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A 50th anniversary doesn’t sound so old for someone who read the OGs when they were first published. Rudy and Mike, Bugs and Adam, and Bruno and Boots were peas in a pod that brought me much joy.

One summer afternoon, I read “I Want to Go Home” three times in a row on a cot at my grandmother’s cottage. I laughed so hard during each of the readings that my grandmother gave it a go. She smiled and said she understood why I loved it so much. Then she gave me back my copy so I could read it again the next day. 

I was brought back into the idea of these dynamic duos the other day while reading Rick Westhead’s “Finding Murph”, about hockey players who suffer from CTE. The first few chapters talk about Joe Murphy growing up as a hockey star. One anecdote has him staying at a hotel with a teammate. Joe proceeds to order the most expensive items from the service menu (which reminded me of Bruno in a way). His roommate tried to dissuade him (like Boots might have) but Joe carried on. When the food arrived, Joe signed the roommates name. I wished the story was fictional and the ending not so foreboding.

Anyways, thinking about what ended up happening to Joe, I started to wonder what might have happened to Bruno and Boots. My son is convinced that they never actually graduate and live on in perpetuity in a Never Never Land of MacDonald Hall. I was wondering if they might go through similar hijinks through University and then graduate only to return to MacDonald Hall as teachers.

Perhaps this is an arch you considered while writing the first book fifty years ago, or maybe it is something that you have put thought into since. Either way, we’re curious what ends up happening after MacDonald Hall?

Best,

David Turner