be the man I want to be? Why can’t I stand up for myself? What is a man supposed to be? Why am I stuck? When can I stop hiding? What will it take to prove myself? Why can’t I have what I want?
These are all questions embedded in the few lines of text on the page. Felt more than read.
This is a book that I wish I could have given myself when I was 13, and 17, and 20, and 27 … and yesterday. It may not be a book that resonates for everyone, but I believe that many men, of any age, will see aspects of their own personal journey in these pages, hauntingly laid out in a form that walks the line between picture book and graphic novel. I was comforted by the reflection, and the italicized narration in the book was like a meditation or prayer … a reminder to return to the self without judgment, and to treat whatever comes with gentleness.
When I read Tulie’s Garden, I experience a feeling that is more and more common to me these days, that I think is a gift of the work that I do with men and my relationship with my wife; oneness. The feeling of being connected to myself and connected to another human being through the discovery of shared longing and shared understanding.
I was fascinated with the imagery in the book. The drawings are surreal, with bizarre perspectives, great framing and mirroring that reflects both the struggle and the alignment between aspects of the self that Tulie is discovering on the journey through the pages. I see something new each time I look back at the pages, and I am also discovering that this book can be used as a meditation kick-starter. I can open to any page and have a place to begin a meditation on my own current journey.
“There is limitless potential for all of us to really feel ALL those feelings, and to really be who we are.” ~ Matt Sloane
This book is available for a limited time at a special price to anyone who uses the link here on the ManKind Project Journal. If there is a man in your life that is on a journey of self-discovery, or if there is a boy in your life who you want to give a gift of hope and connection, this is a present worth giving. Click Here to purchase the book.
If my Dad had handed this book to me, I would have known that I wasn’t alone. Maybe it’s a book you can hand to your son, brother, father or friend this season.
Boysen Hodgson is the Communications and Marketing Director for the ManKind Project USA, a nonprofit mentoring and training organization that offers powerful opportunities for men’s personal growth at any stage of life. Boysen received his BA with Honors from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, after completing 2 years of Design coursework at Cornell University. He has been helping companies and individuals design the change they wish to see in the world for 15 years. He’s a dedicated husband.
– is a deeply personal issue that everyone decides for himself. Sometimes the price is high, sometimes low. But this is not very important for life. Life is an interesting thing. And the price on Viagra – too.
