Extracts From The Red Notebooks by Matthew Engel

by Matthew Engel

In 1979 when Matthew Engel started his journalism career, he began to keep a commonplace book in which he set down any quotes, jokes, or facts that made him laugh, smile, sigh, cry, or simply raise his eyebrows. Over the next 27 years, he completed 35 small red notebooks with the intention that his son, Laurie, might one day read them. But in 2006, Laurie, aged 13, died of a rare and vicious cancer after a two year battle. Seeking solace wherever he could find it, Matthew started re-reading some of the notebooks and thought other people might enjoy them. This selection is a highly engaging and eclectic mix of fascinating, thought provoking, and frequently moving excerpts. The cumulative effect of such stimulating material is to leave the reader with a genuine sense of awe at the stupidity, intelligence, imagination, and humour of humanity.

Paperback

First published April 6, 2007