The February 2008 issue of Good Housekeeping has an article about Schuyler. Page 161. Look for Dr. Phil on the cover. Dr. Phil and me, we're tight now. He's going to come talk me down the next time I freak out.
The article is actually "by" me, in the sense that it consists mostly of blog material from the past year or so, edited to remove gratuitous F-bombs, clarify some of the narrative and generally make me look like a little less of a dumbass. It's long, about six pages, and features a full page photo of Schuyler. (It's the photo from the book cover, except in color, which is a little startling to see after all these months of looking at it in black and white.) I am extremely happy with how it turned out.
I mean, I feel a tiny little bit like throwing up, but in the good sort of "need to throw up" sort of way.
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While we're on the subject of the book and my increasingly fancy pants, if you live in the New York City area and would like to meet and/or abuse me in person, mediabistro.com is very graciously hosting a book release party for Schuyler's Monster on February 20th, the day after the official book release. Here's some info for you.
Book Publishing Party
with special guest author
Robert Rummel-Hudson
(Schuyler's Monster: A Father's Journey
with His Wordless Daughter)
Hosted by mediabistro.com
Dip
416 Third Avenue
(between 29th & 30th)
New York, NY 10016
RSVP required
Stalkers, start clearing a space in your freezer for my head. A swell hat would be nice, too.
OK, NOW I'm excited.
ReplyDeleteVery exciting! Congratulations! I got a huge grin on my face when I saw this. For middle-aged moms in the midwest, you've made it big time now!
ReplyDeleteI have to say, the very idea of Dr. Phil coming to talk me down when I freak out is the thing in this world most likely to make me freak out.
ReplyDelete(But congratulations on the article! That rocks.)
I am not a middle-aged mom in the midwest and so this will be my very first purchase of Good Housekeeping Magazine. Now to figure out how to get you on Oprah.....
ReplyDeleteI meant to e-mail you yesterday and I forgot. Imagine my surprise when my issue of Good Housekeeping arrived in the mail on Friday. I was flipping through it and a picture of Schuyler caught my eye. Hey, I "know" that little girl. Very exciting and wonderful national coverage for your book!
ReplyDeleteThat is just too cool! Now I have to buy a copy :)
ReplyDeleteOk, seriously - exactly how many pairs of fancy patns do you own?!?!
ReplyDeleteMy actual pants? Not so fancy. Maybe I need a Bedazzler.
ReplyDeleteRob, can we BRING fancy pants to the New York party? :)
ReplyDeleteThree things:
ReplyDelete1. Congratulations! I've been waiting for you to announce this.
2. I have a Bedazzler somewhere (oh dear), should you find some pants that need fancification.
3. This is a remarkable milestone in your career as a writer. Enjoy every freaking minute. You absolutely deserve it.
I saw a guy a couple of days ago with sequins on his pants. I think he was homeless. I'm just saying. I am impressed that you are in "Good Housekeeping." That isn't something we would have predicted back in the day. Have you thought about who is going to play you guys in the movie? Dakota Fanning could be Schuyler and maybe Phillip Seymour Hoffman could be you. I am bummed that I'm going to NYC two days after your event. Rotten serendipity for this stalker.
ReplyDeleteYay! Congratulations! Being that I'm married but in my 20s (and with no children) I have never purchased Good Housekeeping either...this might be the ONLY reason I ever would!! :)
ReplyDeleteIs there also an article in there about how to fancify pants? It would really be appropriate. :)
Good Housekeeping? Really? That's so cool!
ReplyDeleteGood for you, Rob. I can't imagine the thrill of what you're going through. I'm really happy for you.
ReplyDeleteWow RRH, that is really, really cool! I will plan to look for it the next time I am out. Save it, frame it and mail it to anyone who gave you hell in high school.
ReplyDeleteAnd superb about the release party. Very Carrie, circa season 5. :)
So happy for you, Rob!!! I immediately went out and got a copy for myself and many more for Ryan's teachers and therapists. I can't wait to send them to school with him tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteWhen we first got Ryan's BBoW, I oftened referred to Schuyler when talking to Ryan's teachers/therapist and used her progress as a way to guage where we should head with Ryan. So far, he seems to be following her footsteps pretty closely. I am excited to show the teachers that there really is a Schuyler and she really is making amazing progress with her BBoW, as is Ryan.
Thanks for bringing awareness to PMG and AAC......you are an amazing writer, can't wait to get my copies of the book!
You are so much cooler than Dr. Phil.
ReplyDeleteWhen you posted this, I decided to check out Amazon.com to see what the article did for your presales. This morning, around 10:00 a.m., I guess, Schuyler's Monster was ranked 44,000 among all books(I didn't write down the exact number). Tonight at 8:45, it's ranked 22,533!
ReplyDeleteIn the category "Fatherhood" you've moved up from #19 this morning to #8 this evening.
Wow! That's a nice little bump for a book that's not available yet!
Rock on, Rob. We're all rooting for you.
ReplyDeleteDude! Fuck Yeah!!!
ReplyDeleteNext question -- will you get a percent of sales for this issue of GH since you'll have had such a strong contribution to increased numbers of issues sold? ;-) We bought one!
ReplyDeleteI work for Walgreens, and I nearly pushed over our magazine vendor to show off your article to my co-workers. It's swell that you're getting so much coverage on a subject that does not appear to find a lot of attentiveness and media attention.
ReplyDeleteI, too, shall be making my first Good Housekeeping purchase. Until now, I was a Good Housekeeping virgin, which would be quite, quite evident if you ever saw my house.
ReplyDeleteIs it wrong that I giggled when I saw the name of the venue was Dip? It wasn't a loud giggle, just a little one...practically soundless.
I have a subscription to Good Housekeeping. Does that make me uncool? At any rate, I was excited to see your article and the beautiful pictures of your daughter when my issue arrived.
ReplyDeleteMy mother purchased a gift subscription of "Good Housekeeping" for me some time ago, and leafing through it is somewhat of a guilty pleasure for me, just because it isn't typical of the books and magazines I tend to read, and I am anything but a "good housekeeper".
ReplyDeleteThis morning I happened to turn the page to your article Rob, and I just wanted to let you know that it touched my heart in a very profound and personal way. In fact, it brought me unexpectedly to tears, something that doesn't happen to me often.
You see, I have been told that I have a disability myself, something that has resulted in brief hospitalization in a psych ward multiple times, though I must admit I defy the label and stigma of that diagnosis with my own sword of steel.
So many times when battling my own monster, I think that maybe I should give up trying to maneuver my way through the world of people who have absolutely no idea that I have experienced and battled this hardship, yet would no doubt judge me harshly if they did know, the stigma is so great in our society regarding those who have been hospitalized for mental illness.
Very recently, an amazing career advancement opportunity was presented to me out of the blue, one that came my way because of my diligence and creativity in my current job. People in my workplace have no idea regarding the monster I have vanquished time and time again. Even so, I have wondered if I should even dare to pursue this opportunity under the circumstances. Or should I just slam the door shut on all my future possibilities, despite my ability to function as a "normal" person, even without medication, as long as I diligently get enough sleep (the only medication I keep on hand now is sleep medication for very occasional use - I have taken many over the years mostly due to the well-meaning efforts of others to tame how they perceive the monster, but in my case, the meds have all severely impaired my ability to function or have had disabling adverse side effects - not everyone may be in this situation, but this is mine).
In any case, my apologies for this lengthy comment, but when I read the portion of your article regarding how you envision your daughter boldly maneuvering in the world when she grows up (as she obviously does already), I just started crying. Because I know she won't allow the doors to slam in her face. You have taught her from Day One to swing those doors wide open and show the world what she is truly capable of.
So I just wanted to say thank you Rob for delivering this message to me today through the pages of a magazine, something I really needed to hear in this very moment. Those of us with disabilities, whatever the diagnosis, CAN be everything we dream. Nobody can truly shut the doors on our dreams but ourselves.
Best wishes,
Phoenix
P.S. I'm going to pursue this job. I'm not going to hold my own door shut before it even opens. I'm going to prove through my ability to function at a very high level, defying the odds, that those of us diagnosed with a mental illness (whether the precise diagnosis be accurate or not, another topic altogether) CAN contribute to the world in creative and productive ways. The monster of this stigma CAN be vanquished.
Hello,
ReplyDeleteI am planning on bringing a 'swell' hat.
and two friends:
we are not from midwest
we refuse to be middle aged.(hey I see you're the 'new thirty' as well)
we're not really housewife's, but we all have young children
see ya in Feb!
I just finished reading the article in Good Housekeeping. You have an amazing child. I was just mesmerized by her pictures. She has such a beautiful face. Absolutely gorgeous! And in her eyes I see so much determination.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your writing style as well. Very moving and thought provoking.
I have to tell you, I just picked up this copy of Good Housekeeping from a friend of mine.
ReplyDeleteMy son suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury in 2006 from a car accident. He was once able to talk, and now has been diagnosed with apraxia. He has those mutant sounds that come out that only we, his parents, understand...I had been so against him ever getting an Augmentative Device...I came across the article about your daughter, and I felt like I was reading my sons future...I was so envious of the amount of communication that you and your daughter have. He is now going to be getting evaluated for a device that is suitable for him...I cannot thank you enough for your story-your daughter has given me so much hope for my son. Thank you, both.