my new hero

I’ve read this little piece from Last Sunday’s NY Times at least five times now. The writing blows me away - I am struck by the grace and honesty Tim Kreider achieves without even once stooping to anything that resembles maudlin or story-milking…and the story is extremely milkable. Kreidler stays cool and aloof where others (me) would have gone into superflous and overdramatic detail.

The first paragraph starts perfectly:

Fourteen years ago I was stabbed in the throat. This is kind of a long story and it’s not the point of this essay. The point is that after my unsuccessful murder I wasn’t unhappy for an entire year.

I dare you to not click on the link below and read the rest of the piece after that beast of a first paragraph. What a perfect set-up. Genius H. Christ - the man is actually best known for his political cartooning and he can crank out this gold as well. I love and hate him at once.

I hope to someday be able to express myself with the clarity Mr. Kreider does and to write with that perfect combination of soul-searching, humor and doubt that makes the piece so moving and real.

I’d be willing to give up any toe for that kind of gift. Let me know if you know someone that can make this happen for me.

In the meantime…read it!

Man…he also wrote a beautiful essay on David Foster Wallace’s death that comes closer than any other article I read on the matter (and I read many) to verbalizing my complex feelings about the same issue.