My reaction so far to The Book of Mev

by Rachel Wieser

It is touching me more than I thought it could. For some reason, it won’t leave me. Last night I had a dream in which Dr.Chmiel was present and I think in it there was something to do with his book. It’s not just the love between the spouses and the heartache of “seeing” Dr.Chmiel’s beloved die, but it’s “the books never birthed, the never recorded visions of the damned and defiant, the passionate reportage ever to be silent” (p.342). It’s seeing a women of such vitality, compassion, and humanness reduced to a loss of speech and vision. Reduced to. I shouldn’t use that word because I don’t think she was reduced in any way. Mev documented the suffering of others, she suffered with others…and then she suffered. And her husband suffered. And those who loved her suffered. And in her suffering, people were made aware of what it means to be selfless. A book was written about her which can open the eyes of so many. Even in Mev’s death, she brought awareness to the world.

I promise I’m not a creepy person, Dr. Chmiel, even if you did appear in my dream. I don’t remember anything about your role in the dream, but you were there! I think your book has been on my mind so much that it- and you- worked your way into my subconscious. I remember when my friend Angie bought your book and was reading it, and how she told me what a wonderful book it was, but it has made more of an impact on me than I thought possible.

Rachel is a senior at SLU, enrolled in Social Justice 361-02 in the fall 2006 semester.