Nationwide — For over a decade, Harold Phifer served in a war zone as a contract air traffic controller in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo Bay. He even survived a suicide bombing by the Taliban. But none of that was as dangerous or stressful as his upbringing. He was a black kid growing up in the South during the tumultuous 1960s, dealing with racism and bullying in the streets, and abuse at home from his schizophrenic mother and dysfunctional, violent aunt. He says he felt like an outsider in and out of the house.He tells a moving story in his newest book, My Bully, My Aunt, and Her Final Gift. It comes on the heels of publishing his earlier book, Surviving Chaos: How I Found Peace At A Beach Bar, which exposed a lot of people that affected the life of the author. Besides his problematic mother, Aunt Kelly left a lasting imprint.
“She was the opposite of all things positive,” says Phifer. “At the end of her twisted life, it was painfully obvious to me that she deserved a book of her very own. The death of my evil aunt, allowed me to see myself while operating a door for my brothers and me.”
Most of the contents in this story are recreated from real-life experiences of a lost and misguided kid. Some things have been changed for the sake of a better read. Even though a tiny bit is pure bullshit, it’s all inspired by the events lived by a “lonely and determined little boy.”
“Yes, you will be shocked and amazed by the darkness and behaviors of a close-blood relative,” says Phifer. “Look at it this way: Logic and Aunt Kathy never coexisted, whereas her philosophies and arbitrary enforcements, kept me off-balanced for much of my young life. Somehow, I survived the chaos, abuse, and despicable treatment and then found another way. This story pulls back the covers to that sick, twisted, and formative relationship that I had to endure.”
Phifer, in an interview, will share the following:
• How a contract air traffic controller serving in war-torn Afghanistan, Iraq, and Guantanamo Bay found that experience more peaceful than his dysfunctional childhood.
• What surviving a Taliban suicide bombing taught him.
• How he survived a household run by a schizophrenic mom and an abusive aunt while being bullied at school and confronting racism in the 1960s South.
• He uses humor to sustain himself where logic does not apply.
• The cathartic experience to write about his brutal childhood.
• How he ducked, dodged, and went unnoticed for so many years.
“After experiencing the devilish deeds of my aunt, it was a challenge to give her a good send-off when she died,” shares Phifer. “I had grown apart from her clutches, so I had to find the decency to bury her with a matter of dignity that she didn’t deserve.”
Sometimes the death of a loved one can fix one’s pain. Her funeral turned into a bit of a comedy show. “The death of my evil aunt taught me a lot about grief, love, loss, resentments, and redemption,” says Phifer. “After her death, I was tasked with the job of putting together a memorial that no one wanted to attend.”
In My Bully, My Aunt, and Her Final Gift, Phifer revisits the complicated relationship he shared with his late Aunt Kathy, a woman who stood as the antithesis of positivity in his life. Despite her domineering and often cruel behavior, her passing left Harold with an unexpected opportunity for humor, healing, and reflection.
As he plans her memorial, his childhood memories resurface, pulling him back into a world shaped by his aunt’s unpredictable rules and twisted philosophies. Blending heartfelt truths with laugh-out-loud moments, he weaves a tale of resilience, self-discovery, and ultimately, redemption.
This memoir offers a lighthearted yet honest look at how even the darkest relationships can leave behind gifts of wisdom and self-awareness.
What Readers Are Saying:
“Each poignant recollection offers another part of his childhood and how it irreversibly shaped his future strategy for a better, more exciting life. The book is a definite page-turner and keeps the reader wanting more from the author. It’s a lively, energetic tale that reads like a conversation as if you’re hearing the story first-hand from a friend or acquaintance.” — Literary Titan on Surviving Chaos
“His narratives are interesting, and often much fun… his tales are entertaining, sprinkled with humor, drama, and sadness. Readers will discover an intriguing life, one of turmoil and finally, thanks to a stranger on a beach, inner peace.” — Blue Ink Review on Surviving Chaos
“Surviving Chaos is light and gripping. It’s jam-packed with intriguing events that happened during the author’s childhood, teenage-hood, and adult life.” — OnlineBookClub on Surviving Chaos
“The peace-seeking memoir Surviving Chaos revels in the cathartic power of storytelling after a lifetime of challenging circumstances.” — Foreword Reviews on Surviving Chaos
For more information and/or to purchase his books, visit RiseandRead.com
About the Author
Harold Phifer is the author of several books, including his newest one, My Bully, My Aunt, and Her Final Gift. His prior book was Surviving Chaos: How I Found Peace At A Beach Bar. He continues, despite an upbringing in poverty, racism, bullying, a schizophrenic mom, and an abusive aunt, to create stories about adventure, love, life, and the human spirit.
He was born into the rebellious 1960s in Columbus, Mississippi. As a black kid seeking to find his way in the South, he worked the streets, hustled the neighbors, and busted tables at bars he didn’t belong in.
After walking the stage at Caldwell High School, he went on to graduate from Mississippi State and Jackson State Universities respectively. Then he started his career as an air traffic controller in Memphis, Tennessee. However, he was never at peace with himself. So, after 23 years working for the Federal Aviation Administration, he left the United States and took a job as an international contractor.
His education includes: FAA Academy, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Certified Air Traffic Control Specialist; Jackson State University, Jackson, Mississippi, BS; Information Systems;
and Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi, BA, Business Administration.
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For press inquiries, contact Brian Feinblum at 914-462-2038 or brianfeinblum@gmail.com