A Memoir of Loss and Survival (Book Review-memoir)

Blue Genes, written by Christopher (Kit) Lukas "explores the complex and shattering effects of a family legacy of depression and suicide on the author and his brother, the award-winning journalist J. Anthony Lukas.

_"Kit's mother committed suicide when he was a boy. He and his brother, Tony, were not told how she died. The family's history of depression, bipolar disorder, and suicide stretched back years, but on one spoke of it. The legacy of guilt and grief haunted Kit and Tony throughout their lives.

_"Both brothers achieved remarkable success, Tony, as a gifted journalist, Kit as an accomplished television producer and director. While Kit was able to confront his family's troubled past, Tony was ultimately unable and in 1997, shortly before the publication of his acclaimed book Big Trouble, Tony committed suicide.
_Blue Genes (great title by the way) is "Written with heartrending candor, it captures the devastation of this family legacy of depression, but it is also surprisingly uplifting, as it details the strength and hope that can provide a way of escaping depression's grasp." (taken from the back cover (ARC).

The reason to read - Putting your story on paper just might help you deal with a difficult past. Writing just might help you make sense of your life. If you have a story to tell, give yourself permission to sit down and write it.

_Kit Lukas closes his memoir with these words: "In looking at the years since Tony's suicide, I can see that the whys? collide: why Tony succumbed to despair and died, and why I have not. They collide, and then, like waving lines on an oscilloscope, part again. My mother, my father, my uncle, my aunts, my grandmothers are all dead. But I am alive."

Do Titles Really Matter?

Do titles really matter? Yes! Publishers know that a great title can increase book sales. And magazine editors are always on the lookout for an attention grabbing title that can be displayed on the cover to attract readers. Writers need good titles (editors notice those manuscripts first) and readers love them (writers need readers!). Today most of my writing is assigned and once the editor and I have worked out the necessary details (topic, slant, word count, deadline) it's time for me to get started. For me getting started means finding the right working title. I can't begin writing until I have it. Call me quirky, or eccentric but I simply can't begin until I have a title that speaks to me, and one I hope will connect with my readers. And shorter is better these days ... so size does matter.

Finding titles:

1. Cliche's are a great source (Heart of Gold)
2. The Bible (think Exodus)
3. Shakespeare's Work (All Our Yesterday's - my pick for a romance novel)
4. Timely (Living Green)
5. Theme (Forgiving Tip ... my children's story title, forgiveness, and a dog named Tip)

I love a good title!