The Phony Hermit
The Phony Hermit”
by Al Seely
published December 21, 2010
True Story
Al Seely was a literate Twentieth Century man who dropped out of society to live as a hermit in the Ten Thousand Islands without the least preparation for it. This led to a series of adventures and misadventures in the wilderness that tickles your funny bone and keep you on edge. Luckily for us, he wrote about his experiences in the islands in the watery world surrounded by the elements. Nineteen years after his death, the manuscript came into my hands and I felt that I had to publish it because it is a story that needs to be told
How?
How can someone, totally out of his element, survive for ten years to become a well-known hermit? Seely answers the why and how in his book and tells it like it is. When you read this book you will discover why Al Seely considered himself to be a phony hermit and not a true hermit. The book is fresh, funny, often poetical, and makes you cringe because it is so brutally honest.
Why will readers enjoy it?
Seely’s narrative is so compelling that you will want to read it straight through. Pictures of many of the scenes and details that he talks about have been added which help complete your total experience. There are rare photos of his homes on the three keys: Brush, Panther and Dismal Key; photos of his hermity friends, Foster Atkinson, Joe Dickman, and Nelson Barlow, and anecdotes from the people in his life. A small but impressive collection of Al’s artwork has been brought together and published for the first time in full and living color.
ISBN 978-0-9677281-8-6 $19.95 (Soft Cover)