Rewriting Illness

Rewriting Illness: A View of My Own is a thought-provoking memoir by Elizabeth Benedict that explores her cancer diagnosis and hypochondria, combining wisdom, self-effacing wit, and storytelling skills. She describes her initial terror and moments of levity as she indulges in natural remedies and seeks support from family and friends. Benedict investigates existential questions about cancer, trauma, and the gendered response to illness. She also reflects on her own history and wonders if having children would have changed her life as a writer and hypochondriac.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 06 July 2023
Publisher: Mandel Vilar Press

Rewriting Illness: A View of My Own, by Elizabeth Benedict, is a highly unconventional memoir that delves into the author's cancer diagnosis and persistent hypochondria. Through a combination of wisdom, self-effacing wit, and the storytelling skills of a seasoned novelist, Benedict brings to life her journey with cancer, encompassing moments of terror, self-mocking humor, and unconventional remedies. As she discovers growing lumps in her armpit, she describes her initial fear, interspersed with instances of levity as she explores natural remedies such as chanting Tibetan mantras, consuming shots of wheat grass, and seeking medicinal properties in chocolate babka. Benedict meticulously tracks the progression of her illness from a muddled diagnosis to debilitating treatment, drawing sustenance from her family and a diverse group of urbane and ironic friends, including her fearless "cancer guru."

In brief, explosive chapters with startling titles like "Was it the Krazy Glue?" and "Not Everything Scares the Shit out of Me," Benedict delves into existential questions such as the existence of a "cancer personality," the transmission of trauma across generations, the deconstruction of warlike metaphors associated with cancer, the influence of doctors' fears on their patient communication, the gendered response to illness, and the absence of illness as a prominent subject in literature. Benedict also explores her personal history, contemplating whether having children would have altered her life as a writer and hypochondriac.

Post-diagnosis, Benedict ponders the contrasting fears of knowing and the reality of knowing, asking, "Which fear is worse: the fear of knowing or the reality of knowing?" (164). Throughout the memoir, Benedict's humor, wisdom, and warmth serve as a protective layer over her fears, which encompass personal, political, and ultimately global dimensions, particularly in the context of a pandemic that upheaves the world. Amidst weighty concerns and her all-consuming obsession with illness, her story is filled with suspense, secrets, and even the unexpected solace of silence.

ISBN-13: 9781942134916