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An Exciting True Crime Spree
Flew Too High: A Gay Drug Smuggler’s Transcendent Odyssey invites readers into your life and visits the turbulence of your youth, transporting them to the late 1970s, a time of self-discovery, rebellion, and excess. Why was this an important book for you to write?
Initially, I wanted to share my story as an exciting true crime spree. I thought “No one will believe this happened…”.
The more I dug into it, I uncovered years of fear and resentment, as well as the difficult journey I shared with my immigrant father.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
Even though decades have passed, the world feels the same in so many ways. How difficult it must be for someone who feels or looks different to be accepted by their peers and society.
Believe in yourself and your abilities in times of crisis. Everyone faces challenges, and just when you think there’s no answer, no way out of an impossible situation, moments of grace and perhaps providence can sweep in and save you. I’m not religious, but I do believe in Spirit. My story is proof of something greater watching over me. I believe it watches over you, too.
What was the most challenging part of writing your memoir, and what was the most rewarding?
Getting honest about my past actions, how I hurt so many people as a result of my drug addiction and reckless behavior. It was the most thorough inventory I have ever conducted.
On the flipside, I was able to reweave and reevaluate my relationship with my father, who I resented for so many years. I was finally able to see how much he did for me in spite of my blinders.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your story?
We all make poor decisions at some point in our lives. Forgive yourself and others and let go of the past. Everyday is a new beginning.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website
Flew Too High
Louie Mandrapilias offers an intimate and unfiltered look into his past in Flew Too High: A Gay Drug Smuggler’s Transcendent Odyssey. With raw honesty, he invites readers into the turbulence of his youth, transporting us to the late 1970s, a time of self-discovery, rebellion, and excess. That summer, as he put it, he “let the wolf in when he came knocking.” The result was a wild, intoxicating journey through sex, drugs, and an urgent search for identity, all set against the backdrop of a rapidly shifting cultural landscape.
Memoirs often leave readers searching for the author’s flaws, yet Mandrapilias offers them up freely. He does not shy away from his missteps but instead presents them with a level of self-awareness that is both admirable and deeply human. His account unfolds at a time when being openly gay was still fraught with danger and defiance, the echoes of Stonewall still fresh in the air. His story captures not just his own struggle but also the broader, unspoken battles of an era.
One of the book’s greatest strengths lies in its immersive storytelling. Mandrapilias paints his world so vividly that the reader feels transported to standing on the streets of New York, witnessing fleeting glances, whispered exchanges, and electric moments of both connection and isolation. His descriptions bring the 1970s to life, not just in setting but in language. The slang, the cadence of conversation, and the atmosphere all feel cinematic, yet undeniably real.
For LGBTQ readers, Flew Too High resonates on a profound level. The unapologetic portrayal of raw, lived experiences makes this memoir not just a personal reflection but a cultural artifact. It’s a time capsule of love, loss, indulgence, and self-acceptance, capturing both the recklessness of youth and the wisdom gained through it.
Mandrapilias does not present a sanitized version of his past. He acknowledges the mistakes, the missteps, the moments of excess. Yet, none of it diminishes the journey, it enhances it. His story is one of self-discovery, of learning, of stumbling through the darkness in search of something real. Flew Too High is more than a memoir; it’s a reckoning with the past, a tribute to survival, and a testament to the beauty of becoming.
Pages: 284 | ASIN : B0DR2S64LR
LITERARY TITAN 