I Love You, Miss Huddleston, and Other Inappropriate Longings of My Indiana Childhood

by Philip Gulley

In the vein of Bill Bryson’s The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid , with a dash of some of the homegrown nostalgia of The Dangerous Book for Boys and A Prairie Home Companion , humorist Philip Gulley ( Front Porch Tales, Home to Harmony ) tells of his coming of age in small-town Indiana.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Humor, Biography, Biography Memoir, Book Club, Ebooks

208 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2009

About the author

Philip Gulley has become the voice of small-town American life. Along with writing Front Porch Tales, Hometown Tales, and For Everything a Season, Gulley is the author of the Harmony series of novels, as well as If Grace Is True and If God Is Love, which are coauthored with James Mulholland.

He hosts "Porch Talk with Phil Gulley" on the Indiana PBS affiliate WFYI television's flagship show Across Indiana.

Gulley lives in Indiana with his wife, Joan, and their sons, Spencer and Sam—in a rambling old house with Gulley’s eclectic chair collection (64 at last count) and a welcoming back porch.

Gulley is also the Pastor at Fairfield Friends Meeting House in Camby, Indiana. If you find yourself in Camby, you're invited to attend a sermon.

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whenever I discover that a new book by Philip Gulley has hit the market, I immediately set about tracking it down and then clear my reading schedule. Gully's work--both fiction and non-fiction--is some of the best on the market today and each new book is a treat. It's hard to say if I prefer his fiction or his non-fiction more. The fiction is great because each trip to his fictional town of Harmony is a lot of fun and always good for a good natured laugh or two. On the other hand, his non fiction always feels like you're sitting down with an old friend to catch up a bit, reminisce about things and just enjoy a good conversation.

It's reminiscing about Gulley's childhood that serves as the focus for the latest series of essays in "I Love You, Miss Huddleston." From his crush on his sixth grade teacher to his first job as a newspaper boy and then working as a lawn care entrepreneur, Gully's reflections are full of humor, wit and the right amount of self-deprecation. Reading the stories, you can see glimpses of where he got some of the pieces for his Harmony novels and you'll feel like you're spending time with an old friend, enjoying some good memories.

[Mary K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Humor is difficult to write but this author does it seamlessly. A Midwestern childhood of the 60’s, good clean fun - and some dangerous stuff, too. An Indiana boyhood. Loved this book

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Given that I was raised in Indiana and I'm only about 9 years younger than the author, I had to read this. The author grew up in Danville, quite close to my hometown. In fact, I looked to buy a house there once. Best thing he pointed out was how unscripted children's' lives were back then, which provided plenty of opportunity for imagination and mischief (although growing up in town, he had more opportunities for mischief than we did in the boonies). Though raised Catholic, he's now a Quaker pastor and I bet his sermons are a hoot. If I still lived in Indy, I'd go!

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute little book about the author's cute little childhood in a small town in Indiana. Sometimes I liked his writing style, other times I found it annoying. My husband loved this book and read it in one day, I think because it reminded him of his own childhood.

[Erin Cataldi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laugh out loud funny; this memoir about growing up in small town Indiana during the seventies is an absolute blast. Philip Gulley muses about old Quaker widows, the Thanksgiving table, child labor laws, childhood crushes, and occasional streaks of lawlessness. It was a different time back then and Gulley's effortless and amusing narration sucks readers in and keeps them engaged throughout. Peppered throughout are some childhood photos which add some credence and a focal point for his stories. I haven't read such an amusing and outlandish memoir in a while but I literally (LITERALLY) found myself laughing along with the anecdotes and crazy childhood friends he had. A must read and not just for Hoosiers.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful little book, especially for those who have grown up in Indiana in the 70's and 80's. I mindless read with humorous exaggerations that rekindle sentimental memories of how recklessly fun childhood was in small town Indiana.

[Erin Leonard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up in a small Indiana town. Phillip’s book brought back many memories for me. He is one of my favorite Hoosier authors!

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read, "I Love You, Miss Huddleston" by Philip Gulley. I picked this one up off the library shelf just to have something to read, and found myself enjoying it very much. It reminded me of other "memoir" style books about growing up...that are based on humor, such as Dawn French's "Dear Fatty" and "The Gerbil Farmer's Daughter" by Holly Robinson. This book held it's own. B+

[Alisa Kester · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for this type of story. In the preface, the author runs through the standard list of what he's changed (names, etc), then has this to say:

"What I didn't change was the sense of freedom I felt as a child. I don't know what today's children will remember. I suspect their recollections will consist mostly of one carefully scripted day after another, of tediously regimented weeks, of dampened opportunities for spontaneity and unbridled fun. I sometimes wonder if my generation was the last one to live freely, before the "child industry" seduced parents into spending vast amounts of money to ensure their child's emotional well-being. The timing of my birth couldn't have been better - with no one guiding my every step, my childhood was one of unrelieved and happy chaos."

I can't tell you how many times I've thought this about my own childhood. This review could so very easily turn into an essay on the evils of scripted "after school activities", but I'll restrain myself and say only that all children should be allowed to play freely and learn to use their own imaginations in ways that will continue feeding their souls even after they 'grow up' and sadly become respectable adults (and if they're lucky, there will always be something slightly dubious about their adulthood).

This is the type of book that makes me want to make a bow and arrow again and hang out in a tree house eating frozen cherries.

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. After reading the book, I thought I could make a comparison with A Girl Names Zippy by Haven Kimmel. Both are about growing up in Indiana in the 50's, 60's and 70's. I had lots of the same memories that the authors had about their growing up.

Phillip Gulley's book is about boys growing up. He and his brothers had a variety of adventures that parents would no longer let their children have today. The boys went camping without supervision after riding their bikes to a park. They shot holes in their dad's inventory of bug spray he had stored in the barn. They loved to see the cans fly, but it's a wonder they didn't poison themselves with DDT.

Most of the trouble in their small town seemed to have something to do with what Phillip and his brothers and their friends were doing. They took tomatoes to the top of a building in town and threw them at cars along the streets. Their idea was that the tomatoes would look like blood and frek out the drivers. Actually, the drivers got tired of the bombardment with tomatoes and called the town constable who came with his dog and attempted to locate the tomato throwers. The dog was no help at all. He stood in the road and ate the squashed tomatoes! Of course, they never got caught.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Philip Gulley's first series, the Harmony series, but after that I felt his work became too political and he pushed his Quaker agenda too much. But he's a very gifted writer and I enjoy his humor, so I thought I would try this book out. As usual, his writing is clever, witty, and fun to read. I didn't appreciate the innuendos, but figured there would be some in there based on the title. They certainly didn't take over the book. He is 10 years older than me, so much of his childhood matched mine, which made for fun reading. I'm giving it 4 stars, knowing it may not be a book for everyone, but I did enjoy it. It was a quick read and brought me back to my childhood.

[Turi Becker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chuckled my way all the way through I Love You, Miss Huddleston. Philip Gulley has written an incredibly entertaining small-town Midwest memoir - shades of Bill Bryson, Garrison Keillor and Jean Shepherd (A Christmas Story) all wrapped up together. I have a few people this is getting recommended to almost immediately...

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

A most amusing tale of growing up in the 1960-70s in small town, rural Indiana, south of Indianapolis. Mr. Gulley explains how he went from a Catholic upbringing to become a Quaker minister with lots of laughs along the way.

There is a lot of serious material covered here, it's just from his memories of a child's viewpoint.

[Logan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Being the owner of my very own Indiana Childhood, I have to admit a certain level of nostalgic sentiment for this book. On the whole though, it is a shameless thievery of Haven Kimmel's A Girl Named Zippy, thought not nearly as funny or well written.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars for Goodreads, up to 3.5stars. This isa nostalgic memoir about Philip Gulley's growing-up years during the 60s and 70s in small-town Indiana. Although, I am just over 1/2 a dozen years younger than the author and grew up in the Chicago suburbs, there was a real sense of nostalgia for me.

[Marti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always sweet stories. I chuckled a lot. Nothing like growing up in a small town.

[Reading Fury · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amusing and fun, Gulley's memories ring true to the trials and tribulations of growing up, especially in the Midwest. The photos are a hoot, published no doubt because they tell their own kind of truth. However, this is a series of anecdotes or short reminiscences rather than a connected memoir. There are bits of wisdom, hard earned usually, and the softening filter of time makes more gentle some rough parenting. Gulley is too nice to hit the extreme humor notes of Sedaris and isn't quite as innocently sharp edged as Jean Shepherd, but Gulley's content certainly isn't pablum. This is a good read at the end of an aggravating day and to remind us that we are stronger for the childhood we have survived, pure and simple.

[Kyle Henderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun collection of short stories or, more accurately, tall tales about the author’s childhood. Each one made me reflect on my own childhood and that was appreciated. The humor was also a nice break from more serious reading. There were times, however, when I wished the author had been just a bit more serious and not relied on exaggeration and slapstick to plow through the story. But this really more my own personal preference rather than a fault of his writing.

[Kendra Gaines · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hilarious “memoir-ish” book written by Quaker pastor who grew up in Danville, Indiana. I absolutely loved this. I was needing an easy read after the last two heartbreaking stories I picked up and this totally delivered. He shares stories from his midwestern childhood that anyone could relate too. This was also a book that I got from my Mamaw’s stash after she passed away which makes holding and enjoying it just a little bit sweeter 🥰

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laugh out loud reading at the antics of Gulley’s growing up in Danville, Indiana - enjoyable read and antidote to the grey , cold weather we have been experiencing in Michigan. I also had always wondered how in the world did he become a Quaker minister with a Catholic background and now I know. His Dad’s bug spray business and his mother’s tolerant demeanor raising a household of active children add to the mix. Delightful. I have not laughed that much in a long time!!!

[Sylvia Mace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book was a pleasure for me all the way through. I have read several of his older books, and I find his gentle humor so enjoyable. Also, he is one of the few authors whose "voice" I can recognize. If you showed me a page written by him, I could probably identify that it was his. I would love to meet him!

[Brianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the chapters in this book were put together very well, with funny anecdotes about youth coming together to a poignant reflection on life. However, the author's humor relies mainly on joking at other people's expense, which has never been my cup of tea. If you like Bill Bryson, you'll like this book.

[Sherry C · Rating 4 out of 5]

A native from Indiana myself, I enjoyed reading this book about a childhood in an Indiana town. Although I’m younger & a female, memories of an unstructured childhood are as familiar as the town and places spoken of in this book. A nice book written with a comical description that also rings so true for growing up in similar times.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Takes me back to my childhood!

Philip Gulley had me in stitches! While reading this book, I kept reliving my childhood in Montana, realizing we're really not so different after all(Philip is a year older then I ). Fun read!

[Erica M]

Overall enjoyed this Jean Shepherd-esque memoir. The author was born just 2 years after my dad and I feel like there are many parallels in their early childhood experiences. Not sure why I've read so many memoirs about Hoosier life though.

[Rochelle Hans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keep Laughing

This is the funniest thing I’ve read in a long time! The author’s perceptions are just perfect. I have to read this again and it will make me laugh the same the second time!

[Paula Yerke · Rating 3 out of 5]

A memoir that makes you wonder how any kid lived to adulthood growing up in the 60s! Parents of today would never believe it. Funny and charming.

[Rita Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I laughed out loud on almost every page. :)

[Jennifer Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A memoir to show us growing up in our time with the freedoms we had was actually the best times

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a sweet, funny little book. I thoroughly enjoyed it! I love the honest way he portrays a boy growing up in the Midwest.