{"product_id":"i-am-clarence-paperback","title":"I Am Clarence - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eElaine Kraf\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003eSarah Manguso\u003c\/b\u003e (Introduction by)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA haunting novel exploring a mother's fierce love for her disabled son as she grapples with her own mental health, by the author of the feminist cult classic \u003ci\u003eThe Princess of 72nd Street\u003c\/i\u003e--with an introduction by Sarah Manguso\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Elaine Kraf is one of literature's hidden gems. Her work demands a place on your bookshelf right next to Plath and Ditlevsen.\"\u003ci\u003e--\u003c\/i\u003eSarah Rose Etter, author of \u003ci\u003eRipe\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eAccording to Dr. Hovenclock, health meant wanting things. What would I have to pretend to want before he would let me leave? I longed to return to Clarence.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor Clarence's mother, life revolves around her young son; she takes him to see specialists to find the cause of his blindness and developmental delays, protects him from the cruelty of other children, and loves him tenderly. But she has her own struggles too. Her sanity is precarious and fractured, making caregiving increasingly difficult for her. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWhen her mental health reaches a breaking point, she checks herself into an institution so that she can get better and, she tells herself, be a better mother to Clarence. As she is forced to decide between his well-being and her own, the reader is faced with these essential questions: Can a mother's love for her child surmount her own emotional upheaval? How much can she sacrifice for her son and survive? \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThrough this unforgettable journey into one woman's mind and relationships, Kraf paints a harrowing portrait of motherhood, which remains timely and inventive more than fifty years after its initial publication.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eElaine Kraf \u003c\/b\u003e(1936-2013) was a writer and painter. She was the author of four published works of fiction--\u003ci\u003eI Am Clarence \u003c\/i\u003e(1969), \u003ci\u003eThe House of Madelaine \u003c\/i\u003e(1971), \u003ci\u003eFind Him! \u003c\/i\u003e(1977), and \u003ci\u003eThe Princess of 72nd Street \u003c\/i\u003e(1979)--as well as several unpublished novels, plays, and poetry collections. Kraf was the recipient of two National Endowment for the Arts awards, a 1971 fellowship at the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, and a 1977 residency at Yaddo. She was born and lived in New York City.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 224\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.61 x 8.02 x 5.33 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e April 15, 2025\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44378944438374,"sku":"9780593731857","price":24.68,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0599\/7255\/0758\/files\/qUWm1tHEgP9780593731857.webp?v=1768912818","url":"https:\/\/infinitylightwa.com\/products\/i-am-clarence-paperback","provider":"Infinity Light","version":"1.0","type":"link"}