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Fire in the Straw: Notes on Inventing a Life
**Named One of the New York Post's Best New Books to Read **FIRE IN THE STRAW is the witty and deeply felt memoir of Nick Lyons, a man with an intrepid desire to reinvent himself—which he does, over and over. Nick Lyons shape shifts from reluctant student and graduate of the Wharton School, to English Professor, to husband of a fiercely committed painter, to ghost writer, to famous fly fisherman and award-winning author, to father and then grandfather, to Executive Editor at a large book publishing company, and finally to founder and publisher of his own successful independent press.. Written with the same warm and earthy voice that has enthralled tens of thousands of fly-fishing readers, Nick weaves the disparate chapters of his from the moment his widowed mother drops him off at a grim boarding school at the age of five, where he spends three lonely and confusing years; to his love of basketball and pride playing for Penn; to the tumultuous period, in the army and after, when he found and was transformed by literature; to his marriage to Mari, his great love and anchor of his life. Suddenly, with a PhD in hand and four children, Nick embarks on a complex and thrilling ride, juggling family, fishing, teaching, writing, and publishing, the wolf always at his door. Against all odds, The Lyons Press survives, his children prosper, his wife’s art flourishes, and his books and articles make him a household name. Fire in the Straw is a love story, a confessional, and a beautiful big-hearted memoir.
240 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 27, 2020
30 people are currently reading
98 people want to read
About the author
Nick Lyons
94 books15 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads data base.
Nick Lyons taught English at the University of Michigan prior to accepting a position at the Hunter College of the City University of New York in 1961. He remained on the faculty of CUNY until 1988. He also worked as the executive editor of Crown Publishers from 1964-1974. An avid fisherman, Lyons found a way to combine his avocation and profession in 1977 when he created his first publishing company, Nick Lyons Books, eventually Lyons Press. It earned the reputation as one of the premier publishers of fishing books, but the company also printed works on nature, camping, adventure, gardening, woodworking, travel, the sea, history, food and wine, art and reference, hunting, general sport, and a few fiction titles. In 1999, Tony Lyons, Nick's son, took over the firm which was acquired by Globe Pequot Press in 2001. As well as being a book publisher Nick Lyons is a prolific writer and has produced several books on fly fishing. He has written introductions, forewords and prefaces for many Lyons Press books and also had a feature column of essays named the "Seasonable Angler" in Fly Fisherman Magazine for many years. Lyons has written articles for many other periodicals including Field & Stream and the New York Times, and several anthologies of these essays have been published.
Nick Lyons taught English at the University of Michigan prior to accepting a position at the Hunter College of the City University of New York in 1961. He remained on the faculty of CUNY until 1988. He also worked as the executive editor of Crown Publishers from 1964-1974. An avid fisherman, Lyons found a way to combine his avocation and profession in 1977 when he created his first publishing company, Nick Lyons Books, eventually Lyons Press. It earned the reputation as one of the premier publishers of fishing books, but the company also printed works on nature, camping, adventure, gardening, woodworking, travel, the sea, history, food and wine, art and reference, hunting, general sport, and a few fiction titles. In 1999, Tony Lyons, Nick's son, took over the firm which was acquired by Globe Pequot Press in 2001. As well as being a book publisher Nick Lyons is a prolific writer and has produced several books on fly fishing. He has written introductions, forewords and prefaces for many Lyons Press books and also had a feature column of essays named the "Seasonable Angler" in Fly Fisherman Magazine for many years. Lyons has written articles for many other periodicals including Field & Stream and the New York Times, and several anthologies of these essays have been published.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 13, 2022
“I still take my emotional temperature a couple of times each hour.” says Nick Lyons in his memoir “Fire in the Straw”. He has been in so many different professional roles that it is hard to define him. He served in the army, was a teacher, an editor, a book publisher and a fly-fish catcher.
To fight the boredom in those lazy days of peacetime army service in France, he turned to books and was captivated. “I had been so stunned by the simple revelation that this could be that thing called literature, something that could haul me into its world and wake every part of me.” He started studying literature after returning from his army stint in France and soon discovered that all he craved was words. Hoping to become a writer, he took a small room in Greenwich Village but found himself lonely and inadequately prepared. He decided to go to college again. During this period, he was guided and mentored by a few good teachers who saw the potential in him and his love for reading.
After his marriage to the painter, Mari and four kids in quick succession he was struggling to make ends meet as a college teacher and started working as an editor and a ghost writer. While supporting his young family he piled up debt and kept working hard to pay it off.
He loved teaching and shined in his newly started publishing house which became a stepping stone for many writers, like Jon Krakauer. He also wrote books about fly-fishing.
He was born after the death of his father and was aloof from his mother and always wondered how his life could have been if he was loved and guided by his father.
I had never heard of Nick Lyons before, but the subtitle of the book “Notes on Inventing a Life,” got me intrigued. He is a great example of how a person can fall in love with literature even if he has not been a reader as a child. What is admirable about him is that how he completely transformed himself after getting a discharge from the army. He did not want to be defined by one thing but to be “a person with diverse talents and desires.” He learned the tricks of the trade as a small publisher and to do business on a shoestring budget.
He lived a rich and a varied life. For him, writing was “scrapped words off the brain.” He had “to quell that great hunger in my heart to be taken seriously.” He may not be a very famous author but he accomplished a great deal in his life – somebody who had the fire burning inside him, who was written off but survived and thrived.
To fight the boredom in those lazy days of peacetime army service in France, he turned to books and was captivated. “I had been so stunned by the simple revelation that this could be that thing called literature, something that could haul me into its world and wake every part of me.” He started studying literature after returning from his army stint in France and soon discovered that all he craved was words. Hoping to become a writer, he took a small room in Greenwich Village but found himself lonely and inadequately prepared. He decided to go to college again. During this period, he was guided and mentored by a few good teachers who saw the potential in him and his love for reading.
After his marriage to the painter, Mari and four kids in quick succession he was struggling to make ends meet as a college teacher and started working as an editor and a ghost writer. While supporting his young family he piled up debt and kept working hard to pay it off.
He loved teaching and shined in his newly started publishing house which became a stepping stone for many writers, like Jon Krakauer. He also wrote books about fly-fishing.
He was born after the death of his father and was aloof from his mother and always wondered how his life could have been if he was loved and guided by his father.
I had never heard of Nick Lyons before, but the subtitle of the book “Notes on Inventing a Life,” got me intrigued. He is a great example of how a person can fall in love with literature even if he has not been a reader as a child. What is admirable about him is that how he completely transformed himself after getting a discharge from the army. He did not want to be defined by one thing but to be “a person with diverse talents and desires.” He learned the tricks of the trade as a small publisher and to do business on a shoestring budget.
He lived a rich and a varied life. For him, writing was “scrapped words off the brain.” He had “to quell that great hunger in my heart to be taken seriously.” He may not be a very famous author but he accomplished a great deal in his life – somebody who had the fire burning inside him, who was written off but survived and thrived.
March 24, 2021
Beautiful memoir from a man with a long, storied history in the publishing industry from various sides -- writing, teaching, publishing. The thing that struck me the most about this book was the author's clear passion for literature. His love for writing and books drips off the page, so it's just a joy to read.
July 24, 2020
Nick Lyons’ memoir is a full account of his life, from birth to a period of reflection in his old age.
An early chapter about his experience in the armed forces had an incredibly similar feel to A Farewell to Arms (which was fresh in my mind from a recent read), but that was only a moment in Lyons’ rich life. As he reminisced on family and career in other chapters, I grew accustomed to his writing style.
This is certainly a literary memoir. Lyons is a former English professor, and a large portion of his life (and memoir) revolve around that part of his identity. However, the more descriptive chapters are nicely balanced with interesting anecdotal sections just when the reader needs them.
If you’re interested in academia, or simply want to read some beautiful prose, check this out when it’s published later this year.
*Side note: As a University of Michigan alum with an English degree, I very much enjoyed reading about his time in Ann Arbor. #GoBlue
An early chapter about his experience in the armed forces had an incredibly similar feel to A Farewell to Arms (which was fresh in my mind from a recent read), but that was only a moment in Lyons’ rich life. As he reminisced on family and career in other chapters, I grew accustomed to his writing style.
This is certainly a literary memoir. Lyons is a former English professor, and a large portion of his life (and memoir) revolve around that part of his identity. However, the more descriptive chapters are nicely balanced with interesting anecdotal sections just when the reader needs them.
If you’re interested in academia, or simply want to read some beautiful prose, check this out when it’s published later this year.
*Side note: As a University of Michigan alum with an English degree, I very much enjoyed reading about his time in Ann Arbor. #GoBlue
April 17, 2021
This is the personal memoir of Nick Lyons, who is a "lion" among publishers of fly fishing books. But this book is less about fly fishing or even publishing that it is about the many struggles he faced during his lifetime, both personal and professional. An unsentimental examination of of life of successes and failures, with some counting of blessings along the way. If you already know of Nick Lyons as a publisher, you will probably learn that there is more to this man than first meets the eye. If you've never heard of Lyons, you might be less interested in the book. If your main interest is in what Lyons has to say about fly fishing, you should skip it, because he doesn't say much about that.
October 8, 2020
Thank you to the author, Skyhorse Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is a very personal recounting, generally chronological, of the author's path in life, from childhood right through to frail old age. The book is beautifully written, and as he reminisces and tells his story, the author is not shy about revealing what he perceives as his weaknesses or shortcomings - I found him quite modest, considering what he achieved in the course of his life. Particularly the later chapters, where suffering and death enter his life, are poignant and left me reflecting on my own life.
This is a very personal recounting, generally chronological, of the author's path in life, from childhood right through to frail old age. The book is beautifully written, and as he reminisces and tells his story, the author is not shy about revealing what he perceives as his weaknesses or shortcomings - I found him quite modest, considering what he achieved in the course of his life. Particularly the later chapters, where suffering and death enter his life, are poignant and left me reflecting on my own life.
March 7, 2021
I've been a fan of Nick Lyons's writing since my husband introduced me to his short pieces on fly fishing decades ago. I remember being excited when I learned he was going to start a publishing business. Despite knowing about him, I didn't know much about the trajectory of Lyons's life.
In Fire in the Straw we learn of Lyons's rough start, how fly fishing changed his life, and his dedication to getting an education and focus on his writing. We learn of his loves, his losses, and his perspective on aging.
Whether you've been a fan for years or are just discovering Nick Lyons, this is a highly recommended read.
In Fire in the Straw we learn of Lyons's rough start, how fly fishing changed his life, and his dedication to getting an education and focus on his writing. We learn of his loves, his losses, and his perspective on aging.
Whether you've been a fan for years or are just discovering Nick Lyons, this is a highly recommended read.
April 9, 2021
wonderful & Honest Memoir by a Prose Master
Nick Lyons has written a memoir that includes adventures in basket ball, boarding school, the army, starting his own publishing company, marriage, art and, of course, discovering himself as a writer. Best part is when he writes about his first time reading Hemingway's "Big Two Hearted River." Only wish he wrote more about detail about running his publishing house, which he did successfully in a business that eats new ventures up alive.
Nick Lyons has written a memoir that includes adventures in basket ball, boarding school, the army, starting his own publishing company, marriage, art and, of course, discovering himself as a writer. Best part is when he writes about his first time reading Hemingway's "Big Two Hearted River." Only wish he wrote more about detail about running his publishing house, which he did successfully in a business that eats new ventures up alive.
November 24, 2020
#'Fire in the Straw by author #Nick Lyons is a wonderful novel. A memoir that is deep, witty and the intrepid desire to reinvent himself. This the author accomplished many times over.🌟🐾🐾
Thank you,
#Netgalley, # Nick Lyons, and # Simon & Schuster for the advanced copy
Thank you,
#Netgalley, # Nick Lyons, and # Simon & Schuster for the advanced copy
September 7, 2021
This was a pleasant read, nothing earth-shattering like most contemporary memoirs. Despite its humdrum subjects and leisurely pace, I found it gratifying to learn what mattered most to the author at the end of his life.
November 15, 2022
First Nick Lyons book, was looking for more fly fishing than overall life story. I will say this book is raw and vulnerable and I appreciate the tone the author sets.
The last chapter is very powerful and moving.
The last chapter is very powerful and moving.
April 10, 2023
Thoroughly enjoyable biography. Would have enjoyed time attending his university courses; I'm sure he was a captivating lecturer.
July 17, 2022
I wish I had written a review as soon as I finished this memoir so I could have documented everything I felt and thought when they were fresh. This was the memoir of Nick Lyons, a fly-fisherman, author, and owner of a publishing company. I picked it up in Long Island when I was staying at my friend Avery's house because the cover intrigued me and I thought reading about how someone else's life unfolded would help me deal with some of the anxiety I had been feeling about my career and future. The book was honestly hard to get through sometimes. I feel bad for saying this, but it wasn't bad nor was it good. It was kind of unremarkable. I think it's maybe that if you're writing a memoir you need to have really interesting life events? I just remember constantly asking myself why I was reading this unremarkable story (that's so mean but it's true).
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews