Down from Troy: A Doctor Comes of Age - Softcover

Selzer, Richard

3.88

57 ratings by Goodreads

9780870136030: Down from Troy: A Doctor Comes of Age

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0870136038 ISBN 13: 9780870136030

Publisher: Michigan State University Press, 2001

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This beautifully crafted memoir by one of America's finest storytellers generally is considered Richard Selzer's most moving and personal work. The story is set in Troy, New York, during the Great Depression of the 1930s and is a classic rite-of-passage tale. Selzer was the son of two strong-willed parents, both of whom tried to shape their son to their own desires and ends. His father, the doctor, wanted his son to be a physician and to follow in his footsteps. His mother, a singer, wanted her son to become a writer. Richard struggled to choose as his emotions were buffeted by his parents and their persuasive and subtle argumentation. "Had I loved one more than the other," Selzer declared, "my choice would have been easier." In the end, he excelled both as a surgeon and as a writer, fulfilling his parents' wishes and discovering himself in the process.

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From the Back Cover:

In this beloved classic, Richard Selzer recounts his childhood in Troy, New York, during the Great Depression. No easy town to come of age in, Troy in the 1930s was a city long past its prime, "full of whores and TB," and as the son of a general practitioner, Selzer had occasion to view both up close. In the midst of this grim environment--"bereft, pigeon-colored, in despair"--Selzer is buoyed by his father's devotion to the craft of medicine and his mother's love of music and art. Both father and mother endeavor to shape their son to their own ends, and although he initially chooses a career in medicine, he ultimately excels as both a surgeon and a writer. Thus are the dreams of both parents fulfilled. Down from Troy is a beautifully crafted memoir by one of America's finest storytellers.

About the Author:

Richard Selzer is the author of numerous books and articles. He is a former surgeon and professor of surgery. Selzer taught writing at Yale University and is the recipient of dozens of awards and honors, including a Pushcart Prize, National Magazine Award (for his essays), an American Medical Writer's Award, and a Guggenheim fellowship. His work has been published in New American Review, Esquire, Harper's, and other periodicals.

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