A Voice of the Warm: The Life of Rod McKuen

In his 1960s 1970s heyday, Rod McKuen was a phenomenally popular singer-songwriter as well as the bestselling poet in publishing history. To his legions of fans around the world, he was a voice of compassion and healing, as much a prophet as an author/entertainer. McKuen songs like If You Go Away and Jean earned him massive hits, while books like Listen to the Warm sold millions of copies. McKuen s huge sales and devoted following didn t stop the critics from calling his work sentimental kitsch cranked out for the money. Who was this enigmatic artist who aroused so much love and hatred? A Voice of the Warm: The Life of Rod McKuen is the first-ever biography of one of the 20th century s most popular and misunderstood pop-culture icons. Drawing upon extensive research and over 100 interviews, author Barry Alfonso tells how McKuen overcame childhood physical and sexual abuse to become a teenage radio host, film actor, and Beat-style poet before connecting with a vast audience as a writer and recording artist. McKuen s role as a pioneering gay rights activist who bridged the 60s generation gap with a message of love and tolerance help to make his story uniquely relevant today.