In 1980, David Sheff, on behalf of Playboy Magazine, conducted the very last significant interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono. This blog has nothing to do with that. Except that it somehow does.
I'm sure at that time he never imagined that 25 years later he'd be writting a memoir entitled "Beautiful Boy... A Father's Journey Thru His Son's Meth Addiction."
I know. This was totally not a book I would have ever expected to pick up off the shelf on my own. It was just one of those things where Amazon gives you one of those sci-fi heads up that if you enjoyed "that" book you might enjoy "this" one? And so I just went with it.
First of all, I'm not a book critic. I wish I had that talent. All I know is that I know what touches me. And this one touched me big time. Have you ever read one of those books that when you finish just keeps you longing for more? I so much needed to know the "end" of this story and yet, as I assessed while reading it, there IS no end to this story. And since I am so behind the times I discovered that it took me only a tiny bit of researching to find that his son, Nic had written an account of his own.
And so I read Tweak... Growing Up On Methamphetamines In fact I read it twice and I'm not sure why I have been so drawn in by this family's struggles or even more by their eventual coming to terms. I can't explain it. All I know is that these two books coupled together empowered me somehow and left me with so much more capacity for the understanding of self awareness and forgiveness.
I read the dad's book first and I would suggest doing it in that order, but who knows? Seeing both sides of this unbelievably heartbreaking story was most powerful... though I probably wouldn't recommend it to the squeamish. But then again...
There is no lack of information out there regarding these books. Just google David Sheff, Nic Sheff, Beautiful Boy or Tweak.
And if after reading the books, you feel a need to learn more, here are two more in-depth interviews with David and Nic. They will both move you and startle you and yet leave you with so much more understanding. Or at least they did me.
Memoirs of Meth Addiction From A Father and Son
A Son's Addiction, A Father's Agony
Nic at nine...
A few years later...
Clay content?:.. Well, I guess all I can say about that is that with all this time off I've somehow gotten back to reading. But also rumor has it that he's soon to have a beautiful boy of his own...
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David Sheff, Nic Sheff, Beautiful Boy, Tweak
2 comments:
where'd you get all those pics of nic and his family?
Sandy, I honestly don't remember. I just kept following links and found it on some website. It was already a Rock You Slideshow. I didn't create it. If I find it again I'll let you know.
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