"Fifty Miles is a memoir in linked essays that addresses addiction and alcoholism in a family cursed with substance abuse. The book traces the life and death of the author's son, Gray, a talented but troubled musician and video game aficionado, to a drug overdose at thirty, as well as the author's own recovery from substance abuse. Early essays address Gray's childhood ADHD diagnosis and potential connections between the drugs we use for ADHD and later addiction; adolescence troubles, and the author's own struggles with recovery. Along the way we learn of the ways in which she used crocheting, travel, writing, and even gaming, as healing activities. A final essay discusses her role in creating in the Words Without Walls program, which sends MFA students and faculty into jails and rehabilitation facilities to teach creative writing" -- Provided by publisher.
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