This year’s One Book One Town (OBOT) selection in Fairfield is, “I Keep Trying to Catch His Eye: a memoir of loss, grief, and love,” Fellow Stratfield Dad Ivan Maisel has written a beautiful and powerful memoir about his own journey following the loss of their son Max to suicide. I put off starting the book for many months, and finally began reading last weekend. Ivan is not only a beautiful writer (he covered college football for ESPN for many years), but an insightful and powerful voice of clarity amidst the hecticness of our lives.
I have heard some in the community say that the choice of this book is “too difficult,” and indeed this is a difficult conversation. I applaud the OBOT committee and our libraries for helping to bring a conversation about suicide and mental health into the light. In Connecticut in 2020, suicide was the second leading cause of death for those age 10-34. Help is available, now through 988 and many other community resources. Ivan’s story, which I hope to finish this week, is a powerful reminder that, as he says, “Grief is love.”
On Tuesday, March 28, at 7PM, Ivan will join us at the Quick Center at Fairfield University. This is a great opportunity to learn more about the book and Ivan's process in writing it.
Registration is required for the event, so please click the button below to RSVP: |
|