I'm getting crazy notions about turning my conflict with bowel cancer into a/. a non-fiction autobiography b/. a stand up comedy routine. On the former, do books on cancer survival sell well? I do actually have a few books to my name, poetry and a study of British pub signs. Nothing that will reach the New York Times Best seller lists or give me royalties to compare with J K Rowling sadly. While in hospital, in December / January, another patient on the ward brought along copies of a nicely presented self-published book on his daughter's successful struggle with cancer. He obviously hadn't expected to need treatment for it himself after it came out though and as he was released (two days before me) I hope he gets to write a follow up. He had obviously hoped to sell copies of his book directly to the patients and staff though no one I saw (myself included) took up on the idea of buying, possibly through living the very ordeal ourselves in real time right beside him, and for the staff, dealing with patients all the time anyway.
I wonder therefore if there is a feasible market for cancer related memoirs and what titles might be regarded as the most recommended.
On using my experiences to spin a comedy routine, cancer itself is no laughing matter but I do find my flippant, laugh in the face of adversity deadpan bedpan stance has helped keep me sane (yes deadpan bedpan is about my level). I was for example thinking of calling the book My Struggle until I realized the German translation of that would be 'Mein Kampf' - Oh how they'll laugh. The best of it is I never thought of that title as a joke. It was a genuine realization that I'd contemplated it that ended up unintentionally humorous. I'd be squeezing laughs out of my own sheer stupidity. It's just wacky enough to work, once Covid restrictions and various resistant strains are easing off of course.
Can I just say that my own cancer I can laugh at........ now I am well. I'm not sure somebody in diagnosis or treatment would find sharing the joke comforting. I did crack jokes to myself but it was more of a morale boosting singing in front of the firing squad thing
Dani
Base of tongue cancer. T2N0M0 6 weeks Radiotherapy finished January 2019
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