Living in the Woods in a Tree is an intimate glimpse into the 
turbulent life of Texas music legend Blaze Foley (1949–1989), seen 
through the eyes of Sybil Rosen, the woman for whom he wrote his 
most widely known song, "If I Could Only Fly." It captures the 
exuberance of their fleeting idyll in a tree house in the Georgia woods 
during the countercultural 1970s. Rosen offers a firsthand witnessing 
of Foley's transformation from a reticent hippie musician to the 
enigmatic singer/songwriter who would live and die outside society's 
rules. While Foley's own performances are only recently being 
released, his songs have been covered by Merle Haggard, Lyle 
Lovett, and John Prine. When he first encountered "If I Could Only 
Fly," Merle Haggard called it "the best country song I've heard in 
fifteen years."

    In a work that is part-memoir, part-biography, Rosen struggles to 
finally come to terms with Foley's myth and her role in its creation. 
Her tracing of his impact on her life navigates a lovers' roadmap 
along the permeable boundary between life and death. A must-read 
for all Blaze Foley and Texas music fans, as well as romantics of all 
ages, Living in the Woods in a Tree is an honest and 
compassionate portrait of the troubled artist and his reluctant muse.

"Living in the Woods in a Tree comes at a time when music fans 
are hungry to know more about Blaze Foley. There are no books 
that compete with Rosen's, and it's quite unlikely that any ever will. 
Rosen's time with him (and her deft telling of that time) reveals so 
much about the man and the music."—Peter Cooper, The 
Tennessean

_________________________________________________________

SYBIL ROSEN was born in Lynchburg, Virginia, and holds a BFA 
from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. A screenwriter 
and playwright, she has won many awards. A short documentary for 
which she wrote the narration was nominated for an Academy Award 
in that category, and while she wrote for the TV show Guiding 
Light, it won an Emmy for best writing. She currently lives in 
Whitesburg, Georgia.


Number Two: North Texas Lives of Musicians Series


What people are saying about this book

"Poetic and gripping, this beautifully written book ends up being 
about Blaze, the author, the times, and the creative journey. This 
book will appeal to anyone who enjoys strong writing and great 
story telling, who is interested in Blaze Foley or Texas music. An 
impressive work in every way!"—Louis Black, editor, Austin 
Chronicle and executive producer of Be Here to Love Me: A Film 
About Townes Van Zandt

"Thumb's up!"—Merle Haggard


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