04/09/2009: "The Boy In The Moon"

Hi All,

It's sort of rare to be pretty deeply affected by a piece of writing. At least, with me it's not so often. There's so much work I admire for its craft or skill or a certain balls-out quality that I love to see, but to be really sort of, moved, I guess is the term ... that's quite a bit rarer.

I came across this series of essays, the start of a memoir you'd say, the other day. It's by Ian Brown and they ran in the Globe and Mail a few years ago. I remember Brown primarily as a panelist on a yearly books wrap-up show that would air on the CBC; I recall liking him as a panelist. Fun, no-bullshit, fervent in the books he appreciated and the reasons for liking them. He's got this totally askew nose which looks as if it's been seized by a pair of pliers and bent in the middle; I'd be unsurprised to hear he's boxed in the past, with a beak such as his. He struck me a good fellow, funloving, passionate but not stuck up or affected.

Anyway, I came across this series of articles he wrote about his son, Walker, who was diagnosed with something called CFC, a so-called 'orphan syndrome' owing to the fact, I believe, that it is so so rare. Only 300 cases worldwide, I think. It's a devestating piece of work, but it's not heartbreaking. Or it is, in parts, but it's truthful and Brown handles it so well despite being so deeply inside the work. It's so difficult to do this sort of thing well, honorably, honestly, and openly. I think I'm somewhat sensitized to the subject matter lately, but regardless I can't say enough about how wonderful this is, and how deftly Brown handles it---not totally surprising, seeing as Brown's won a bunch of National Magazine Awards and other accolades. It's gutting, brilliant stuff. A book-length version's coming out this summer. I'm going to read it. Below is a link to the articles and the book. Take a look.

www.theglobeandmail.com/v5/content/features/focus/boyinthemoon/part1/chapter1/

www.amazon.com/Boy-Moon-Fathers-Search-Disabled/dp/0307357104/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1239327448&sr=1-1

All best, Craig.