The Shadow Factory, by Paul West

It’s a fascinating, account, both heartbreaking and uplifting, a powerfully moving book.

Diane Ackerman

Prose maestro, Paul West, the author of twenty-two books of fiction and seventeen of nonfiction, sad to say, was struck down by a stroke in June 2004, and is still receiving treatment for Broca’s Aphasia.

He cannot do mathematics or clocks, and he has only three hours of fluency a day, after which language escapes him.

Fortunately, by some miracle, and through superhuman tenacity, he has written a book about his experiences, including the humor, tragedy, and successes of regaining speech.
The language is golden, as of old; the humor is infectious and ribald; and the prose style on show is very much his own.

In short, this work from a writer who refused what fate handed out to him, is a unique document and extraordinary. Nothing like it exists in the annals of medicine or literature.THE SHADOW FACTORY, by Paul West, Lumen Books, Santa Fe, April 2008

*The American Scholar published an emotional article on the subject, followed by an excerpt from The Shadow Factory.

* The Shadow Factory, Paul West can be purchased on Powell’s website here.