Gavin Crawford and the team behind CBC comedy podcast Let's Not Be Kidding share their book recommendations
When comedian Gavin Crawford's mother Donna was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease he felt like he was losing his best friend. Naturally, he used comedy as a way of processing his grief and coming to terms with the inevitable.
Let's Not Be Kidding is a new CBC podcast created and hosted by Crawford that is as heartbreaking as it is hilarious. Gavin is joined by comedian friends who share their stories of caring for loved ones with dementia.
The result is a seven-part series that combines stand-up and memoir into a meditation on loss and grief. Let's Not Be Kidding is a dose laughter for anyone dealing with hard times.
The series is available now on CBC Listen and wherever you get your podcasts.
Ahead of the show's launch, the team behind Let's Not Be Kidding shared some of their book recommendations with CBC Books.
Gavin Crawford recommends We, the Drowned by Carsten Jensen
"It has nothing to do with dementia but is a great book about the history of a Danish port town from the 1800s up until just after the Second World War. It tells the tales of the men who sail, and the women and children they leave behind.
The stories are in turns hilarious, dark and sometimes just odd.- Gavin Crawford
"The stories are in turns hilarious, dark and sometimes just odd. I find sometimes when you're dealing with something difficult in the present, grabbing an epic novel with a big scope is a great way to zoom out and grab some perspective."
Aurora Browne recommends They Left Us Everything by Plum Johnson
"They Left Us Everything by Plum Johnson is a memoir about dealing with the aftermath and belongings of a parent who had dementia.
I think the only thing that can keep me sane is hearing that anyone else is experiencing the same thing.- Aurora Browne
"Because my own family is going through the exact same thing — so many, many THINGS to deal with — I think the only thing that can keep me sane is hearing that anyone else is experiencing the same thing. It's such a difficult, lonely time that doesn't leave much energy for actually meeting new people. But reading someone else's thoughts, that I can do."
Aurora Browne is a comedian and one of the co-creators, writers, executive producers and stars of CBC sketch comedy series, Baroness von Sketch Show. She is one of the comedians who appears on Let's Not Be Kidding.
David Carroll recommends A History of Forgetting by Caroline Adderson
"A book I read and loved — long before dementia ever impacted my family — is Caroline Adderson's 1999 novel, A History of Forgetting. Adderson is Canadian, and a stunning writer. Her book doesn't feature many laughs, but the central story is deeply resonant: an aging gay couple, one member of which is losing his memory to Alzheimer's Disease.
A History of Forgetting by Caroline Adderson is a bit heavy, not a ton of laughs, but the writing is stunning.- David Carroll
"The scene in which Malcolm covers all the mirrors in their apartment so that Denis won't be frightened by his own reflection ("That can't possibly be me! That's an intruder!") is both heartbreaking and harrowing.
"A History of Forgetting by Caroline Adderson is a bit heavy, not a ton of laughs, but the writing is stunning. "
David Carroll is the producer of Let's Not Be Kidding. He is also a writer and producer with Because News.
Émilie Quesnel recommends The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak
"The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak explores the power of love and family across generations and continents, and looks at how we honour lost loved ones after they're gone.
"While the book doesn't touch specifically on dementia or Alzheimer's, it looks at what happens to a family when a core member dies, and how connecting with traditions and history can help the family heal and keep the memory of their lost one alive.
It's a really touching multi-generational familial love story full of neat facts and beautiful writing.- Émilie Quesnel
"A bonus is that this book was chock full of all the topics that my grandmother — who died of Alzheimer's — and I loved to talk about the most: birds, trees, wildlife, history, geography. It's a really touching multi-generational familial love story full of neat facts and beautiful writing. It'll warm your heart for sure, despite the deep sadness felt throughout – much like Let's Not Be Kidding."
Émilie Quesnel is the digital producer of Let's Not Be Kidding.
Comments have been edited for length and clarity.
