Tomorrow, I’m going to
facilitate a discussion group of First Year Students around David Sheff’s memoir,
Beautiful Boy. I liked
Beautiful Boy, even though addict (or parent of addict) memoirs aren’t one of my favorite genres. Sheff really focuses on the details and specifics of his family, so I felt like I had a clear understanding of his son Nic–the music he liked to listen to, his favorite clothes, and where he liked to surf. I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s discussion and hearing more from the new students. This week, I’ve fortuitously encountered a few
articles that mention
the Sheffs in light of Julie Myerson’s The Lost Child, which her son (the book’s subject) rejects as being an incomplete and unfair story. It certainly made me think that being a writer’s family member could be tough, particularly if you cling to your privacy. If anyone else has read
Beautiful Boy, I’d like to hear your take too!