A FATHER'S MEMOIR

 

I like David Magee’s memoir Dear William, A Father’s Memoir of Addiction, Recovery, Love, and Loss; It’s a beautifully framed story. The Introduction shows how his eldest son died, so you get an idea of this father’s struggles (and there are many). In the final chapter “Revelation” David questions himself …what if …what if …what if—and then he writes: “Life for me had not genuinely begun until it nearly ended. That’s why we can’t give up. That’s why resilience is the salvaged soul’s most generous friend…”

What troubles me is that the further I delved into his story, the more I thought: this successful writer has been a high-functioning alcoholic for a good part of his life. Throughout his story, he acknowledges his drinking, but he never really acknowledges the severity of his drinking—until after he’s prescribed Adderall. He never identifies himself as an alcoholic. At one point he complains about not getting his usual buzz from wine. He writes: “That’s because Adderall, in full force, overpowers alcohol, so one doesn’t feel its effects at all until the Adderall wears off. That’s one reason students abuse Adderall…”

This memoir is worth the read. And if you do read it, please let me know if my uneasiness about the author/father's wellbeing is warranted.