Amy Bloom Listened When Her Husband Said He Wanted To Die


“It came like snow at the end of the dead,” Bloom said, referring to the classic story of James Joyce. Bloom’s daughter, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter came from Brooklyn to weather the storm. Bloom continued to write in the afternoons. He laughed. “My kids are making fun of me and saying, ‘You were sitting by the pond in gray tulle waiting to look away.’” Instead, he got caught up in the rhythm of work and family life.

By September 2020, Bloom had a draft to share with Kate Medina, longtime editor and vice president, associate publisher, and editor-in-chief of Random House. Medina attended Bloom and Ameche’s wedding and was at her memorial service; readers see him in the book silently marking a manuscript before the ceremony begins.

In a phone interview, Medina said she was used to working on novels with Bloom, even though Bloom edited the sex and sexuality review “Normal” published in 2002. He was not surprised or discouraged by Bloom’s decision to say so. such a personal story. “If you write and something like this happens, the healthiest thing to do is to write,” Medina said. “You can decide whether to put it in a drawer or not, but you have expressed your feelings.”

As its subtitle promises, Medina promoted the braided structure of “In Love”, a memory of love and loss, in that order, with episodes alternating between the distant and recent past. “Kierkegaard has this saying: ‘We live our lives forwards and we understand them backwards,'” Medina said. “I think it’s breathtaking that Amy could write about the elephant in the room. His sincerity is on the page. So is his humor and Brian’s.”

Early responses from readers have been positive, even enthusiastic. “Amy Bloom writes with all the bandwidth of her humanity,” said one Goodreads reviewer. A recent widow wrote again on Goodreads: “I can only say that this book comes from a place of truth. A must read for any grief group. ”

On the anniversary of Ameche’s death, Bloom brought a cup of tea to the linden tree she had planted in her honor. She was fond of sweets, so she placed chocolates around a plate engraved with her favorite word, Rumi. He writes: “What is the body? Durability. What is love? Gratitude. What is hidden in our breasts? Laughter What else? Mercy.”

“I definitely feel his presence,” Bloom said.

As for how strangers would react to “In Love”, she seemed at peace. Brian’s biggest wish was that no one would stop him, and he got his wish. And I was happy to be able to help him.”



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