Somebody's Bright Balloon [Hardcover]

Jeffrey McCallum (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 8, 2006

Somebody’s Bright Balloon is divided into three sections. “Self and Others: Receivers” are poems that depict with truth and hope the travails of a cancer patient and the author’s interaction with other patients and medical professionals.

The second section, “Givers,” offers poems about doctors, surgeons, nurses and other hospital staff who care for seriously ill patients. The final section, “The Dark Side” is about concomitant depression and mental illness that many patients experience.

Somebody’s Bright Balloon offers a rare glimpse into the thoughts, impressions and coping mechanisms of a cancer patient during treatment and recovery and how he assimilated the reality of cancer into his life.

Caregivers -- from family members to health care professionals -- have gained compassion and understanding through the insights provided in McCallum’s poems. Other cancer patients have found strength in the knowledge that their fears and reactions to cancer and its treatment are shared experiences.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

As the medical reports say, Jeff McCallum is a “pleasant 55-year-old gentleman.” Born in the Yukon Territories, McCallum followed his meteorologist-turned-weatherperson-turned-actor father to the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis in 1964, where he still resides.

A commercial building contractor and father of four young men, McCallum remains active in the civil rights movement. He is in his 10th year as member of the board of directors of Mixed Blood Theatre, which has for 30 years been dedicated to “keeping the dream alive.” His cancer experience in July of 2003 focused his writing on cancer, patients, caregivers and the everyday miracles these relationships create. He is pleased and honored to speak at events and fundraisers for the American Cancer Society and to dedicate a portion of the proceeds of this book to its Hope Lodge.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 120 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse, Inc. (September 8, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595678580
• ISBN-13: 978-0595678587
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,842,569 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely moving and amazing, October 8, 2006

By 

Diana J. Burgess (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Somebody's Bright Balloon (Paperback)

As a cancer patient, I found that these poems captured my experience in a profound way. I was lucky enough to see the poems prior to publication, and I shared them with everyone I could think of. They are so moving. One friend told me that she printed the poems and they became stained with tears. Like Jeff, I had the experience of being treated at the Mayo Clinic for salivary gland cancer, and I could not believe how much he captured--from the mundane details to the emotions. I recommend this book for anyone who has been touched by the serious illness, either as a patient or as the friend and family member of a loved one (I guess that includes all of us!)

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars strong, honest poems, October 6, 2006

By 

Cortney Davis (Redding, CT United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Somebody's Bright Balloon (Hardcover)

As a nurse I have cared for cancer patients, often amazed at their ability to face pain, disability and suffering with hope, joy and a never-failing desire both to live every moment and to share their lives with others. As a writer, I know how difficult it is to write of such suffering without lapsing into sentimentality. In this beautiful collection, Jeff McCallum writes with honesty and clarity about his own journey through the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. He chronicles both moments of despair and moments of triumph; most of all he digs deep into the illness experience to make it accessible to all. Poetry lovers will find strong poems here. Patients will recognize their journeys and be strengthened and comforted. Caregivers will gain new insight into the hearts, fears and desires of their patients. This is a wonderful book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent resource for cancer patients, September 19, 2006

By 

Shagawa (Twin Cities) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Somebody's Bright Balloon (Paperback)

If I had to name one thing I like best about McCallum's poems I would have to say it is his ability to describe with alternately calm and gut-wrenching insight the act of letting go in order to experience the journey of the unknown.

I gave my mother, recently diagnosed with cancer, a copy of Somebody's Bright Balloon. She said the poems gave her strength because she knew what she was feeling wasn't unique (or odd or crazy) and the poems made her feel less alone and afraid. She recognized herself in some of McCallum's poems since he writes about his own experience and with a keen observation of other patients and their caregivers.