Ode To Author Richard Bode

I first discovered author Richard Bode in 2014 when I stumbled upon his best-selling book First You Have to Row a Little Boat – Reflections on Life and Living while browsing in a local book store. I was immediately smitten by Bode’s elegant, rhythmic writing style and his rich, atmospheric storytelling as he presented life lessons through sailing metaphors. I was further intrigued as I learned that his stories were informed by his sailing adventures growing up in the 1940s in Bay Shore and on the waters of the Great South Bay off the southern coast of Long Island.

After reading First You Have to Row a Little Boat I read Bode’s first book, Blue Sloop At Dawn, which is an autobiographical novel that spans Bode’s life from early childhood through his early twenties, with emphasis on his teen years in Bay Shore. And after that I read Bode’s third and final book, Beachcombing At Miramar, written when he was sixty-eight years old, in which he reflects on his life through a long lens. I loved all three.

When I attempted to research Bode’s life online, I was surprised that there was no biography to be found. This seemed to me a disservice. And so, as a fellow Long Islander and in the spirit of “If not me, then who?” I hereby submit my Ode to Author Richard Bode, which includes both a biography and extensive excerpts from his writings. Thank you.