I got a hold of Beautiful Boy and Tweak less than 24 hours before I had the chance to meet and interview David Sheff and his son Nic. And what an interesting 24 hours it was. I spent that time totally immersed in their story and felt like I was seeing old friends when they arrived at the office.
Although their books feel completely different and are geared to completely different audiences, they share the same story; Nic’s terrifying cycle of drug addiction, recovery and relapse.
As a parent, I related to what David was going through. These are smart, successful parents with smart and talented kids. I’m sure, like most of us, they never thought it could h
appen to them. Nic could have been my kid or yours. That’s the scary part.
Reading Nic’s story takes you away from the headlines and the statistics and gives a face and a humanity to the addiction. By turns I was angry at him, but then wanted to hug him and protect him just they way I know his father does.
I hope you will enjoy the interview and will get great meaning out of both of these incredible books.
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Enjoy the interview, and click here to check out the rest of the great authors talking about their books on our podcast!
I lost my daughter to a drug overdose in 2008 and was so helped by reading Nic Sheff’s book. Is there anyway I could send a message to him? I have also written a book (not yet published) and would like for him to see drug abuse from the perspective of a mother who lost her daughter to drug abuse as a means of encouraging to keep fighting the battle.
I’m so glad reading Nic’s book was helpful to you. From what I understand, Nic is a very private person. That is what works best for him as he deals with his recovery on a daily basis. I believe the best way to get in touch with him is through his Dad at his website: http://davidsheff.com/contact.html