Care Of

Letters, Connections, and Cures

By: Ivan Coyote

Narrated by: Ivan Coyote

Length: 6 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

Beloved storyteller Ivan Coyote returns with their most intimate and moving book yet.

Writer and performer Ivan Coyote has spent decades on the road, telling stories around the world. For years, Ivan has kept a file of the most special communications received from readers and audience members—letters, Facebook messages, emails, soggy handwritten notes tucked under the windshield wiper of their truck after a gig. Then came Spring, 2020, and, like artists everywhere, Coyote was grounded by the pandemic, all their planned events cancelled. The energy of a live audience, a performer’s lifeblood, was suddenly gone. But with this loss came an opportunity for a different kind of connection. Those letters that had long piled up could finally begin to be answered.

Care Of combines the most powerful of these letters with Ivan’s responses, creating a body of correspondence of startling intimacy, breathtaking beauty, and heartbreaking honesty and openness. Taken together, they become an affirming and joyous reflection on many of the themes central to Coyote’s celebrated work—compassion and empathy, family fragility, non-binary and Trans identity, and the unending beauty of simply being alive, a giant love letter to the idea of human connection, and the power of truly listening to each other.

©2021 Ivan Coyote (P)2021 McClelland & Stewart

Critic reviews

2021, Governor General's Literary Award - Nonfiction, Short-listed

"[Care Of] is an engaging and entertaing look into Coyote's life through their heartbreaking, hilarious, insightful, and etertaining responses." (Vancouver Sun)

"Coyote has long worn their heart on their sleeve, but here, in words that feel like a whispered confidence, they reveal the true depths of their integrity, their honesty, and their, dare I say, soul...a vital reminder of the value not only of connection, but of every story, every voice." (Toronto Star)

An incredible collection from an incredible story teller

Ivan Coyote is a true storyteller. I first read his book, tomboy survival guide. As a femme from a small rural town who grew up loving butches I felt tomboy survival guide not only touched on some of my own similar experiences but, taught me to love my masculine partners better. I read letters of care slowly so that I could absorb each story. Ivan’s storytelling is brush strokes on a canvas. He paints a vivid picture of the LGBTQ+ experience and small town life. As a 38 year old lesbian I felt seen in these pages as I took in the underlying tone of both grief and gratitude to be an older queer person. In this carefully crafted collection of letters and responses you can feel the compassion and empathy the author has for his community. So much so that I consider listening to this book an act of self care. While there is something lovely about reading words on a page with Ivan Coyote I always listen to his books. They will remind you of chats with friends, performance art, and your older gay god parent from the bar/cafe all at once. Thank you Ivan for your care and creativity.

Beautifully written and lovingly performed by Ivan

This was so beautiful and heart-felt that I cried many times. I’ll definitely be keeping this one in my collection to look over time and time again. Thank you Ivan for your words and warm heart.

A true masterpiece

Only Ivan could weave a collection of letters spanning several years from assorted friends, fans, and strangers into a cohesive beautiful story of pandemic life and the queer experience. Thank you Ivan for all your amazing bodies of work. This one is one of your best.

Care Of … A Treatise on Loving Better

This book is poignant, raw, vulnerable, and deep. I have no doubt that one reading will not be enough. Thank you, Ivan.