Gus: A Bird's Life, in His Own Words
Thursday, December 4th, 2025 at 6:30pm
BAR HARBOR – Gus is a heartwarming, funny love story about how a psychologist who initially rejected the 1.4-ounce pet parakeet his wife insisted on adopting ultimately wanted Gus to live beyond his all-too-brief five years. Gus’s uncanny words of wisdom—though sometimes making the psychologist look bad to others—helped his therapy patients, himself, and his wife in remarkable ways.
On Thursday, December 4 at 6:30 p.m., David Bellows and Barbara Held will appear at the Jesup Memorial Library to present their story about their and others’ interactions with Gus the parakeet, and do a few short readings from Gus, after which they will sign books and interact with attendees. See Gus website www.GusTheBirdsWordsOfWisdom.com for more detail about the book, including starred Kirkus review, and our media interviews with Rob Caldwell on “207” WCSH TV channel 6 and Jennifer Rooks “Maine Calling” Maine Public Radio.
David Bellows is a clinical psychologist who practiced psychotherapy in Maine for over 30 years. An avid sailor, he sailed his 23-foot yawl from the Bahamas to Canada. Although he grew up with dogs, Gus and his avian predecessors turned him into a bird person.
Barbara Held is the Barry N. Wish Professor of Psychology and Social Studies Emerita at Bowdoin College, Maine. In her book Stop Smiling, Start Kvetching, she challenged the “tyranny of the positive attitude in America,” which garnered her worldwide media attention.