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The Staircase Letters: An Extraordinary Friendship at the End of Life (2007)

di Arthur Motyer, Elma Gerwin, Carol Shields

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1821,184,285 (3.79)9
Full of the magic of everyday life in the shadow of death-chickens must be cooked for dinner parties, and grandson's questions about God must be answered!-The Staircase Letters is a moving and profound story of friendship and facing the end of life. When Elma Gerwin found out in 2001 at the age of 61 that she had cancer, she reached out to two coasts and to two old friends. One was Arthur Motyer, novelist and teacher, and Elma's university professor from forty years before, and the other was acclaimed novelist Carol Shields, who was facing her own battle with cancer. Years later, Arthur is the only survivor. Still contemplating how Elma's and Carol's correspondence affected him, he has gracefully brought the letters together and interspersed them with literary references and poetry. As both women's illnesses progress, they compare notes on the ups and downs of living with cancer-the joy when Elma is told one area is cancer-free, followed quickly by the terrible news that the cancer has spread; the delight in having family near, while the thought of saying goodbye seems impossible. The advice they give each other-from how to approach treatments to how to get to sleep at night-is heartfelt, warm and often leavened with humour. As Carol and Elma contemplate what happiness is and how one makes a "good death," 74-year-old Arthur, feeling inadequate in the face of such fundamental questions, discovers that he is exactly where he should be. In The Staircase Letters, the reader catches a rare and touching glimpse of the lives of three extraordinary people-two facing death and one left behind.… (altro)
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Motyer published the correspondence shared with his friend Elma Gerwin and her friend Carol Shields, written while they were both dying of cancer. I was apprehensive about reading what appeared to be the sad account of the end of life for two people. I need not have worried, it is moving, sad without being despairing and in many ways inspirational. ( )
1 vota VivienneR | Dec 8, 2014 |
"It was after the death of Carol Shields, following that of Elma Gerwin, that I re-read their many emails to me over the previous two years, and realized again how truly special that correspondence was.... These were two extraordinary women, one an established literary icon, the other highly literate but known only to her friends, and their story deserves a wide sharing."

What do you do when a friend of 40 years is diagnosed with cancer and asks you to join her and her friend, also a cancer sufferer, to embark on a journey (via correspondence) to travel together, bear each other company and give a straight account as being someone that can accept and understand what is happening to her? How do you come to terms with feelings of inadequacy when words fail you and you know someone is relying on you to be there?

This slim volume is such a journey. Is a compilation of Arthur's thoughts and various email correspondence between himself, Elma and Carol starting in February 2001 and ending with Carol's death July 16th, 2003. Both Elma and Carol had been diagnosed with cancer - Elma in 2001 and Carol in 1998 - and the correspondence covers a vast array of topics from discussions of medical treatments undergone, the nature of happiness (doesn't everyone want to be happy?), what makes a good death and the importance of celebrating life's small ceremonies all the while interspersed with literary references and poetry fragments.

For me, this book provided new insight in understanding the works of Carol Shields and opened my eyes to some further literary works of interest. The philosophical approach presented here in examining and meeting death - and examining life for that matter - is one that I am continuing to ponder, and will probably continue to ponder the messages contained in this book for some time.

As the book states: "An Extraordinary Friendship at the End of Life". ( )
1 vota lkernagh | Dec 19, 2011 |
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Nome dell'autoreRuoloTipo di autoreOpera?Stato
Arthur Motyerautore primariotutte le edizionicalcolato
Gerwin, Elmaautore principaletutte le edizioniconfermato
Shields, Carolautore principaletutte le edizioniconfermato
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In memory of Elma and Carol
And for Alastair, Michael and Gillian
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Spiralling towards death, she stretched out her hand.
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Full of the magic of everyday life in the shadow of death-chickens must be cooked for dinner parties, and grandson's questions about God must be answered!-The Staircase Letters is a moving and profound story of friendship and facing the end of life. When Elma Gerwin found out in 2001 at the age of 61 that she had cancer, she reached out to two coasts and to two old friends. One was Arthur Motyer, novelist and teacher, and Elma's university professor from forty years before, and the other was acclaimed novelist Carol Shields, who was facing her own battle with cancer. Years later, Arthur is the only survivor. Still contemplating how Elma's and Carol's correspondence affected him, he has gracefully brought the letters together and interspersed them with literary references and poetry. As both women's illnesses progress, they compare notes on the ups and downs of living with cancer-the joy when Elma is told one area is cancer-free, followed quickly by the terrible news that the cancer has spread; the delight in having family near, while the thought of saying goodbye seems impossible. The advice they give each other-from how to approach treatments to how to get to sleep at night-is heartfelt, warm and often leavened with humour. As Carol and Elma contemplate what happiness is and how one makes a "good death," 74-year-old Arthur, feeling inadequate in the face of such fundamental questions, discovers that he is exactly where he should be. In The Staircase Letters, the reader catches a rare and touching glimpse of the lives of three extraordinary people-two facing death and one left behind.

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