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The Staircase Letters: An Extraordinary Friendship at the End of Life
Full of the magic of everyday life in the shadow of death–chickens must be cooked for dinner parties, and grandson’s questions about God must be answered!– The Staircase Letters is a moving and profound story of friendship and facing the end of life.
When Elma Gerwin found out in 2001 at the age of 61 that she had cancer, she reached out to two coasts and to two old friends. One was Arthur Motyer, novelist and teacher, and Elma’s university professor from forty years before, and the other was acclaimed novelist Carol Shields, who was facing her own battle with cancer.
Years later, Arthur is the only survivor. Still contemplating how Elma’s and Carol’s correspondence affected him, he has gracefully brought the letters together and interspersed them with literary references and poetry. As both women’s illnesses progress, they compare notes on the ups and downs of living with cancer–the joy when Elma is told one area is cancer-free, followed quickly by the terrible news that the cancer has spread; the delight in having family near, while the thought of saying goodbye seems impossible. The advice they give each other–from how to approach treatments to how to get to sleep at night–is heartfelt, warm and often leavened with humour.
As Carol and Elma contemplate what happiness is and how one makes a “good death,” 74-year-old Arthur, feeling inadequate in the face of such fundamental questions, discovers that he is exactly where he should be. In The Staircase Letters , the reader catches a rare and touching glimpse of the lives of three extraordinary people–two facing death and one left behind.
When Elma Gerwin found out in 2001 at the age of 61 that she had cancer, she reached out to two coasts and to two old friends. One was Arthur Motyer, novelist and teacher, and Elma’s university professor from forty years before, and the other was acclaimed novelist Carol Shields, who was facing her own battle with cancer.
Years later, Arthur is the only survivor. Still contemplating how Elma’s and Carol’s correspondence affected him, he has gracefully brought the letters together and interspersed them with literary references and poetry. As both women’s illnesses progress, they compare notes on the ups and downs of living with cancer–the joy when Elma is told one area is cancer-free, followed quickly by the terrible news that the cancer has spread; the delight in having family near, while the thought of saying goodbye seems impossible. The advice they give each other–from how to approach treatments to how to get to sleep at night–is heartfelt, warm and often leavened with humour.
As Carol and Elma contemplate what happiness is and how one makes a “good death,” 74-year-old Arthur, feeling inadequate in the face of such fundamental questions, discovers that he is exactly where he should be. In The Staircase Letters , the reader catches a rare and touching glimpse of the lives of three extraordinary people–two facing death and one left behind.
- GenresNonfiction
160 pages, Hardcover
First published October 9, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 14, 2014
This collection of letters between a professor Athur Motyer, literacy worker and lover of books, Elma Gerwin and famous Canadian author, Carol Shields, written when Elma and Carol were facing terminal cancer is an interesting read. The "third man" Mr. Motyer provides wonderful information and background to the connections between the three. It provided a look into the courageous but different ways that the two women dealt with their last days - more Elma than Carol - but also used Carol Shields' written words to explain the feelings brought on by the illness. It also brought back to my memory how much I enjoyed Carol Shield's book Larry's Party. I've downloaded Unless , the book which Elma was reading a proof of when dying and referenced often. I'm looking forward to it.
August 9, 2023
This volume resonates with the voices of three people: Arthur Motyer, a novelist and retired university professor, Elma Gerwin, a respected writer and Carol Shields, the well know and award-winning author of Canadian literature. Carol and Elma were friends who knew each other from the time they both lived in Winnipeg in the late eighties, but Arthur only knew Elma.
Elma was diagnosed with cancer in 2001 at the age of sixty-one. Knowing she had a difficult journey ahead of her, she approached two friends, Arthur and Carol, about the possibility of an ongoing correspondence to help support her as she approached the end of her life. Arthur had been one of Elma’s former university professors and Carol her friend from Winnipeg, had already been diagnosed with breast cancer. She knew these were two people she could trust, would listen to what she had to say and would be understanding of the journey she faced.
Arthur and Carol both agreed and beginning in February 2001, an interesting exchange between the three began, lasting until Carol’s death. For the most part, the strongest voices come from the exchanges between Arthur and Elma, with Carol more in the background.
Carol and Elma share their experiences undergoing treatment, what worked and what did not and how, as their illnesses progressed and their conditions worsened, they focused on the simple events in their everyday lives. They talked about how the closeness of their families made their journey easier, especially towards the end. They explored the nature of happiness, what it meant and how to have and hold it. There are times of joy and delight when Elma learns her cancer has not spread and sorrow later, when she learns it is back. It had halted its inevitable march for only a short time and was soon knocking at the door again.
Elma and Carol confront the difficult question of how to say good-bye to those they love, a task they found difficult to even think about. In moments like those, Arthur, still a healthy man, felt inadequate but reflected on his own mortality, knowing he will be the one left behind, but standing firmly in support of their apprehensions, as they approach a more immediate end to their lives.
The shared emails reveal Carol as the public knew her, a quiet humble woman who never wanted her cancer diagnosis to be used as a clarion call for anything more than what it was; the signal of her own mortality. She is the quietest one in the conversations, often serving as a counterpoint to the more robust exchanges between Motyer and Goodwin.
In the quiet path of their journey, Arthur shares events in his life, as he faced a life changing transformation from being happily married, to accepting himself as a gay man, divorcing his wife and beginning a new life with a younger male partner. These revelations in the hands of a less skilled writer could have upset the flow of the conversation between Elma and Carol, but Motyer carefully manages to strike a path which avoids it.
Elma died in 2002 and Shields fifteen months later. Two years after Carol’s death, Motyer, looking back over their email correspondence, realizes how special it was and how those connections held so much meaning for him. He has brought the letters together, included literary references and some poetry, producing a small volume to share with readers which was published in 2008.
For those interested in the provenance of the title, it comes from Carol’s ongoing experience with insomnia. She had long had difficulty sleeping and shared with Arthur and Elma her process of trying to overcome this problem which had plagued her much of her life. She would imagine herself at the top of an ornate staircase, slowly descending each step and remembering her life in reverse, able to fall asleep before she reached her memories of childhood.
This is an interesting collection revealing the thoughts and feelings of two women approaching death. It is poignant and sad, but also revealing.
Elma was diagnosed with cancer in 2001 at the age of sixty-one. Knowing she had a difficult journey ahead of her, she approached two friends, Arthur and Carol, about the possibility of an ongoing correspondence to help support her as she approached the end of her life. Arthur had been one of Elma’s former university professors and Carol her friend from Winnipeg, had already been diagnosed with breast cancer. She knew these were two people she could trust, would listen to what she had to say and would be understanding of the journey she faced.
Arthur and Carol both agreed and beginning in February 2001, an interesting exchange between the three began, lasting until Carol’s death. For the most part, the strongest voices come from the exchanges between Arthur and Elma, with Carol more in the background.
Carol and Elma share their experiences undergoing treatment, what worked and what did not and how, as their illnesses progressed and their conditions worsened, they focused on the simple events in their everyday lives. They talked about how the closeness of their families made their journey easier, especially towards the end. They explored the nature of happiness, what it meant and how to have and hold it. There are times of joy and delight when Elma learns her cancer has not spread and sorrow later, when she learns it is back. It had halted its inevitable march for only a short time and was soon knocking at the door again.
Elma and Carol confront the difficult question of how to say good-bye to those they love, a task they found difficult to even think about. In moments like those, Arthur, still a healthy man, felt inadequate but reflected on his own mortality, knowing he will be the one left behind, but standing firmly in support of their apprehensions, as they approach a more immediate end to their lives.
The shared emails reveal Carol as the public knew her, a quiet humble woman who never wanted her cancer diagnosis to be used as a clarion call for anything more than what it was; the signal of her own mortality. She is the quietest one in the conversations, often serving as a counterpoint to the more robust exchanges between Motyer and Goodwin.
In the quiet path of their journey, Arthur shares events in his life, as he faced a life changing transformation from being happily married, to accepting himself as a gay man, divorcing his wife and beginning a new life with a younger male partner. These revelations in the hands of a less skilled writer could have upset the flow of the conversation between Elma and Carol, but Motyer carefully manages to strike a path which avoids it.
Elma died in 2002 and Shields fifteen months later. Two years after Carol’s death, Motyer, looking back over their email correspondence, realizes how special it was and how those connections held so much meaning for him. He has brought the letters together, included literary references and some poetry, producing a small volume to share with readers which was published in 2008.
For those interested in the provenance of the title, it comes from Carol’s ongoing experience with insomnia. She had long had difficulty sleeping and shared with Arthur and Elma her process of trying to overcome this problem which had plagued her much of her life. She would imagine herself at the top of an ornate staircase, slowly descending each step and remembering her life in reverse, able to fall asleep before she reached her memories of childhood.
This is an interesting collection revealing the thoughts and feelings of two women approaching death. It is poignant and sad, but also revealing.
April 30, 2022
This book was like a lovely visit with friends. Candid, open, supportive dialogue born of years or connection and shared passions. The fact that death awaits two is present but secondary to navigating the journey with love, respect, understanding, admiration and humour. Truly a joy to read.
July 5, 2013
I feel very guilty giving this a low-ish rating, but honestly it didn't do much for me. These are the annotated letters - emails - of Arthur Motyer, Elma Gerwin, and Carol Shields as the latter two stuggle with, suffer from, and ultimately die of cancer. It feels disrespectful to not have liked it, but ...
May 1, 2015
This is a beautiful, touching book, never sentimental. I hope that I can remember these two women's courage when my time comes.
The literary references are well placed, adding insight. This makes me want to go back and try to appreciate Carol Shields more than I have in the past.
The literary references are well placed, adding insight. This makes me want to go back and try to appreciate Carol Shields more than I have in the past.
December 20, 2013
Excellent correspondence between 2 womyn at the end of their cancer ravaged lives with story over by a mutual friend.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews