Matthew's enigma : a father's portrait of his autistic son
By: Calinescu, Matei.
Contributor(s): Jianu, Angela.
Publisher: Bloomington, IN Indiana University Press 2009Description: viii, 208 p. : ill. ; 21 cm.ISBN: 9780253220660.Subject(s): CHILDREN | AUTISM | FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS | FATHERS | PERSONAL NARRATIVESItem type | Current library | Call number | Status | Date due | Barcode | Item holds | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Book | IHC Library | 720 CAL (Browse shelf(Opens below)) | Available | W000893 |
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Preface
1. Pages from an Old Diary
2. "Anyone's Death Is a Great Tragedy"
3. Further Pages from the Old Diary
4. Mater Dolorosa
5. Pages from the Notebook with Black Covers (1985)
6. The Story of an Autistic Missionary
7. Further Pages from the Notebook with Black Covers (1985-1986)
8. Reading and Play
9. On the Autistic Personality--A Stray Note
10. About Compassion
11. Ages 16 to 20, from Diary about Matthew (1993-1997)
12. Matthew's Sense of Humor
13. At 20: The Ages of Matthew, from Diary about Matthew (1997)
14. When Matthew Was 25 . . .
15. Julian's Visit
16. Questions without an Answer
Postscript (2004)
Works Cited
"[This book] unfolds the complex relationship between a father, who is a Romanian emigre and distinguished university professor, and his son who was diagnosed with autism when he was seven years old. Matei Calinescu's desire to understand Matthew... is the theme of this moving memoir." - BOOK JACKET
Matei uses a mixture of real time diary entries and retrospective observations, to tell this unique true story. It makes a compelling read, all about his son Matthew’s all too short life. Matei describes Matthew’s developing relationship with his parents, his friends and his favourite school, Harmony, which he revisited repeatedly for sometime after he had left.
Matei gradually develops an understanding of how Matthew views situations and relationships and how that perception differs from his own; which is one of the aims of the diary. He states that the book, written after Matthew’s sudden death was a “kind of spiritual exercise”, which he hopes will also be of help to others.
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