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Cotton Teeth
**KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST BOOKS OF 2021**
The (surprisingly funny) true story of a father-son duo diagnosed with terminal cancers a week apart.
When comedy writer Glenn Rockowitz and his psychoanalyst father are diagnosed with aggressive terminal cancers only a week apart, tragedy gives way to a uniquely dark, funny, and intensely loving experience. This is Rockowitz's unflinchingly candid account of the heartbreak, joy, and wisdom shared between father and son as they face their final months of life—alone, and together.
Cotton Teeth is the long-awaited follow-up to Rockowitz's bestselling memoir, Rodeo in Joliet .
The (surprisingly funny) true story of a father-son duo diagnosed with terminal cancers a week apart.
When comedy writer Glenn Rockowitz and his psychoanalyst father are diagnosed with aggressive terminal cancers only a week apart, tragedy gives way to a uniquely dark, funny, and intensely loving experience. This is Rockowitz's unflinchingly candid account of the heartbreak, joy, and wisdom shared between father and son as they face their final months of life—alone, and together.
Cotton Teeth is the long-awaited follow-up to Rockowitz's bestselling memoir, Rodeo in Joliet .
- GenresMemoir
264 pages, Hardcover
Published December 14, 2021
1 person is currently reading
42 people want to read
About the author
Glenn Rockowitz
5 books16 followersGlenn Rockowitz (b. May 27, 1970, Plainview, New York), is an American writer, filmmaker and comedian. A graduate of Chicago's famed Second City, Rockowitz went on to write and perform comedy for many years throughout the United States. In 1995, he founded a nonprofit AIDS and cancer charity in NYC, known as The Best Medicine Group -- an organization that brought hundreds of live comedy shows into the homes of terminally-ill patients throughout the metropolitan New York area. Rodeo in Joliet, a memoir of his battle with a very aggressive late-stage cancer, was released nationally on April 11, 2009. By early 2010, the book became a bestseller and was optioned to become a film helmed by director Matt Aselton. He is currently forming Change It Back, an Adolescent & Young Adult cancer coalition designed to improve treatment standards for AYA patients
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
February 2, 2022
A memoir on the intersection of prose and poetry, hopelessness and hopefulness, pure madness, and quaint realism.
After reading the last line of the book Cotton Teeth by Glenn Rockowitz (and I insist on reading the epilogue), one would find himself/herself wondering, "What was it? Memoir? Poetry collection? Confession to a wife? A love letter to a son? Spitted out truth of childhood trauma?" It's hard to explain the book's nature in objective, matter-of-fact words. It undoubtedly encloses events of one nodal year of the author's life, when he was diagnosed with IV stage cancer and was given three months to live. The author's father was diagnosed with cancer too, however, with a better prognosis. Not far into the book, the narrative splits into two, one of the present, one of the past (summer camp of 1977). To help readers navigate two timelines, the book has average white pages for the present and black pages for the past.
I'm not particularly prone to write golden-hued praise reviews. But despite my best efforts, I can't say anything negative about the book or even stay neutral. It took the author ten years to find the right words for his story, and exceptional circumstances pushed him to write the book in its wholeness. "Everything worth having lives on the other side of fear," the prologue says (and I insist on reading the prologue). Ignoring the fear, the author detailed every emotion, every small motion on his journey to what he thought to be the end of his life. The closeness of death, both his own and his father's, dug up childhood memories previously buried under the shame and guilt. The book has a lot of self-awareness, but a reader won't cringe at it, being hyper-moralistic or divinely enlightening. The words flawlessly flow from the first page to the last, punctuated by foul language - but mesmerizing in their painful honesty.
I can recommend the book to any reader over the age of eighteen. Seriously. Read the book. It's much more than cancer and survival and loss. It's the same feeling as when you accidentally cut a finger with a guitar string. It hurts. But it hurts with music.
Once again, I insist on reading the prologue and epilogue.
And the first-ever cliffhanger in my book review: Who is Greg???
I received an advance review copy through Reedsy Discovery, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
After reading the last line of the book Cotton Teeth by Glenn Rockowitz (and I insist on reading the epilogue), one would find himself/herself wondering, "What was it? Memoir? Poetry collection? Confession to a wife? A love letter to a son? Spitted out truth of childhood trauma?" It's hard to explain the book's nature in objective, matter-of-fact words. It undoubtedly encloses events of one nodal year of the author's life, when he was diagnosed with IV stage cancer and was given three months to live. The author's father was diagnosed with cancer too, however, with a better prognosis. Not far into the book, the narrative splits into two, one of the present, one of the past (summer camp of 1977). To help readers navigate two timelines, the book has average white pages for the present and black pages for the past.
I'm not particularly prone to write golden-hued praise reviews. But despite my best efforts, I can't say anything negative about the book or even stay neutral. It took the author ten years to find the right words for his story, and exceptional circumstances pushed him to write the book in its wholeness. "Everything worth having lives on the other side of fear," the prologue says (and I insist on reading the prologue). Ignoring the fear, the author detailed every emotion, every small motion on his journey to what he thought to be the end of his life. The closeness of death, both his own and his father's, dug up childhood memories previously buried under the shame and guilt. The book has a lot of self-awareness, but a reader won't cringe at it, being hyper-moralistic or divinely enlightening. The words flawlessly flow from the first page to the last, punctuated by foul language - but mesmerizing in their painful honesty.
I can recommend the book to any reader over the age of eighteen. Seriously. Read the book. It's much more than cancer and survival and loss. It's the same feeling as when you accidentally cut a finger with a guitar string. It hurts. But it hurts with music.
Once again, I insist on reading the prologue and epilogue.
And the first-ever cliffhanger in my book review: Who is Greg???
I received an advance review copy through Reedsy Discovery, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 3, 2022
Best book I’ve read all year.
No but seriously, this is the best book I’ve read in years. I want to comb through my goodreads and subtract a star from the other 5 star ratings, so I can emphasize how exceptionally genuine and meaningful this book is. Also, compulsively readable. Those super short chapters are evil. They won’t let you stop. And this story, well, I guess I was predisposed to find it especially beautiful, because of how it illuminates the dark corners and shows that in the shadows, there is greasy, scary machinery that connects every fear to the first fear, every wound to the first wound. So whenever there’s any fear movement or wound movement, there is some element of automated reenactment.
This story also shows how you can love someone completely, and be angry at that same person for failing to protect you.
Basically just read it, Greg.
No but seriously, this is the best book I’ve read in years. I want to comb through my goodreads and subtract a star from the other 5 star ratings, so I can emphasize how exceptionally genuine and meaningful this book is. Also, compulsively readable. Those super short chapters are evil. They won’t let you stop. And this story, well, I guess I was predisposed to find it especially beautiful, because of how it illuminates the dark corners and shows that in the shadows, there is greasy, scary machinery that connects every fear to the first fear, every wound to the first wound. So whenever there’s any fear movement or wound movement, there is some element of automated reenactment.
This story also shows how you can love someone completely, and be angry at that same person for failing to protect you.
Basically just read it, Greg.
January 1, 2022
I love this book on so many levels.
In an age when there is so much writing, so many movies, streaming series, cable series, TV shows, video channels, books, comic books, podcasts, et al, and so many authors trying to assert themselves against a tidal surge of proliferation, or getting by teaching writing, I feel like too much of today’s over-promoted media darlings that take all the awards suffer from authors working too hard to prove how well they write and lose sight of the fact that they, as people, are not great, and don’t have much of anything to actually say.
‘Cotton Teeth’ is the exact opposite of that. It’s a literary version of buying a full brick of firecrackers, lighting the fuse, and holding tight as every pack explodes in your hand. This book brought me inside it’s covers and made me feel more than my entire reading list of ‘chart topping hits’ and ‘breakout must-reads’ did all year long, combined.
Sure, the book is a collection of triggers, but it’s the periphery that triggered me, not the bold language or knuckle dusting confrontations, the things that make today’s bubble wrapped safe spacers leave one star reviews for Henry Miller and Ernest Hemingway. Instead, I found myself somehow hating that I wasn’t there to intervene when Glenn was facing the worst days of his life. Or reading a passage about climbing into bed with his still sleeping father, an alien experience I’ve never known and never will. Or the petty way the rest of humanity acts towards each other, so casually pushing everyone else aside as they plow through their banality, no matter the casualties or consequences left in their wake.
Glenn lays bares the interwoven complexity of the human experience, turning to face head on all the conflict that society en masse works so hard to try to escape. It’s brave, endearing, and unforgettable. The irony, of course, is that ‘Cotton Teeth’, and it’s predecessor, ‘Rodeo in Joliet’, his first book which is also a must read, (and seriously, fuck you, Glenn, for being that good the first time out of the gate) is brilliant for illustrating the same failings of society that will hold no value for the text’s greatness, and keep it from being the literary classic that it is.
In an age when there is so much writing, so many movies, streaming series, cable series, TV shows, video channels, books, comic books, podcasts, et al, and so many authors trying to assert themselves against a tidal surge of proliferation, or getting by teaching writing, I feel like too much of today’s over-promoted media darlings that take all the awards suffer from authors working too hard to prove how well they write and lose sight of the fact that they, as people, are not great, and don’t have much of anything to actually say.
‘Cotton Teeth’ is the exact opposite of that. It’s a literary version of buying a full brick of firecrackers, lighting the fuse, and holding tight as every pack explodes in your hand. This book brought me inside it’s covers and made me feel more than my entire reading list of ‘chart topping hits’ and ‘breakout must-reads’ did all year long, combined.
Sure, the book is a collection of triggers, but it’s the periphery that triggered me, not the bold language or knuckle dusting confrontations, the things that make today’s bubble wrapped safe spacers leave one star reviews for Henry Miller and Ernest Hemingway. Instead, I found myself somehow hating that I wasn’t there to intervene when Glenn was facing the worst days of his life. Or reading a passage about climbing into bed with his still sleeping father, an alien experience I’ve never known and never will. Or the petty way the rest of humanity acts towards each other, so casually pushing everyone else aside as they plow through their banality, no matter the casualties or consequences left in their wake.
Glenn lays bares the interwoven complexity of the human experience, turning to face head on all the conflict that society en masse works so hard to try to escape. It’s brave, endearing, and unforgettable. The irony, of course, is that ‘Cotton Teeth’, and it’s predecessor, ‘Rodeo in Joliet’, his first book which is also a must read, (and seriously, fuck you, Glenn, for being that good the first time out of the gate) is brilliant for illustrating the same failings of society that will hold no value for the text’s greatness, and keep it from being the literary classic that it is.
January 5, 2022
This book along with his first one Rodeo in Joliet are just so damn good. Full of heart and a dark humor that just comforts me. The way he describes his cancer treatments and aftermath sums up what I could have never put in words or explain what I went through on a smaller cancer scale. Thank you Glenn, for sharing so much in this book. I can only imagine how much work and trust that takes to talk about much less out out into the world.
June 3, 2022
"It may not be 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 but it will be different. And different is really the only path to better. "
"My mind is already there, deep in the forest without a compass, without a flashlight, without fire, without a
moon. "
OK well I'm glad I got the ugly cry book out of the way. Now I need to go grab everyone I love and love harder on them than I usually do. Whew this was a heart-wrencher.
I don't know anyone who has Cancer, or has been through it and survived. I can never imagine, nor comprehend, what that would feel like much less have to live through. Double that with a loved one, a parent, having cancer at the same time??!! What??!! Oh my heart.
There is one part: the letter he writes to his son...I couldn't breathe or see through that part. I just broke...I'm a momma and a Nana and I just couldn't even fathom losing all that time with them.
Even though this has funny moments, this book isn't pleasant. It's dark, it's deep, it's insightful, it's an honest and RAW look into Glenn's heart and soul. How someone can walk around with that much emotion and turmoil inside them is unthinkable to me.
If you have a serious aversion to Cancer and all things related to it, and harm to children, I would probably skip this one. Glenn doesn't mince words. He doesn't hide his truth, his feelings or the moments that shape who he became and why.
Outside of that, despite the darker feel, read this. Read the Prologue, the Epilogue and everything in between. This is one that will stick with me for a while. I sincerely appreciate Glenn Rockowitz and Books Forward for providing me with a review copy. All opinions expressed herein are mine and mine alone.
"My mind is already there, deep in the forest without a compass, without a flashlight, without fire, without a
moon. "
OK well I'm glad I got the ugly cry book out of the way. Now I need to go grab everyone I love and love harder on them than I usually do. Whew this was a heart-wrencher.
I don't know anyone who has Cancer, or has been through it and survived. I can never imagine, nor comprehend, what that would feel like much less have to live through. Double that with a loved one, a parent, having cancer at the same time??!! What??!! Oh my heart.
There is one part: the letter he writes to his son...I couldn't breathe or see through that part. I just broke...I'm a momma and a Nana and I just couldn't even fathom losing all that time with them.
Even though this has funny moments, this book isn't pleasant. It's dark, it's deep, it's insightful, it's an honest and RAW look into Glenn's heart and soul. How someone can walk around with that much emotion and turmoil inside them is unthinkable to me.
If you have a serious aversion to Cancer and all things related to it, and harm to children, I would probably skip this one. Glenn doesn't mince words. He doesn't hide his truth, his feelings or the moments that shape who he became and why.
Outside of that, despite the darker feel, read this. Read the Prologue, the Epilogue and everything in between. This is one that will stick with me for a while. I sincerely appreciate Glenn Rockowitz and Books Forward for providing me with a review copy. All opinions expressed herein are mine and mine alone.
January 25, 2022
This is one of my new favorite books and I recommend it to anyone who has dealt with sickness or loss (so yeah, pretty much everyone). Cotton Teeth is the perfect lesson plan for anyone close to someone nearing the end of their life. I feel more prepared to help someone through that crisis after reading it and getting into the author's feelings about his life.
Glenn is effortlessly funny and poetic. I loved the writing style and how the chapters switch between storylines in a comfortable and easy-to-follow way. The letter Glenn writes to his son is one of my new favorite passages. It was nearly impossible to put down.
Glenn is effortlessly funny and poetic. I loved the writing style and how the chapters switch between storylines in a comfortable and easy-to-follow way. The letter Glenn writes to his son is one of my new favorite passages. It was nearly impossible to put down.
January 21, 2022
An artfully constructed memoir with a series of life-altering vignettes, knitted together with humor and humanity. We are fortunate sometimes to encounter the work of an artist especially gifted at telling the truth in a compelling way. In Cotton Teeth we are given an intimate view into Rockowitz’s life. Describing the light and dark moments of a childhood summer, he discovers how those experiences colored his relationships as an adult facing new fatherhood and difficult diagnoses, for him and for his own father. Like Rodeo in Joliet, this book is a deeply honest exploration of coping, and sometimes self-destructing, amid difficult situations, and also what kinds of f’d up things can be handled with a lot of inappropriate humor.
February 24, 2022
Cotton Teeth, by Glenn Rockowitz, is one of those books that each of us most likely gets something different out of after reading. For me, it just confirmed that being a misanthrope continues to be the right choice on my part. Living with cancer, having a father who died from cancer, and being sexually assaulted as a child are not things that most of us can understand or relate to. The author shares his experiences and thoughts. The book feels very private and I am guessing the life events were difficult to share. But I think that is part of the theme here...learn to trust, do not keep secrets, and learn to stay in the moment.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 18, 2022
"Cotton Teeth" by Greg Rockowitz (sorry, I mean Glenn) is hands down one of the best memoirs I’ve ever read. While this book is written in prose, the author’s careful attention to syntax and sound, in accompaniment with the brevity of each chapter, reads more like a series of prose poems, which I love.
Rockowitz is someone who knows how to elegantly interweave humor and truth, darkness and light into a masterful story. I also admire how candid Rockowitz is in sharing his truth, which is littered with mistakes, loss, harm, and triumphs.
When delving into Rockowitz’s cancer journey, I did not expect to see the ‘moth pages’ (as I’ve dubbed them); however, I was wowed by how beautifully the content from the 1970s summer camp corresponded to Rockowitz’s predicament in the late 90s. The back and forth between events shows how trauma never really leaves a person, but also how we can attempt to move forward from our past. I thank Rockowitz greatly for sharing that story and bringing awareness to the subject.
And while I'm on the subject of things I adore about this book, I have to mention the lack of toxic masculinity. It was so refreshing to see a father and son share their emotions and physical touch in such a kind and loving manner. I feel like I don't see enough healthy interactions like this in literature or society as a whole.
In sum, if you’re wanting to jump on the memoir train and are unsure of where to start, I’d highly recommend giving "Cotton Teeth" a read. Rockowitz will make you cry, smile, and gain a better understanding of what it means to simply exist in these 259 pages.
Rockowitz is someone who knows how to elegantly interweave humor and truth, darkness and light into a masterful story. I also admire how candid Rockowitz is in sharing his truth, which is littered with mistakes, loss, harm, and triumphs.
When delving into Rockowitz’s cancer journey, I did not expect to see the ‘moth pages’ (as I’ve dubbed them); however, I was wowed by how beautifully the content from the 1970s summer camp corresponded to Rockowitz’s predicament in the late 90s. The back and forth between events shows how trauma never really leaves a person, but also how we can attempt to move forward from our past. I thank Rockowitz greatly for sharing that story and bringing awareness to the subject.
And while I'm on the subject of things I adore about this book, I have to mention the lack of toxic masculinity. It was so refreshing to see a father and son share their emotions and physical touch in such a kind and loving manner. I feel like I don't see enough healthy interactions like this in literature or society as a whole.
In sum, if you’re wanting to jump on the memoir train and are unsure of where to start, I’d highly recommend giving "Cotton Teeth" a read. Rockowitz will make you cry, smile, and gain a better understanding of what it means to simply exist in these 259 pages.
June 18, 2022
I was blown away by this book. I mean the cover doesn’t really reveal the contents of the book although it has great significance.
First page I was hooked. Author Glenn (not Greg) Rockowitz pulled me in immediately with his sheer wit and charm. He made the most terrifying events seem manageable with his honesty, sparkling personality, and comedic interpretation. At times I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
I’m an ironic twist of events Glenn discovers he has terminal cancer at the same his father is also diagnosed. The two compare stories and share their struggles with not being ready to leave. Truthfully they’re scared out of their minds. How comforting to have someone to lean on, and devastating to have to apply that worry onto someone who already has enough on their plate.
The book is so cool with black pages mixed in to take you back to a very dark experience the author went through. So unique and a brilliant way to transition to a tuff topic. Glenn is brutally honest as he shared his past, his illness, he relationship with his father, and his hopes for a future with his own son. I smiled 98% of the book, and the rest were tears for people I’ve never known but still felt invested in.
Memoirs have become one of my favorite genres. Famous or not we all have stories to share, and I have great respect for those who are brave enough to do so.
April 8, 2022
I really enjoyed this read as it was well Written with humour and grace. I'm not a huge fan of memoirs in general but this one hit the nail on the head as it was clear from the beginning that the author was writing from his heart, and not just out to make sales!
Glenn manages to deliver the story of dealing with cancer that has hit hard with double punishment of its occurring in his family to 2 people at once and a time when his wife has just had a child. He is dealing with his own crumbling health and the emotions tied to that, along with wanting to support those he loves most and struggling to do so. He manages to express genuine human experience without resorting to the extreme and saccharine, whilst also managing to make you laugh at the most inappropriate moments! Truly a gifted writer, this was a bittersweet pleasure to read and I recommend to anyone dealing with cancer or struggling with the loss of a beloved family member.
Glenn manages to deliver the story of dealing with cancer that has hit hard with double punishment of its occurring in his family to 2 people at once and a time when his wife has just had a child. He is dealing with his own crumbling health and the emotions tied to that, along with wanting to support those he loves most and struggling to do so. He manages to express genuine human experience without resorting to the extreme and saccharine, whilst also managing to make you laugh at the most inappropriate moments! Truly a gifted writer, this was a bittersweet pleasure to read and I recommend to anyone dealing with cancer or struggling with the loss of a beloved family member.
April 18, 2022
Where to begin!
This book is incredibly raw, emotional, and definitely not for the faint of heart.
It deals with anxiety and depression, with unstable relationships and emotions, but it is so passionate and truly from the heart.
The author is so brave in my opinion! Writing such personal experiences and heavy, dark topics can't be an easy feat.
At some points, I could identify with the same emotions because the author has described them in such beautiful detail.
I cried, laughed, pondered, and jittered throughout this whole book. It was hard to put down, I just had to know the ending and how everything turned out.
Please, do yourself a favor and read this book! It's truly beautiful, even though it deals with some tough subjects.
This book is incredibly raw, emotional, and definitely not for the faint of heart.
It deals with anxiety and depression, with unstable relationships and emotions, but it is so passionate and truly from the heart.
The author is so brave in my opinion! Writing such personal experiences and heavy, dark topics can't be an easy feat.
At some points, I could identify with the same emotions because the author has described them in such beautiful detail.
I cried, laughed, pondered, and jittered throughout this whole book. It was hard to put down, I just had to know the ending and how everything turned out.
Please, do yourself a favor and read this book! It's truly beautiful, even though it deals with some tough subjects.
April 19, 2022
The author uses repetition frequently to achieve the desired impact in terms of conveying one's emotions. The whole work acts as a genuine reflection of what the protagonist truly feels, both inside and outside. One is able to figure out how the rest of the world is unable to come to terms with what the protagonist is going through and what shapes his expectations, both spoken and unspoken.
Going through the journey of the protagonist, one can't help but identify with the constant struggle of living a life that is far from ideal. Metaphors used are not too hard to understand. The end might come across as predictable for some readers though.
Going through the journey of the protagonist, one can't help but identify with the constant struggle of living a life that is far from ideal. Metaphors used are not too hard to understand. The end might come across as predictable for some readers though.
April 15, 2022
Trigger Warning!
It would have been nice to have had a trigger warning listed on the front of the book. A warning for the readers who have been abused in any shape or form when young.
I didn't really care for it. I'm sorry that he lost his dad and I'm glad that he beat cancer (or went into remission). The language was a little rough at times but I'm thinking that black humor is how a lot of people deal with bad news in their life. It's an okay book, if you don't mind black humor and you enjoy memoirs.
It would have been nice to have had a trigger warning listed on the front of the book. A warning for the readers who have been abused in any shape or form when young.
I didn't really care for it. I'm sorry that he lost his dad and I'm glad that he beat cancer (or went into remission). The language was a little rough at times but I'm thinking that black humor is how a lot of people deal with bad news in their life. It's an okay book, if you don't mind black humor and you enjoy memoirs.
June 5, 2022
“People who don’t know me well think I’m a huge pessimist. Not even close. Your father is a disappointed optimist. And he’s dumb enough to keep believing that people will do the right thing.”
This quote hit me in the face towards the end of the book. It describes my outlook 100% and made me appreciate this book even more.
I was entertained by the humor in this book and it may just be for people like me, and I can definitely see how people might be offended. It was just nice to read a book with the same outlook on life and his journey through it.
Lots of Trigger warnings — cancer, use of the word slavery, prejudice, homophobia, suicide, emotional abuse, panic attacks, confrontation of rapist/abuser, detailed medical talk, masturbation, sex with a minor, sexual abuse, sexual predator, death, and death of a loved one.
Thank you to the author and harper Collin’s for the ARC
This quote hit me in the face towards the end of the book. It describes my outlook 100% and made me appreciate this book even more.
I was entertained by the humor in this book and it may just be for people like me, and I can definitely see how people might be offended. It was just nice to read a book with the same outlook on life and his journey through it.
Lots of Trigger warnings — cancer, use of the word slavery, prejudice, homophobia, suicide, emotional abuse, panic attacks, confrontation of rapist/abuser, detailed medical talk, masturbation, sex with a minor, sexual abuse, sexual predator, death, and death of a loved one.
Thank you to the author and harper Collin’s for the ARC
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews