Friday, July 27, 2007

All Thumbs

Meet Robert Bernocco, an IT professional who decided to write a 384 page book on his cell phone as he commuted to and from work. "Bernocco would type out a few short paragraphs, save them on the phone, then transfer them to his computer at home. He kept the master file, and did most of his proofreading and editing, on this machine, but we're still amazed that he could crank out all of that material using only his thumbs."

Life will shine through. One of the most amazing acts of authorship must be that of the Diving Bell and the Butterfly.

On December 8 1995, Elle magazine editor-in-chief Bauby suffered a stroke and lapsed into a coma. He awoke 20 days later, mentally aware of his surroundings but physically paralyzed with the exception of some movement in his head and left eye. Bauby had Locked-in-Syndrome, a rare condition caused by stroke damage to the brain stem. Eye movements and blinking a code representing letters of the alphabet became his sole means of communication. It is also how he dictated this warm, sad, and extraordinary memoir. Bauby's thoughts on the illness, the hospital, family, friends, career, and life before and after the stroke appear with considerable humor and humanity.

Bauby died two days after the publication of his book.

Nothing follows.

4 Comments:

Blogger Utopia Parkway said...

Albert Speer, "Hitler's Architect", wrote his memoirs in Spandau prison on toilet paper.

As the prison directors both forbade the writing of a memoir and recorded each sheet of paper given to the prisoners, he wrote much of his memoir secretly on toilet paper, tobacco wrappings, and any other material he could get his hands on, and then had the pages systematically smuggled out.

7/27/2007 10:00:00 PM  
Blogger Nate said...

How many on the left would just as quickly euthanize such a person?

7/28/2007 04:19:00 AM  
Blogger buddy larsen said...

Related

7/28/2007 11:47:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

7/28/2007 12:07:00 PM  

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