Recently I was reading a profile in The New Yorker* of the science fiction writer Samuel R. Delany, a contemporary of other such SF authors as Arthur C. Clarke, Robert Heinlein, Robert Silverberg, Isaac Asimov, Ursula K. LeGuin, Roger Zelazny, and Octavia Butler (who was, briefly, a student of Delany’s). Despite the fact that back in my younger days I read many, many books by authors from that era, I somehow managed never to read any of Delany’s work, although I’m quite familiar with his name. I’m going to guess that this is because our local library didn’t stock many Delany titles, since in those pre-Internet days of dead-tree books that you had to get from a bookstore, most of my reading material was of the borrowed variety. But I digress. Here’s how that New Yorker article started off:
In September, 2021, while working at his desk in Philadelphia, Samuel R. Delany experienced a mysterious episode that he calls “the big drop.” His vision faded for about three minutes, and he felt his body plunge, as if the floor had fallen away. When he came to, everything looked different, though he couldn’t say exactly how. Delany, who is eighty-one, began to suspect that he’d suffered a mini-stroke. His daughter, Iva, an emergency-room physician, persuaded him to go to the hospital, but the MRI scans were inconclusive. The only evidence of a neurological event was a test result indicating that he had lost fifteen per cent of his capacity to form new memories—and a realization, in the following weeks, that he was unable to finish his novel in progress, “This Short Day of Frost and Sun.” After publishing more than forty books in half a century, the interruption was, he told me, both “a loss and a relief.”
The New Yorker
Hmm … Well, I am not a doctor, but those symptoms sound familiar to me, and if Delany asked me for my opinion I would agree with him about the mini-stroke. I haven’t gotten any results indicating a loss of my ability to form new memories (although, to be fair, I also haven’t had my memory tested)**, but the part about not being able to finish a novel in progress does kind of strike a chord.
A little later on, the article mentions what Delany is up to, now that writing novels seems to be off the table:
On indefinite hiatus from writing novels, he claims to spend most of his time watching TV shows and movies, especially those starring Channing Tatum. In an essay on aging and cognitive decline, he describes himself as in transition “between someone who writes and someone who has written.” Yet old habits die hard. Delany recently finished compiling “Last Tales,” a collection of short fiction, which includes a story partially set in a near-future Tulum that has been reduced to anarchy by social-media misinformation. Not long ago, he decided to rewrite a historical novel by the late Scottish author Naomi Mitchison, an old acquaintance, because he loves the plot but finds the prose “sluggish.” I asked him which of his unfinished projects he most wished he had completed. “Every single one of them,” he replied. “They all would have been good.”
The New Yorker
This also strikes a chord, although, um, I don’t think I’m going to be spending much time watching Channing Tatum movies, and unfortunately I don’t have anything left to compile and edit, since I finished up with Father’s Books, post-Event. But I do have a number of unfinished projects lying around*** that are now in indefinite limbo. I’m not the type to say they all would’ve been good, but I do at least think they wouldn’t have been terrible.
Anyway, the point of all this is that if someone as prolific and accomplished as Samuel R. Delany could be left unable to finish a work in progress by an Event**** apparently similar to but considerably less severe***** than mine, I feel a little bit better about being stalled myself. Although on a rational level I know that it’s not my fault I kept getting stuck on the books, on an irrational level, I will admit to thinking maybe I just wasn’t trying hard enough and was letting myself get frustrated for no real reason. But there is a reason. Maybe at some point the reason will go away (to quote The Joy Formidable) and I’ll be able to pick one of those manuscripts up again.
But in the meantime, can I interest anyone in the absurd adventures of three cats and two dogs?
* I’ve subscribed to The New Yorker for longer than I can remember at this point. I originally got a few issues out of the library (much like I got all those SF books out of the library) so I could look at their fiction, in the hope of selling them a story or two; as it turned out, I didn’t really like most of the fiction in The New Yorker, which would’ve made it pretty much impossible for me to write something they would accept, but I really liked the articles.
** I have noticed that I tend to drop stuff more often than I used to. Not that I was ever the most careful handler of objects.
*** I’ve got more partially-written manuscripts than just the ones, such as Blue Roses and The Apprentice, that I’ve mentioned here. Those were just the furthest along in development.
**** With the much cooler name of “The Big Drop”.
***** Although, granted, he has a good 30 years on me. But still.
Viscosity 
Nope it’s NOT just you James! When Mary-Ellen had her “incident” 2 1/2 years ago aka a Mini-Stroke she believed she would come back 100%. According to my Nursing teachings; a person’s recovery happens within the first 2 years of their ‘incidents’. So whatever level you achieve at the 2 year mark; that is IT!
You’ve made amazing progress & I am so happy for you!
Mary-Ellen appeared to make a good recovery; except she can barely walk now & is going to Physio therapy AND a Chiropractor who insists he can ‘heal’ her. If he does; it will be a miracle…..I can hope….I gently explained to her the 2 year time frame & she understood. Still trying to beat the odds, but I think she has recovered as far as she can.
It sound like Samuel Delany is in the same boat…..poor man not being able to finish his books & yourself…..I too, have a manuscript that is unfinished…. with all my ongoing health issues, I’ve no energy or words left…..
I guess that is the irony of Life & Living…… **sighs**
And you KNOW we are ALWAYS interested in the adventures of 3 cats & 2 dogs 😉
{{{hugs}}} BellaSita Mum (Sherri-Ellen) & ***nose rubss*** BellaDharma
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People are always looking for something to hang their hopes on! I used to go to the chiropractor once a month for my back (sitting at the computer all the time isn’t great for it) but I stopped after The Event ― I decided it wasn’t the best idea to have that kind of manipulation done anymore, even though it would probably be fine. I’m sure it wouldn’t help me finish a book though … 😉
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I hear you & agree James! I had high hopes for my Chiropractor……trouble was I had too much damage done. He did work on me form 2010-2014 & I DID make progress…..trouble was the April 2014 X-rays showed Bone Spurs ALL along my Thoracic Spine! They are Eagle Talon shaped & sized! Chiro wanted to keep adjusting. I was like “NO WAY!!” One bone spur breaks off & penetrates Spinal Column & I’m paralyzed! So that was the end of that! And all the progress I made is lost……
I am glad you did not go back to Chiropractor after THE Event….it is too sketchy!!! 😉
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I do hope you can finish projects you had started, but it is a miracle that you are alive and can walk, talk, etc.
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That’s true, I’m doing better than probably 95% of the people in my situation ― I’ve looked at the statistics and they’re not good, to say the least. This is something I have to remind myself of from time to time, and occasionally something happens (like with Tom Sizemore recently, or when we looked up somebody listed as “in memory of” at the end of a recent episode of a show we’ve been watching and discovered that he died from a ruptured aneurysm) to help me remember if I start to forget …
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It’s interesting about the dropping things. My mom had Parkinsons, but she never got the tremors, just an inability to make her body do what her brain wanted it to. The first thing that made her go to a doctor was that she had been dropping things. A lot.
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Yeah, this is one reason we have to stick with the dance lessons indefinitely ― they help make sure the mind-bone connect-a to the body-bone!
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i’m glad you came out of your situation alive and well.
there are no words that can describe the finality of that type of event. even a “mild” one (if one could even label it that) is a life defining line between the moment before it and the life after it. it’s alot to digest but again, I’m glad you’ve made the recovery you made.
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It’s definitely a watershed moment! I don’t really want this to become “the aneurysm blog” but I mean it kind of has to, right? At least intermittently … 😁
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Are you sure you are dropping things more, or are just more aware of it? People who suffer traumatic events sometimes monitor themselves more closely and perceive events differently, kind of a PTSD. I’m pretty klutzy myself, partly because I try to do things hastily and objects slip out of my fingers. In my case, being left-handed doesn’t help…
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Hmm, yes, I suppose it’s possible that I’m just more aware of it and retroactively blaming it on The Event … and rumor does have it I that I’ve always been a little bit accident prone! 🤔
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That is scary to think about what strokes can do to abilities we all take for granted.
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Yeah, it’s a pretty tightly controlled system in there, and it doesn’t take kindly to being messed with!
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To say the least!
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The stroke that scares me the most (even beyond the half-body freeze) is the possibility of locked-in syndrome. Coincidentally, they (the doctors) recently discovered my right carotid artery is 90% blocked, so I’m having a stint put in this Thursday. I’m glad you’ve managed to recover as much as you have and hope you don’t give up hope of recovering further. I like your phrase “dead-tree” books, am a fan of Roger Zelazny, and am also a fan of The Joy Formidable (never thought I’d manage to find someone else). Best to you, my friend. 💀
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Oh, I’m glad they found the blockage in time to treat it ― I hope the procedure goes well for you! Yeah, I love The Joy Formidable, they’re my second-favorite band these days, just behind Metric. Most of my favorite Joy Formidable songs (such as “Liana”, “The Last Thing on My Mind”, and “Underneath the Petal”) come from “Hitch”.
Funny story about Roger Zelazny ― when I was a kid I played the “Nine Princes in Amber” video game on my computer. You played as Corwin, trying to reclaim his crown. By the time I got to the end I didn’t want to be king anymore and I tried to give the crown to Random instead. Years later, I read the “Amber” books, and what happens? Corwin gives his crown to Random. So I guess Roger Zelazny and I were on the same page.
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Wow, I had no idea there was an Amber game! There are a few sites that share the old games as abandonware (I think that’s one of them). I’ll try to find it. I used to play a game based on the Dragonriders of Pern that was purely a social game where you had to negotiate people to your side — really very difficult and I never won, but a lot of fun all the same even though I never read the books. I’ve read the Amber series a number of times; one of my favorites. I’ll check out The Joy Formidable on Spotify as I didn’t realize they were still releasing music. Metric is another of my favorite bands I’ve been planning on featuring on my blog. Gold Guns Girls is probably my favorite song of theirs. Orson Scott Card is another favorite author of mine.
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I’ve tried, and I’m not capable of picking a favorite Metric song! 😁 But candidates include “Rock Me Now”, “Celebrate”, “Gimme Sympathy”, “Black Sheep”, “Fortunes”, “The Governess”, “Lie Lie Lie”, “The Shade”, and “Youth Without Youth” LOL
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