Snuff

by John Holbo on August 13, 2011

NPR has an interview with Terry Pratchett about his early onset Alzheimer’s, his advocacy for assisted suicide, and his forthcoming Discworld novel, Snuff. There’s a short excerpt from it as well, which is pretty funny.

{ 5 comments }

1

Pangloss 08.13.11 at 12:47 pm

I’ll have a listen to the NPR interview but usually I prefer ABC talking to anyone. Not sure if it maybe the accent but I suspect it’s something else:

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/bookshow/stories/2011/3187788.htm

2

John Holbo 08.13.11 at 1:06 pm

Thanks Pangloss. I’ll listen to that one, too.

3

Sebastian H 08.13.11 at 3:51 pm

I didn’t know he had early onset Alzheimer’s. I guess I haven’t been paying attention.

Ugh. I’ve had a grandparent on each side with normal Alzheimer’s. It really sucks.

4

Bent Tree Friend 08.14.11 at 9:35 pm

Find the SkyOne production of Going Postal. It’s an almost-hollywood quality film and 100% more sincere.

5

bad Jim 08.16.11 at 9:15 am

I’ve been dealing with my mother’s Alzheimer’s for a few years. It’s difficult and unpleasant for me, as one might imagine, and the confusion it entails distresses her as well, but she doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to get out of her life.

We went through this earlier with her own mother, and I seem to recall being instructed to hit her over the head with a shovel if she ever wound up like that. The prospect of the loss of independence, of autonomy, even of one’s personality, is frightening, but the condition itself removes the ability to understand what was lost.

Her quality of life isn’t what it was, but she still enjoys ice cream, music, and the company of dogs and children. Senescence is far from wonderful, but she still prefers it to nonexistence.

I continue to smoke, peremptorily discounting my final decade or so, but I think it’s a fine thing to hang on and embarrass your friends and kids and neighbors.

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