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Milking the Moon: A Southerner's Story of Life on This Planet
“I’ve had a great life, and it all happened because I didn’t plan any of it.”
-- Eugene Walter
Eugene Walter was the best-known man you’ve never heard of. In his 76 years, he ate of “the ripened heart of life,” to quote a letter from Isak Dinesen, one of his many illustrious friends. He savored the porch life of his native Mobile, Alabama, in the 1920s and ’30s. He stumbled into the Greenwich Village art scene in late-1940s New York. He was a ubiquitous presence in Paris’s expatriate café society in the 1950s, where he was part of the Paris Review at its inception. Perhaps most remarkably of all for a poor Southern boy, he spent the 1960s in Rome, where he participated in the golden age of Italian cinema–including a role in Fellini’s 8 1?2–and entertained some of the most famous people in the world.
As recorded by Katherine Clark toward the end of Walter’s life, his story–enlivened with personal glimpses of luminaries from William Faulkner and Martha Graham to Judy Garland and Leontyne Price–is an eyewitness history of the heart of the last century and a pitch-perfect addition to the Southern literary tradition. Most of all, this sumptuous oral biography conveys the spirit and charm of a truly unique American who defied the odds and authority, embarked on life, and went wherever his fancy and whimsy led him.
“Whenever I found myself in the presence of Eugene Walter, I thought that everyone’s life could be turned into a work of art. His was. Eugene Walter was a prince of whimsy and magic, and he turned his daily world upside down and made it elfin, cat-haunted, and hilarious. He could snap his fingers, and art would fall out all over the place. Milking the Moon has perfect pitch and flawlessly captures Eugene’s pixilated wonderland of a life. I am so grateful to Katherine Clark for the job she has done, for bringing this incredible man’s story to the page with such wit, panache, and style. I love this book–I couldn’t put it down!”–Pat Conroy
“Truman Capote lied to harm others; Eugene Walter, sometimes known as the other Capote, the good one, lied only to delight others.”–Gore Vidal
“Eugene Walter held the nearest thing to a salon; he was an unofficial reception committee and all roads led to him.”–Muriel Spark
“Eugene Walter is one of those personages who turn up in life and leave, well, an indelible impression in which all personal characteristics–manner, speech, dress, and so on– are memorably distinctive.”–George Plimpton, from the Foreword
-- Eugene Walter
Eugene Walter was the best-known man you’ve never heard of. In his 76 years, he ate of “the ripened heart of life,” to quote a letter from Isak Dinesen, one of his many illustrious friends. He savored the porch life of his native Mobile, Alabama, in the 1920s and ’30s. He stumbled into the Greenwich Village art scene in late-1940s New York. He was a ubiquitous presence in Paris’s expatriate café society in the 1950s, where he was part of the Paris Review at its inception. Perhaps most remarkably of all for a poor Southern boy, he spent the 1960s in Rome, where he participated in the golden age of Italian cinema–including a role in Fellini’s 8 1?2–and entertained some of the most famous people in the world.
As recorded by Katherine Clark toward the end of Walter’s life, his story–enlivened with personal glimpses of luminaries from William Faulkner and Martha Graham to Judy Garland and Leontyne Price–is an eyewitness history of the heart of the last century and a pitch-perfect addition to the Southern literary tradition. Most of all, this sumptuous oral biography conveys the spirit and charm of a truly unique American who defied the odds and authority, embarked on life, and went wherever his fancy and whimsy led him.
“Whenever I found myself in the presence of Eugene Walter, I thought that everyone’s life could be turned into a work of art. His was. Eugene Walter was a prince of whimsy and magic, and he turned his daily world upside down and made it elfin, cat-haunted, and hilarious. He could snap his fingers, and art would fall out all over the place. Milking the Moon has perfect pitch and flawlessly captures Eugene’s pixilated wonderland of a life. I am so grateful to Katherine Clark for the job she has done, for bringing this incredible man’s story to the page with such wit, panache, and style. I love this book–I couldn’t put it down!”–Pat Conroy
“Truman Capote lied to harm others; Eugene Walter, sometimes known as the other Capote, the good one, lied only to delight others.”–Gore Vidal
“Eugene Walter held the nearest thing to a salon; he was an unofficial reception committee and all roads led to him.”–Muriel Spark
“Eugene Walter is one of those personages who turn up in life and leave, well, an indelible impression in which all personal characteristics–manner, speech, dress, and so on– are memorably distinctive.”–George Plimpton, from the Foreword
320 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2001
50 people are currently reading
280 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
June 11, 2016
What a joyful experience to live in the wild, wonderful life of Eugene Walter for a while. I knew him a little at the very end of his life when I was in grad school in Mobile, driving him around to a handful of functions. I always knew there were a lot of great tales there, of which I only heard a select few. But of course I have a one or two of my own: I quickly learned that it was expected of me to stop by the liquor store and bring a pint of Jim Beam with me whenever I visited (I was not the only one, according to his co-author, Katherine Clark). I also know that, while he treated me kindly, he was much fonder of one of my slightly better-looking colleagues, and always gave a little sigh of disappointment when I showed up instead. I did not take it personally, however, and did enjoy the casual bits of Mobile history, culinary theory, and of course the epic name dropping, all skills that I now cultivate liberally myself in Eugene's honor. Reading this book was a joy, following Eugene from his childhood in a Mobile I only know through such tales, to the Aleutians during WWII, to New York (not his nor my favorite city in the world!) in the 40s, to Paris in the 50s, to Rome in the 60s, and back home to Mobile. Along the way he published, performed before, cooked for and talked, talked, talked with an all-star cast of the 20th centuries greatest luminaries. Endlessly fascinating and well-documented by Clark. I can attest that I clearly heard his voice speaking to me the entire time. Well worth a read for anyone interested in a wide swath of 20th century culture. Long live Eugene Walter!
July 7, 2018
It's taken me over a year to finish this book, not because it was dry or dense, but because it was so rich, I couldn't take it all in in a sitting or two. It would be too much.
But now that I've lived with this book for so long, it makes me a bit sad to leave Eugene's stories behind. I felt such a sense of dread and melancholly when I got to the epilogue.
It's a wonder I didn't underline the entire book. Eugene had a delectable way with words. It's even better when you remember he was telling these stories out loud to be transcribed. It doesn't matter if his stories were embellished, if things happened exactly as he told them. That's all our lives are, all what are world is; just words. They don't have to be true to be True.
Eugene Walter been described as a sort of benevolent Capote and his life was lived to the fullest, always in full color. It's a privilege to us that this marvelous account of his life exists in his own words.
But now that I've lived with this book for so long, it makes me a bit sad to leave Eugene's stories behind. I felt such a sense of dread and melancholly when I got to the epilogue.
It's a wonder I didn't underline the entire book. Eugene had a delectable way with words. It's even better when you remember he was telling these stories out loud to be transcribed. It doesn't matter if his stories were embellished, if things happened exactly as he told them. That's all our lives are, all what are world is; just words. They don't have to be true to be True.
Eugene Walter been described as a sort of benevolent Capote and his life was lived to the fullest, always in full color. It's a privilege to us that this marvelous account of his life exists in his own words.
February 3, 2021
Eugene was a true character, the product of a long-gone era of Mobile, Alabama. As Katherine Clark noted, he was the storyteller of storytellers. There was an essence of truth to everything he said but he elaborated, fabricated, and embroidered many of his encounters with the famous and celebrated. He lived life on his own terms and enjoyed it all the way.
March 14, 2009
There were so many lines in this book I wanted to underline and bookmark. Made me laugh a lot. What's not to love about a man whose philosophy in life was you don't plan your life if you want to live a good one, but you should plan your parties if you want to give good ones. And he was definitely all about the parties! Not to mention that his recipe for "fruit punch" alone was worth the read: giant punch bowl, big block of ice filled with oranges, two bottles each of gin, vodka, and rum, and then fill the rest of the bowl to the top with champagne. And made me wish I'd experienced Mobile pre-WWII in all its debauched glory.
January 23, 2011
This is my Eugene Walter day and this is his biography of a sorts as recorded by Katherine Clark. It's a wonderful book and the title alludes to a song Eugene wrote for a Fellini Film. He had an incredible adventurous artistic life. The kind we all dream of. He knew practically everyone of any consequence in the literary world and he was a fantastic storyteller. Recording his stories is truly the only way his biography could have been written because he was so truly an artist of the oral tradition. If you love the literary life and you love southern storytelling you will love this book.
September 23, 2007
My cousin Bert gave me this book along with another by the same author. The other one was entertaining, but I loved this autobiographical of a truly creative character who really embodied a certain time and lifestyle. Kind of reminds me of Truman Capote but less annoying and self-absorbed.
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December 7, 2014Like drinking bourbon with a friend who tells long stories and you're happy to hear his long stories.
February 16, 2019
A blurb on the back cover rightly calls Walter the best-known person you've never heard of. If even a tiny percentage of his stories is true, he met or worked with or threw a party for just about everybody who was in art, music, literature, or film in the 20th century. At least the ones who were "cats and monkeys." He lived in Mobile, New York, Paris, and Rome and made his living being charming.
I was curious about something, though. He was a cryptographer for the army in WWII, clearly brilliant. In Paris he worked with George Plimpton and the Paris Review, which was partly a production of the CIA. Did he know? Was he also a spy?
This is not a biography, just an edited transcription of Walter telling stories. And boy, can he tell a story.
I was curious about something, though. He was a cryptographer for the army in WWII, clearly brilliant. In Paris he worked with George Plimpton and the Paris Review, which was partly a production of the CIA. Did he know? Was he also a spy?
This is not a biography, just an edited transcription of Walter telling stories. And boy, can he tell a story.
August 30, 2021
Eugene Walter was a fabulous storyteller who led a fascinating life. It must be true -- Pat Conroy and George Plimpton said so. But I can't tell it from this oral history, which is woefully in need of editing, shaping, and scene setting.
April 8, 2025
Entertaining, but not enough to finish
May 14, 2019
What a fun read, Really a delight !
March 20, 2008
My husband likes to call me "big fish" after the book/movie of the same name. I'd like to think that that I'm not so much a liar as a storyteller, like Eugene Walter. Katherine Clark's oral history of Eugene let's his oral stylings shine through. It consists of a conversation recounting by Eugene of his life story. Ms. Clark admits upfront that the stories may not be entirely true, in fact, she states she hopes not, for Eugene is at his best allowed a little poetic license.
His discussion of "porch life" from his Mobile childhood abounds with details remembered as if he was still a child himself. The games played to entertain themselves with little more than string or aluminum foil or, innocently, a found condom. The ritual of where his grandmother sat on the porch telling passerbys that they were welcome to sit and stay awhile or just speak or perhaps pretend she wasn't there at all.
His life led him on a fantastic journey from Mobile (where he and Truman Capote were acquainted) to New York, Paris, Italy and back to Mobile. If there weren't pictures to document his involvement with the Paris Review and Fellini's films, you might believe it all a lark, but his story's kernel is true. His gift is in his uncanny ability to change out the details to keep it fresh.
His discussion of "porch life" from his Mobile childhood abounds with details remembered as if he was still a child himself. The games played to entertain themselves with little more than string or aluminum foil or, innocently, a found condom. The ritual of where his grandmother sat on the porch telling passerbys that they were welcome to sit and stay awhile or just speak or perhaps pretend she wasn't there at all.
His life led him on a fantastic journey from Mobile (where he and Truman Capote were acquainted) to New York, Paris, Italy and back to Mobile. If there weren't pictures to document his involvement with the Paris Review and Fellini's films, you might believe it all a lark, but his story's kernel is true. His gift is in his uncanny ability to change out the details to keep it fresh.
August 27, 2011
This book is dreamy. I was on the phone with a friend recently reading excerpts from this book aloud and we were both just screaming with laughter--hysterical laughter, tears running down our faces. The author of this book taped conversations with Eugene Walter as he told stories about his life, and it is the transcribed narratives that open his life to the reader. He, Eugene Walter--well there certainly can't be more than a few such people alive on the Earth at one time. He's funny, can tell tall tales that make your head spin, is simultaneously the iconic southerner and a sophisticated citizen of the world. Native to Eugene World. He's got tremendous heart, a grand intellect, a delightful personality, and the ability to be spiteful--ever the boy. He can translate the sense of wonder in the moment as well as anyone--Mary Oliver like (but with a different perspective). He's just pure joy. Highly recommend this.
December 27, 2021
I read an article that mentioned Eugene F. Walter as a contender for renaming of the George Wallace Tunnel in Mobile, Alabama. I'm from that part of the country and never heard of him. A Google search pegged him as a writer. Being a writer too, and out of curiosity, I read Milking the Moon. Fascinating story. Eugene made his way from being an orphan in Alabama onto the fringe of the world stage. He was instrumental in the early success of the prestigious Paris Review. He had bit roles in over a hundred Fellini films. Spending most of his life in Europe, he returned to Alabama destitute. There are sections of the book that read like name dropping. As this was an oral biography, I suspect that was the way Eugene talked, yet made it all sound interesting. Not sure if Eugene would want a tunnel as his legacy. Not enough flair there.
January 14, 2016
Wow - this book is worth seeking out for anyone who loves southern literature, Fellini, literary magazines, free spirits - Eugene Walter was a treasure I never knew we had. He had this Zelig-like ability to be in the right place at the right time and have a blast.
He has a great sense of humor and describes growing up in Mobile, AL so vividly you can feel the heat and smell the cornbread. One of the best memoirs I've ever read. It will stay with me for a long time.
He has a great sense of humor and describes growing up in Mobile, AL so vividly you can feel the heat and smell the cornbread. One of the best memoirs I've ever read. It will stay with me for a long time.
September 17, 2015
I read this many moons ago, and I may not have read the entire book, due to my busy life, but I LOVED the opening chapters. As the child of a southern lady, I thought he captured the odd social graces she favored.
October 16, 2008
What a charming, amazing life. His spice book is also worth a read.
December 29, 2008
Love, love, love this memoir.
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June 8, 2015Read by ACRL Member of the Week Helen Goldman. Learn more about Helen on the ACRL Insider blog.
April 8, 2010
Well worth the read.
Want to read
July 8, 2012What a character.
August 29, 2012
Good laughable book...I read this has my bedtime book and there were times I was laughing out loud and very interesting the poeple that he came in contact with and got to meet...
Read
September 23, 2014Had to stop reading. Type too small and too light. Will get again in ebook format.
January 11, 2015
Wildly entertaining, as was the man. And a local to us, here in lower Alabama.
December 27, 2016
I would love to someday turn this into a one-man performance piece. I have the perfect gentleman in mind for the part. Maybe this is the year.
February 6, 2012
Delightful. Someone I wish I'd met.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews