Abraham Nussbaum

Physician, Teacher, Writer


The Beauty in Breaking, Michelle Harper

This book, but not the book, disgusts me. The cover attracted, the subject interested, so I bought a used copy online. Flipping it through upon arrival, I found curled cover edges, creased binding, folded pages. The usual. Then, on page 203, a line drawing, carefully done, a bas-relief imitation of the male genitalia. It was like turning a corner and running, unexpectedly, into the Massa Marittima when you just wanted gelato across the square. But without the softening patina of time. Suddenly I remembered The Minutemen. They once asked, What Makes A Man Start Fires?, and I found myself wondering what makes a man draw in a book? (It’s got to be a man, right?)  Started reading it through. Liked parts, disliked others. The usual. Wondered why the author used a pseudonym for hospitals as well as patients. Missed the other side of the story, etc. The unusual question is what lingered: what makes a man desecrate a book, and this book?



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