I Had a Brother Once

More about the book

Adam Mansbach, a young jazz musician, rapper, poet, screenwriter, and novelist, unexpectedly found fame with a bestselling book of rhyming couplets about putting his daughter to sleep. As his dreams of success unfolded—interviews, sold-out events, and an audiobook narrated by Samuel L. Jackson and Werner Herzog—he received devastating news from his father about his older brother, David. The shocking revelation of David's suicide left Mansbach grappling with profound grief and regret, wishing he hadn't needed to hear the news repeated. This epic poem explores the complexities of love, family, and mortality as Mansbach confronts the loss of his beloved and troubled brother. Building on the sensitivity he showcased in his previous work, he seeks to articulate the search for meaning amid grief. The poem becomes a ritual of mourning, a way for him to process his sorrow and understand the sudden void left by his brother's absence. Through this journey, Mansbach illuminates the intricacies of human experience, reflecting on the nature of loss and the challenge of moving forward.