Scaffold to the Moon is the sort of expanded version of Huw Alden Davies‘ excellent send up/celebration of his dad, Prince, which I loved. I ordered it without question as soon as I heard of it, and it makes a great addition to my library.
Having read back over my review of Prince, I’m once again struck by how much I missed out on, not really having a relationship with dear old Dad, of not really having much of what made Dad, Dad any more even. Mine is now living in a shared housing situation for people with dementia and Alzheimers and I don’t really know him any more, if I even ever did. Oh to have someone like Prince in my life. Allah blesses us with whatever He blesses us with, and withholds whatever He withholds, and He Knows what we never will.
Anyway.
Scaffold to the Moon really is Prince, expanded. There’s first person text from Davies, with many of the same quotes from Prince interspersed like interview responses or something. There are many of the same pictures, now with more little bits of ancillary material and a couple of gatefolds. If I hadn’t ever seen Prince, I’d like Scaffold to the Moon more than I do. Prince is a total character and the stories Davies tells made me laugh out loud on almost every page. For me, Prince works sorta like some of Rosalind Fox Solomon’s work, like Got to Go, where short(er) text pieces set up a sort of conversation with the pictures. Scaffold to the Moon is more of an illustrated biography, at least as much of Davies as of Prince, and it hits differently for me.
Unrated.
Scaffold to the Moon remains available direct from the publisher. It’s inexpensive and well worth it, if you want to read all about a near-perfect, typically-Welsh rockstar(-in-his-own-mind). Prince is also available through Davies’ website, and at less than half the price of Scaffold, well, get both. Why not? It’s good stuff.
