Illustrated short stories and letters about growing up bohemian poor with an artist father and zany mother. Fragments describe the author's life as a child, teenager, and adult dealing with a mentally ill mother who slid into dementia in her later years. The memory fragments are triggered by the houses the author lived in from 1950 to 1964 and later. Each segment represents a different house, sometimes an actual physical residence or space, at other times, a metaphorical house. The "Letters From Dad" excerpts reveal Susan's father and the correlation between his painting and his cosmology. Through the letters you not only learn more about who Al Need was, but also who Susan was in his eyes and who she is now.
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By Susan Canavarro
Dec 3, 2009
Fragments: Growing Up Bohemian Poor in Dementia’s House, a memoir written and illustrated by Susan Canavarro, is the book every woman will identify with, laughing, crying and remembering times past. It's got Humor, Tragedy, Nudity and Sex! "Read it in a corner by yourself or with a friend or your partner. This is the perfect gift for your ‘sister’ in spirit or in life, your mother, or yes, even your daughter." ~ jacquie r. wagenschutz 160 pages. Consisting of short one page stories and corresponding illustrations, it is a quick read, and will meet you on a different plain, transport you to a new understanding of yourself. Insightful, it teaches how reflection upon things past can often enhance one’s life in the moment by revealing truth. Years ago, my father, Al Need, once wrote a letter in which he said, “There’s a lot about your writing that I feel good about; your openness, for example, in writing about yourself. I hope you will continue to do that. Say it. Give it some... More > air. You know it will help you. I should say it will help us. For I cannot meet you, as I intend to, on the highest level of what you are without also lifting myself up to that level, since you are in my consciousness, and what is in my consciousness is what I am in my highest potential. You see? I am stuck with it, you are either radiating health, vitality, pleasure, success, love, or I am in trouble.” Review submitted by the author, Susan Canavarro, December 2009 Notice: Altho this book is in part humorous and the illustrations are cartoon-like or child-like, this book may not be appropriate for children under the age of 18. - Susan Canavarro, Dec. 2009< Less
