Susan Hayden

A memoir of love and loss, by poet and playwright Susan Hayden.

Now You Are a Missing Person is a collection of poems, stories and memoir fragments, by author, poet and playwright Susan Hayden. Divided into eight parts, the collection follows Hayden’s journey from childhood through to adolescence and adulthood, as she searches for love, belonging and meaning in her life. Hayden describes growing up in the 60s and 70s in a quiet suburb of Encino, San Fernando Valley, and her move to the big city of Los Angeles as a young woman. With celebrity neighbours and dalliances with Hollywood actors, Hayden captures the glitz and glamour of Hollywood that many readers will be familiar with, but also the dark, seedy, underbelly of the city that often goes unnoticed. Hayden discusses her relationships with her parents, her friends and lovers. There are sweet, tender moments of love, joy and happiness, harrowing accounts of abuse, and painful memories of loss and grief.

Now You Are a Missing Person by Susan Hayden is a stunning collection of poems and stories, drawn from the memoir of a woman who grew up in California and brushed shoulders with celebrities in Hollywood. Hayden has lived an unconventional and extraordinary life, and she tells her story with openness and honesty. The book is a hybrid of literary forms, weaving together poetry, short stories and fragmented memoir entries in both verse and prose. Each individual piece feels like a snapshot of a memory, woven together to tell the story of a life well-lived. Hayden’s writing is poetic and lyrical, even in its prose form, and the stories are full of wonder, warmth and humor. Throughout the book there are cultural references that defined the period– the music, food, fashion, events and stars– so vivid, I felt I was there walking by Hayden’s side.

Star rating: 5 Stars 

Summary: A poignant and heartfelt collection of poems and stories, drawn from the memoir of a woman who has lived an unconventional and extraordinary life.