Shaughnessy Bishop-Stall
Author of Down to This: Squalor and Splendour in a Big-City Shantytown
Works by Shaughnessy Bishop-Stall
Associated Works
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Gender
- male
- Education
- Concordia University
- Agent
- Samantha Haywood (Transatlantic Literary Agency)
- Nationality
- Canada
- Associated Place (for map)
- Canada
Members
Reviews
I can understand the desire to erase a hangover. This globe-trotting years-long search for a cure relates a lot of the history and science of this millennia-long human yearning. I thought, simplistically, that a hangover is like a laceration and will take what it takes to recover from. There is a much more complex relationship between alcohol and the human body and individual humans at various points of drinking and recovering can have symptoms countered. Much is made of IV treatments which, show more of course, are not practical. The author favors targeted pills taken at the tail end of a drinking session instead of the more common restorative liquids. Discussed with such experts as NOLA's Dr. Mignonne Mary of Remedy Room, the author makes a convincing argument for NAC (which I learned of during the COVID pandemic), and gets convinced of strategic use of magnesium:
show less
VITAMINS B, B, AND B. Although I might be tempted, for the sake of efficiency, to just use a B complex or multivitamin, I don't. Vitamins are powerful and potentially intrusive. And don't get me started on B. (On a sort of side note, I have found that taking the stomach medication Zantac before my first drink prevents symptoms of alcohol flushing.)
MILK THISTLE. I have come to believe that this is what ultimately saved Tom and me from the full effects of drinking twelve pints in twelve pubs-or whatever the final count may have been. Made into healing elixirs and salves for two thousand years by druids, swamis, Wiccans and naturopaths, it may still be the most powerful hangover remedy available in England, and certainly at Boots.
N-ACETYLCYSTEINE (NAC). I've probably said enough about this, at least for the time being. I think it is definitely the key ingredient. And I've found that I need to take a higher dose than recommended in order to get the desired result, usually at least 1000 milligrams. My bottle says the dosage is 500 milligrams a day. Maybe I'm reckless to take this much NAC.The official health recommendations warn that NAC should be taken with meals, can cause nausea, vomiting or allergic reaction. They also say don't take it if I'm pregnant, breast feeding or have cystinuria. Or if I'm antibiotics or nitroglycerin. So far, so good!
FRANKINCENSE (BOSWELLIA). Although this is the second- most important ingredient, I sometimes trade it out for another anti-inflammatory analgesic, such as CBD oil or perhaps even Chinese snake oil. My preference is for something natural that won't tax the liver. And it needs to be potent.
I've found that I want the maximum recommended dose for all of these things-other than the NAC, which I take as above. And I don't skimp on the analgesic; preventing inflammation is vital. All these ingredients work out to between six and ten pills or capsules, depending on the doses and whether I combine any of the B vitamins. I'm not one of those people who balks at swallowing pills. I prefer it to when my organs go rigid, bowels spasm...
I feel it's appropriate that I've finished this on NYE, even though I plan on staying in (with a bottle of sparkling wine). All my favorite nonfiction elements are here -- memoir, factoids, and some science. The author meets some really interesting people, and has some truly cringey experiences which make this book a fun read.
A lot of interesting concepts thrown together to make for a schizophrenic love story/action movie. I might have enjoyed this more if I even gave a shit about the narrator. He was too whiny and self-absorbed to empathize with.
Well kiddies, this is going to be a hard one to review, because well, quite frankly I just didn't like the story. Now I want you all to know, it has nothing to do with his ability as a writer, because he definitely has talent. It's just that I don't like books that deal with some of the more unpleasant people in this world, and quite frankly there are things I can live without knowing.
To illustrate the above point, here is a passage from the novel. I can't even type the beginning of the show more passage because it is just too graphic and horrific.
Then I said, "If you don't, I will break this bottle inside you. It took a while but eventually she said "My name is Becky, and I will be 8 next week". "That means you are seven" I said, and filled her mouth with her underwear. It had blue ducks and blood on it"
Seriously, no one needs tor read something like that. I know there are damaged people like this out there who really should be shot down like the rabid dogs they are (no Jen, tell us what you really feel) but we don't need to have a description of what they do when they rape a child. Honestly, after reading the passage, I had to put the book down for a couple of days, because I was seriously disgusted.
The characters are very realistic and the storyline very unusual and at times I was very impressed with the author's creativity. Sometimes the dialogue was laugh your ass off funny.
"He flipped open the tape deck. "Gowan? So if you got trapped in here you'd have to listen to Gowan for the rest of your life?"
Other times the storyline was hopeful and you felt yourself cheering the protagonist on but than the hope was sort of dashed on you. I really enjoyed a couple of the characters and just found them to be interesting and realistic, Chaz (A sort of nice drug dealer) and Dr Francis (incredibly realistic troubled Dr). Even the main character of Mason, a down and out sort of guy, was sort of likable. I just got pissed at him, because he was constantly doing really stupid things, when he knew better. Bishop-Stall really excels at the development of his characters which really bring them to life. Also his description of a shelter are so painstakingly real that you can tell that the author has definitely spent time in one. The last couple chapters are just brilliantly written and made me feel better about forcing myself to read the damn book.
Please, if you like a dark and gritty tale, that has a Palahniuk flavour to it, go out and get a copy, because the author is seriously talented. At times I did enjoy reading it, but those times were few and far between. show less
To illustrate the above point, here is a passage from the novel. I can't even type the beginning of the show more passage because it is just too graphic and horrific.
Then I said, "If you don't, I will break this bottle inside you. It took a while but eventually she said "My name is Becky, and I will be 8 next week". "That means you are seven" I said, and filled her mouth with her underwear. It had blue ducks and blood on it"
Seriously, no one needs tor read something like that. I know there are damaged people like this out there who really should be shot down like the rabid dogs they are (no Jen, tell us what you really feel) but we don't need to have a description of what they do when they rape a child. Honestly, after reading the passage, I had to put the book down for a couple of days, because I was seriously disgusted.
The characters are very realistic and the storyline very unusual and at times I was very impressed with the author's creativity. Sometimes the dialogue was laugh your ass off funny.
"He flipped open the tape deck. "Gowan? So if you got trapped in here you'd have to listen to Gowan for the rest of your life?"
Other times the storyline was hopeful and you felt yourself cheering the protagonist on but than the hope was sort of dashed on you. I really enjoyed a couple of the characters and just found them to be interesting and realistic, Chaz (A sort of nice drug dealer) and Dr Francis (incredibly realistic troubled Dr). Even the main character of Mason, a down and out sort of guy, was sort of likable. I just got pissed at him, because he was constantly doing really stupid things, when he knew better. Bishop-Stall really excels at the development of his characters which really bring them to life. Also his description of a shelter are so painstakingly real that you can tell that the author has definitely spent time in one. The last couple chapters are just brilliantly written and made me feel better about forcing myself to read the damn book.
Please, if you like a dark and gritty tale, that has a Palahniuk flavour to it, go out and get a copy, because the author is seriously talented. At times I did enjoy reading it, but those times were few and far between. show less
Lists
Matt (1)
Awards
You May Also Like
Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 3
- Also by
- 1
- Members
- 205
- Popularity
- #107,801
- Rating
- 3.9
- Reviews
- 8
- ISBNs
- 19
- Languages
- 2
- Favorited
- 1