The Weight of Air, David Poses

I’ve read many addiction stories, but this one stands out as my favorite. The raw truth in The Weight of Air compelled me to keep turning pages. I trusted the author, primarily because Poses shared his flaws and the ugly side of addiction along with some beautiful sides of his character. And don’t we all have both? The writing is clear, but intellectual, stimulating but not difficult to read.

The author gave readers insight to the mind of an addict, yet he didn’t dwell on the experience of his highs under the influence, something that could easily be a trigger for someone in recovery. Instead, he let us see his depression and his joy. Most importantly, the epilogue gave readers hope, something often unreliable in families of addicts. And he offered a treasured solution.

I’m passionate about the topic of addiction and am grateful to know Poses is currently an activist on the topic. In many ways I am, too, especially in terms of parents intervening before drug use becomes a disease. My brother overdosed on heroin, so I have a different perspective on addiction. Mine is a sibling angle I’m capturing in a memoir I wrote during my MFA in creative nonfiction and am now editing for publication.