"A timeless tale about the magic of Mother Nature and how long after humans pass, the trees, rivers and other bodies of water remain and carry on with their business. Reminiscent of Silverstein''s "The Giving Tree", Bench is a tree that becomes a log that becomes a bench that speaks to those who touch it and keeps on giving generation after generation. A wonderful book for all ages with vivid imagery and a mixed cast of interesting characters."

-Kristi Elizabeth, Manhattan Book Review"With lyrical language and magical storytelling, Galen Garwood weaves a tale that is both modern and timeless yet has the feel of an ancient myth. Ambrus, the venerable, charismatic main character of the story, tells the history o Bench, in some ways the history of the world, to his young friend, Döm, in this enchanting story. This is destined to become a favorite of readers young and old." 

-Rosi Hollinbeck, Seattle Book Review

"Children and adults everywhere will enjoy the seedlings of magic planted throughout the pages of the enchanting tale Bench: A Story of Wonder by Galen Garwood. The story is told by a homeless man and seen through the eyes of a wandering young boy who learns more than he ever thought he would about a bench on the river''s edge. Combining mystery in good storytelling and the effervescence of childhood belief in the incredible comes a beautiful tale of two kindred spirits and the journey that weaves them together."

 -Jenna Swartz, San Francisco Book Review

"Sell The Monkey is a captivating story of family, love, and abandonment, and man’s search for his identity. The story is told in clear and powerful prose, and the reader is pulled in from the very beginning by the ruthless honesty with which the narrator looks at his life. It’s a story that answers the question: What does it take to feel at home with one’s self? I enjoyed the way the protagonist was developed throughout the narrative and how he grows from a victim to someone who can live life on his own terms, embracing art and determining how his work can be appreciated. There is grittiness as well as a powerful sense of pathos that makes this memoir a gripping story. I found it to be as riveting as it is psychologically deep."   Romuald Dzemo, Seattle Book Review

"An incredible journey. One cannot be too prepared to be swept away. Deeply stilling and resonant, Galen’s writing, like his brushstrokes, is a work of extraordinary meditation. Remarkably restrained and sublime, it is writing that emboldens the enormity of story with a cast of characters, each one bigger than life itself.”  Nirupa Umapathy.

Growing up in the South during the 40s and 50s, coming of age and ‘coming out’ in the Alaskan Arctic during the 60s, maturing as an artist in the Pacific Northwest during the 70s and 80s, Galen Garwood’s SELL THE MONKEY is a fascinating memoir, one of humor and poignancy, swimming through generations of racism, homophobia, alcoholism, and uncertainty. It is an engaging chronicle of living and surviving in Ida’s World, his glamorous and talented mother, who played ragtime piano at Alaska’s legendary Malamute Saloon; it is a tale of monkeys, snakes, pigs, elephants, and insects; a story full of eccentric characters—Keoga the Snake Man, Dirty Earl, Greasy John, Mad Irene.It’s about poets and painters, friends and lovers, art and sex, loss and discovery, and a life blessed by imagination.“In the initial pages of Sell the Monkey, Galen Garwood is being urged to take a chance in life. This is just a microcosm of his life story… Sell The Monkey is not your average autobiography. The title alone proves that, but don’t let that fool you. The narrative is strong, the retelling of a tough past done beautifully. The reader will be glad to be a passenger on a voyage of self-discovery and growth. An excellent autobiography and all around great read!”    Philip Zozzaro, San Francisco Book Review

"A timeless tale about the magic of Mother Nature and how long after humans pass, the trees, rivers and other bodies of water remain and carry on with their business. Reminiscent of Silverstein''s "The Giving Tree", Bench is a tree that becomes a log that becomes a bench that speaks to those who touch it and keeps on giving generation after generation. A wonderful book for all ages with vivid imagery and a mixed cast of interesting characters."

-Kristi Elizabeth, Manhattan Book Review"With lyrical language and magical storytelling, Galen Garwood weaves a tale that is both modern and timeless yet has the feel of an ancient myth. Ambrus, the venerable, charismatic main character of the story, tells the history o Bench, in some ways the history of the world, to his young friend, Döm, in this enchanting story. This is destined to become a favorite of readers young and old." 

-Rosi Hollinbeck, Seattle Book Review

"Children and adults everywhere will enjoy the seedlings of magic planted throughout the pages of the enchanting tale Bench: A Story of Wonder by Galen Garwood. The story is told by a homeless man and seen through the eyes of a wandering young boy who learns more than he ever thought he would about a bench on the river''s edge. Combining mystery in good storytelling and the effervescence of childhood belief in the incredible comes a beautiful tale of two kindred spirits and the journey that weaves them together."

 -Jenna Swartz, San Francisco Book Review

"Sell The Monkey is a captivating story of family, love, and abandonment, and man’s search for his identity. The story is told in clear and powerful prose, and the reader is pulled in from the very beginning by the ruthless honesty with which the narrator looks at his life. It’s a story that answers the question: What does it take to feel at home with one’s self? I enjoyed the way the protagonist was developed throughout the narrative and how he grows from a victim to someone who can live life on his own terms, embracing art and determining how his work can be appreciated. There is grittiness as well as a powerful sense of pathos that makes this memoir a gripping story. I found it to be as riveting as it is psychologically deep."   Romuald Dzemo, Seattle Book Review

"An incredible journey. One cannot be too prepared to be swept away. Deeply stilling and resonant, Galen’s writing, like his brushstrokes, is a work of extraordinary meditation. Remarkably restrained and sublime, it is writing that emboldens the enormity of story with a cast of characters, each one bigger than life itself.”  Nirupa Umapathy.

Growing up in the South during the 40s and 50s, coming of age and ‘coming out’ in the Alaskan Arctic during the 60s, maturing as an artist in the Pacific Northwest during the 70s and 80s, Galen Garwood’s SELL THE MONKEY is a fascinating memoir, one of humor and poignancy, swimming through generations of racism, homophobia, alcoholism, and uncertainty. It is an engaging chronicle of living and surviving in Ida’s World, his glamorous and talented mother, who played ragtime piano at Alaska’s legendary Malamute Saloon; it is a tale of monkeys, snakes, pigs, elephants, and insects; a story full of eccentric characters—Keoga the Snake Man, Dirty Earl, Greasy John, Mad Irene.It’s about poets and painters, friends and lovers, art and sex, loss and discovery, and a life blessed by imagination.“In the initial pages of Sell the Monkey, Galen Garwood is being urged to take a chance in life. This is just a microcosm of his life story… Sell The Monkey is not your average autobiography. The title alone proves that, but don’t let that fool you. The narrative is strong, the retelling of a tough past done beautifully. The reader will be glad to be a passenger on a voyage of self-discovery and growth. An excellent autobiography and all around great read!”    Philip Zozzaro, San Francisco Book Review