A note to the reader / Nan A. Talese -- Introduction / Cassandra King -- Hey, out there. First letter: an opening to the light ; Surprises on the road ; Fire sermon: speech by Pat Conroy, delivered at Penn Center ; On the future of books ; My spooky life ; My blogging life ; Boo's lambs gather in Charleston ; Hitch 22: a great memoir ; Night the band played the "Tennessee Waltz" ; Man who inspired my Losing Season left us too soon... ; A room of her own...and the birth of Moonrise ; On the road again...airports, editors, publicists, and my writing life ; A long-lasting friendship: Charlie Gibson of Good Morning America ; Vietnam still haunting me... ; Teachers of my life ; Barbara Warley was loved by everyone ; How George R.R. Martin made me love dire wolves, giants, dwarves, and dragons... ; A eulogy for a Southern gentleman ; Remembering an irreplaceable friend ; Best night in the life of this aging Citadel point guard... ; Summer I met my first great man ; Andie MacDowell at the Beaufort Film Festival ; Mina & Conroy Fitness Studio ; A few things I wish I had told Ann Patchett... ; Conroy at seventy--happy birthday to me ; On Pat Conroy's Facebook page on the day of his passing -- Great Conroy. A conversation with Pat Conroy ; A letter to my grandson on sportsmanship and basketball ; Pat Conroy talks about the /south, his mother, and The Prince of Tides ; Pat Conroy speaks to Meredith Maran ; On my Paris days ; A letter to the editor of the Charleston Gazette ; A lowcountry heart ; Pat Conroy's Citadel speech ; Farewell letter / Bernie Schein ; Great Conroy: an homage to a southern literary giant and a prince of a guy, / Rick Bragg ; Eulogy / delivered by Judge Alex Sanders ; Acknowledgments / Cassandra King.