postcards from an unfolding crisis

January 14, 2023 12:03 PM

A Writer Collapses. As He Recovers, His Dispatches Captivate Readers (NYT -- archive link) Hanif Kureishi lost use of his arms and legs. In tweets dictated to family members, he narrates the drama, and muses about writing and art, love and patience. He’s also quite funny.
posted by bitteschoen (3 comments total)

He is one of my favorite authors. I hope he has at least the ability to pick up a pen soon. I hope he has a complete recovery.
posted by Katjusa Roquette at 2:56 PM on January 14, 2023 [1 favorite]

Here's the link to his substack which is as interesting as the article.
posted by The River Ivel at 3:53 PM on January 14, 2023 [4 favorites]

I remember being assigned The Buddha of Suburbia for my Contemporary British Lit class in the 1990s, a welcome relief from the very white stuff we were reading otherwise. I loved it and have often re-read it over the years, though it’s been a while since I last read it.

Reading about Kureishi’s accident has been eerie—the exact same thing happened to my dad a few years ago (though my dad is quite a bit older). It has been a tough journey for him, but he has managed to regain use of all his limbs via an operation and extensive physical therapy/rehab, and I hope the same is true for Kureishi.

I understand what he is saying about how it reconfigures your relationships with your loved ones. It’s been hard for him to be more dependent on my mom. It’s been hard for him to be more dependent on his adult children. It’s been strange for us all. I would not wish this experience on anyone and I hope that Kureishi’s rehab brings back as much mobility as possible.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 5:36 PM on January 14, 2023 [6 favorites]