Feldman's Faves: April 10, 2023

GOOD MORNING EVERYONE

I hope you all enjoyed the long weekend. It was a well-needed break after the craziness of the last few weeks. And its so nice to see actual signs of spring (the best time to be living in Toronto).

Big week this week for Raptors fans. They play-in starts on Wednesday. This year I am making no predictions since it is the only way I can’t be wrong (yet again). That said, while my heart is with the Raptors I am not so sure about my money…

Also, if anyone has any intel on the alleged Taylor/Joe situation I would appreciate it if you could share.

This week’s theme covers creative types that I love.

ON THE RAVINE By: Vincent Lam - I was so excited the other day when I was in Indigo and saw that Vincent Lam had written a new book. He is a true Canadian renaissance man – both as a practising doctor and as an incredible writer who combines these two talents in a remarkable way. In On the Ravine, Dr. Lam tackles the issue of the opioid crisis in the most human of ways. The protagonist of the novel is Dr. Chen who runs an addiction clinic (and also works at a start-up looking for a wonder drug to help addicts) and who cares deeply about his patients. One of those patients is a violinist named Claire who, as a student, hurt her shoulder in a fall, and jumped on the addiction train when she was first prescribed oxy to deal with the pain. The rest of her life became a classic and sad story of addiction. This fact pattern is a such a fear of mine – seeing otherwise ordinary people ending up in this situation because of being prescribed medication by doctors but with no way to address the dangers of this “solution”. Lam gets deeply into the lives, thoughts and actions of addicts in a way that really brings the problem to life. This book takes place in Toronto so it is so easy to envision where things are happening and it brings this story very close to home. As one reviewer notes, “In his downtown Toronto condo, Dr. Chen awakens to the sound of streetcars below, but it is not the early morning traffic that keeps him from sleep. News banners run across his phone: Fentanyl Crisis; Toxic Drug Supply; Record Number of Deaths. From behind the headlines, on the same screen, glow the faces of his patients, the faces of the what-ifs: What if he had done more, or less? Or something different? Would they still be alive? Claire is a violinist; she feels at one with her music, taking flight in its melody, free in its movement. But now she rises and falls with the opioids in her system, becoming increasingly reckless. After two overdoses in twenty-four hours, she sits in the blue light of her computer, searching a notice board for recommendations: my doctor saved my life; my doctor is just another dealer. And then another message catches her attention, about Chen’s clinic: be a guinea pig—why not get paid to take it? When Claire’s life intersects with Chen’s, the doctor is drawn ever more deeply into the complexities of the doctor-patient relationship, the implication and meaning of his intention to treat. Chen must confront just how far he would go to save a life. Combining the depth of his experience as a physician with the brilliance of his literary talent, Vincent Lam creates a world electric in its precision, radiant in its detail. On the Ravine is a gripping novel of profound emotional force, a soaring achievement from a singular voice in Canadian fiction.” This book is beautifully written and eloquently addresses a major crisis of our time in a way that really makes you think. Here is a good review from The Globe and Mail - https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books/reviews/article-vincent-lams-on-the-ravine-offers-a-compelling-narrative-on-the/

Spark & Fire: Fuel Your Creativity - Trust creates gold: Comedian David Cross on “Arrested Development” – On the other end of the spectrum is this PODCAST featuring David Cross – who is one of the funniest humans alive today, made super famous by his role as Tobias in Arrested Development. In this PODCAST Cross describes his experience on one of the greatest and most innovative comedies of all time. If you are a fan of Arrested, I highly recommend you give this one a listen. Here’s an excerpt from the PODCAST itself, “Behind every masterpiece — comedic, artistic or otherwise — is a deep well of trust. Case in point: the legendary sit-com, Arrested Development.. As Comedian David Cross shares the story of bringing to life the brilliantly absurd character Tobias Fünke, you’ll hear how every moment of comedic gold on the show was made possible by trust — trusting his collaborators, trusting the writing and trusting his instincts (“Send the stunt double home. I can do that my own…”)”: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/spark-fire-fuel-your-creativity/id1544310633?i=1000604279570

Thank you for your ongoing engagement and participation.

And remember to stay safe, stay healthy and to docket daily.

Jon Feldman