Heaven's Coast: Reader Response

Mark Doty’s Heaven’s Coast is one of the most touching memoirs I have read so far this year. In the beginning I found it difficult to follow along with Doty’s style of writing because there was absolutely no organization to the book. He would start the setting in one place and jump to another without any reference to time. The book was mostly a collection of thoughts and memories and perhaps that is why it did not proceed in order. Mark Doty, who is primarily a writer of poetry, composed his memoir so that it reads like prose. It took me a least twenty pages into the book before I could follow along with Doty’s rhythmic story telling.

Heaven’s Coast is the first book I have read that involves a homosexual couple. Personally, I hold a liberal view when it comes to politics so the situations didn’t bother me one bit. However, I was surprised that Doty was able to erase my perceptions of gay couples and show to me that love is still love no matter who you are with. I cried many times while reading this book, mostly because I became attached to the characters and I became accustomed to Doty’s reflective writing. When Wally’s death is described by Doty I instantly found my self tearing up. I could connect with Doty because I work at a senior living community, and although the two situations are much different, I still have to deal with death each and every day. The way he describes his grieving process holds true to the way other people grieve. For example, when Wally died Doty immediately returned to an old apartment building where he and Wally used to live. He takes his time and tries to re-live all the memories that were associated with that place. When a resident passes away at the senior living community you will often see family members re-visiting the old apartment or the home of the person that passed away, just to reflect and come to terms with their death. Doty uses countless metaphors to describe the way he feels about life and death. After reading this book I learned so much about life and peace from the way Doty describes it that I feel as if I experienced everything Doty did as it was happening.
Not only did I learn so much about life and death I learned about the disease AIDS and the hardships that patients have to go through. I never imagined the lack of caring the doctors would have for patients with AIDS and the lack of information they have about the disease.

After reading this memoir I felt anger and pain in my heart towards the patients with AIDS that can only sit and wait for the disease to take apart their body. My heart goes out to the family and friends of people with AIDS because never have I realized the multiple lives affected by the disease. I am truly glad I read this book because it changed the way I look at life.