CREEK ROAD GANG
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Autobiography of a Face
by Lucy Grealy
and
Truth and Beauty
by Ann Patchett
~ Reviewed by Janice Ewing ~
copyright 2010
Lucy Grealy’s Autobiography of a Face is one of the most captivating books that I ever didn’t want to read.
I had heard of the poet Lucy Grealy in that way that you know of someone, but can’t say how you know – maybe you heard an interview on N.P.R., maybe someone mentioned her writing in a conversation, maybe you skimmed a review somewhere. In any case, I had heard enough to think that this was a book I didn’t want to read. What I knew was that the author had battled cancer in childhood, resulting in an endless series of facial and other surgeries and harsh treatments which left her physically and emotionally scarred. It sounded to me like a deeply disturbing story, and I had no desire to know the details.
Ironically it was cancer that led me to the author Ann Patchett. One of my sisters-in-law was having chemo, following breast cancer surgery. She and I liked to talk about books. She had just finished Patchett’s novel Bel Canto and wanted to talk about it with someone. I thought this was a great idea. Although the book jacket summary was not one that would have called out to me without that motivation, I ended up loving the book and going on to look for other novels that she had written. Ann Patchett became a favorite author within our extended family.
When one of my daughters told me about Truth and Beauty, I was intrigued, because I didn’t know that Patchett had written nonfiction. In fact, the book is about the friendship that developed between the young writer Ann Patchett and the young poet Lucy Grealy, which started when they became roommates at the Iowa Writer’s Workshop, following their graduation from Sarah Lawrence College. The friendship spans twenty years of profound joys and tragedies, and is told in a way that brings us right into the lives of these women as they struggle to survive as artists, and as individuals who explore the power and limitations of friendship.
I couldn’t stop thinking about the book while I was reading it or after I had finished it. It was as if these two women had become a part of my life and I wasn’t ready to let go of them yet. That’s what led me to pick up Grealy’s Autobiography of a Face. Now I wanted to hear Lucy’s story in her voice.
The book is gripping from start to finish. Grealy brings us into the world of childhood cancer and disfigurement, but the book is so much more. It is an exploration of what it means to be different, told with brutal honesty, but also with great humor, insight, and irony.
The intersection of art, illness, and friendship is a fascinating place to explore. I highly recommend either of these books on their own, or, as I read them, one right after the other. Having found Patchett’s book first, I can’t say what my reaction would have been if I had read them the other way around. My recommendation would be to go to a bookstore or library and take a look at these two books. I think if you choose one, it will lead you to the other.
I had heard of the poet Lucy Grealy in that way that you know of someone, but can’t say how you know – maybe you heard an interview on N.P.R., maybe someone mentioned her writing in a conversation, maybe you skimmed a review somewhere. In any case, I had heard enough to think that this was a book I didn’t want to read. What I knew was that the author had battled cancer in childhood, resulting in an endless series of facial and other surgeries and harsh treatments which left her physically and emotionally scarred. It sounded to me like a deeply disturbing story, and I had no desire to know the details.
Ironically it was cancer that led me to the author Ann Patchett. One of my sisters-in-law was having chemo, following breast cancer surgery. She and I liked to talk about books. She had just finished Patchett’s novel Bel Canto and wanted to talk about it with someone. I thought this was a great idea. Although the book jacket summary was not one that would have called out to me without that motivation, I ended up loving the book and going on to look for other novels that she had written. Ann Patchett became a favorite author within our extended family.
When one of my daughters told me about Truth and Beauty, I was intrigued, because I didn’t know that Patchett had written nonfiction. In fact, the book is about the friendship that developed between the young writer Ann Patchett and the young poet Lucy Grealy, which started when they became roommates at the Iowa Writer’s Workshop, following their graduation from Sarah Lawrence College. The friendship spans twenty years of profound joys and tragedies, and is told in a way that brings us right into the lives of these women as they struggle to survive as artists, and as individuals who explore the power and limitations of friendship.
I couldn’t stop thinking about the book while I was reading it or after I had finished it. It was as if these two women had become a part of my life and I wasn’t ready to let go of them yet. That’s what led me to pick up Grealy’s Autobiography of a Face. Now I wanted to hear Lucy’s story in her voice.
The book is gripping from start to finish. Grealy brings us into the world of childhood cancer and disfigurement, but the book is so much more. It is an exploration of what it means to be different, told with brutal honesty, but also with great humor, insight, and irony.
The intersection of art, illness, and friendship is a fascinating place to explore. I highly recommend either of these books on their own, or, as I read them, one right after the other. Having found Patchett’s book first, I can’t say what my reaction would have been if I had read them the other way around. My recommendation would be to go to a bookstore or library and take a look at these two books. I think if you choose one, it will lead you to the other.
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Biographical Note: Janice Ewing grew up in the Bronx but has lived her adult life in Philadelphia and its suburbs. She is a writer and adjunct professor. Her earliest memories include weekday afternoon trips to the library and Sunday mornings with the NY Times spread all over the living room. She enjoys reading and writing poetry as ways of understanding the world. She has a husband and two adult daughters, all of whom love to read. See the Author Index for Poetry to read more of Janice's work.
