“I wrote this for Alice. Actually, I wrote everything for Alice.” That’s the poignant dedication at the front of Tepper Isn’t Going Out, the last book Calvin Trillin wrote before the death of his wife Alice in 2001. Alice was the star of many of Trillin’s autobiographical stories and articles, his muse and mentor, as well as the mother of his two children and a brilliant writer and teacher in her own right. About Alice is his tribute to her, and it’s poignant and heartbreaking. Which isn’t to say that it’s sentimental. Everything about this book is understated, from the plain cover to the emotional tone to the length (just 78 pages). Trillin chooses not to dwell on the details of Alice’s death; instead, he writes with great humour and love about their life together. This book made me laugh, but it also made me cry.
Read it yourself — you won’t be sorry.
