Matthew's Enigma : A Father's Portrait of His Autistic Son

matthew's Enigma Unfolds The Complex Relationship Between A Father, Who Is A Romanian Emigré And Distinguished University Professor, And His Son, Who Was Diagnosed With Autism When He Was 7 Years Old. Matei Calinescu's Desire To Understand Matthew — His Namesake — Is The Theme Of This Moving Memoir. Calinescu's Determined Search For The Meaning Of His Son's Enigmatic Illness Continues Even After Matthew's Sudden Death At Age 25. Reminiscences About Matthew's Life Are Interwoven With Observations Of His Behavior And Reflections On The Difficulties That Autistic Persons Encounter In Social Situations. Drawing From Journals That He Kept, Beginning With Matthew's Birth, As Well As From His Experience As A Scholar Of Literature And Philosophy And A Reader Of Psychologists' And Brain Scientists' Writings About Autism, Calinescu Has Composed An Inspiring And Lyrical Essay About Love And Illness, Memory And Forgetfulness, Sociability And Alienation. publishers Weekly comparative Literature Professor Calinescu (five Faces Of Modernity: Modernism, Avant-garde, Decadence, Kitsch, Postmodernism) Steps Back From Academia With This Memoir Of Parenthood, A Tribute To His Late, Autistic Son Matthew, A Being Apart... Not A University Professor Of Course, But A Professor All The Same, A Shy, Discreet, Taciturn Teacher Of Angelic Wisdom And Of The Ineffable. Diagnosed With Autism As A Child And With Epilepsy As A Teen, Much Regarding Matthew's Behavior And Health Remained A Mystery Even After Diagnosis, A Situation Many Parents Will Recognize, Especially Those With Children On The Autism Spectrum. Calinescu Explores The History Of Autism And Asperger's Syndrome, Discussing Medical Literature And His Own Memories With Equal Comfort And Grace. Calinescu Is A Keen Witness, And His 25 Years Of Observation Have Produced A Loving Exploration Of Autism's Causes And Effects, Its Impact On The Individual And The Family, The Unexpected Ways It Complicates Daily Life And The Differences That Make An Autistic Individual Stand Out. Beyond The Appeal To Parents, Teachers And Caregivers Of Special Needs Individuals, Colinescu's Story Offers Vivid Lessons In Acceptance: All People Are Different, And The Degree Of Difference Does Not Matter. copyright © Reed Business Information, A Division Of Reed Elsevier Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Matthew's Enigma unfolds the complex relationship between a father, who is a Romanian emigré and distinguished university professor, and his son, who was diagnosed with autism when he was 7 years old. Matei Calinescu's desire to understand Matthew—his namesake—is the theme of this moving memoir. Calinescu's determined search for the meaning of his son's enigmatic illness continues even after Matthew's sudden death at age 25. Reminiscences about Matthew's life are interwoven with observations of his behavior and reflections on the difficulties that autistic persons encounter in social situations. Drawing from journals that he kept, beginning with Matthew's birth, as well as from his experience as a scholar of literature and philosophy and a reader of psychologists' and brain scientists' writings about autism, Calinescu has composed an inspiring and lyrical essay about love and illness, memory and forgetfulness, sociability and alienation.

Matthew's Enigma unfolds the complex relationship between a father, who is a Romanian emigré and distinguished university professor, and his son, who was diagnosed with autism when he was 7 years old. Matei Calinescu's desire to understand Matthew -- his namesake -- is the theme of this moving memoir. Calinescu's determined search for the meaning of his son's enigmatic illness continues even after Matthew's sudden death at age 25. Reminiscences about Matthew's life are interwoven with observations of his behavior and reflections on the difficulties that autistic persons encounter in social situations. Drawing from journals that he kept, beginning with Matthew's birth, as well as from his experience as a scholar of literature and philosophy and a reader of psychologists' and brain scientists' writings about autism, Calinescu has composed an inspiring and lyrical essay about love and illness, memory and forgetfulness, sociability and alienation Cover......Page 1 Contents......Page 6 Preface......Page 8 1. Pages from an Old Diary......Page 12 2. “Anyone’s Death Is a Great Tragedy”......Page 20 3. Further Pages from the Old Diary......Page 26 4. Mater Dolorosa......Page 32 5. Pages from the Notebook with Black Covers (1985)......Page 36 6. The Story of an Autistic Missionary......Page 56 7. Further Pages from the Notebook with Black Covers (1985–1986)......Page 68 8. Reading and Play......Page 94 9. On the Autistic Personality—A Stray Note......Page 100 10. About Compassion......Page 106 11. Ages 16 to 20, from Diary about Matthew (1993–1997)......Page 112 12. Matthew’s Sense of Humor......Page 168 13. At 20: The Ages of Matthew, from Diary about Matthew (1997)......Page 174 14. When Matthew Was 25 . . .......Page 184 15. Julian’s Visit......Page 194 16. Questions without an Answer......Page 200 Postscript (2004)......Page 204 Works Cited......Page 218