I came across an article this week (which I will not link to) that featured the younger brother of Dave Eggers who was featured prominently in Egger's breakout novel, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. The article did not cast Dave Eggers in the most positive light. Egger's younger brother featured in the novel, Toph Eggers, has been struggling with depression and other issues and is currently estranged from his brother.
Something in the way the article was presented didn't ring true. I did a few minutes of online research and found that the author of the article has long been obsessed with Dave Eggers. He has a website that details pretty much every move Eggers makes in life, including the most inane. He has been accused of stalking and has been the subject of restraining orders. He obviously made no attempt at journalistic neutrality and took advantage of a vulnerable man for a hit piece. I'm surprised that the national magazine in which the article appeared would give him a job, much less a platform for such an irresponsible hitpiece.
The major takeaway for me is that the lives of those we look up to is often not as glamorous as it seems. I've always admired Dave Eggers. His books are great. He runs a non-profit tutoring center, which I have visited in San Francisco and find inspiring. He founded and operates an independent publishing house. He's married to a fellow novelist who edits a quarterly to which I subscribe. He speaks at literary events all over the world. He interviews important intellectuals and leaders. It looks like the dream life.
But like everyone, his life isn't without substantial challenges and unlike us, his challenges are often in the public eye. This is one of the unfortunate trade-offs of celebrity.
His sister took her own life. His younger brother apparently struggles with mental health issues and is estranged from the family. The subject of one of his most popular non-fiction works later became abusive which casts a negative shadow over a great book. Eggers is tracked by a stalker who claims to be a journalist.
I am still a big fan of Dave Eggers. But I am reminded that even our "heroes" have to contend with the realities of life. We need to value our own lives and not compare ourselves to the false realities we often create for those we admire. Comparison can lead us down dark paths. Everyone we meet are facing struggles. This is something to keep in mind when we cast judgment. It is something to keep in mind when we cast judgment on our own lives that don't seem to match up to our heroes.
