my favorite author just passed away
Just heard today that Benjamin Alire Sáenz passed away and it hit me like a truck.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe and Last Night I Sang to the Monster by him quite literally saved my life during the hardest years of my mental illness. The quote, "The problem with my life was that it was someone else's idea" stayed with me all through the first years of my first full-time job. I held onto those two books for years before I finally managed to stabilize my life.
His writing made me feel less alone in the world. I saw myself, still do actually, in Ari. His shame and his feeling of isolation.
Rest in peace, Mr Sáenz. No amount of gratitude will ever be enough.