“We do not remember days; we remember moments.”
Cesare Pavese, an Italian poet and novelist, provided us with the foregoing descriptive gem more than half a century ago. However, it still rings true today, especially when reading Before I Forget: Stories and thoughts of a clarinet playing academic by Martin Gerhard Giesbrecht, a Villa Hills resident.
Giesbrecht’s enjoyable book is a collection of more than ninety entertaining stories which reflect his experiences as an academic and as a father raising a family and living and working the Wilmington-Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky triangle.
Giesbrecht’s collection of short (and really short stories) is often witty, hugely interesting, and frequently touching. These well-written narratives feature many personalities from Giesbrecht’s remarkable life and from his family’s adventurous exploits.
I was honestly surprised to discover that Giesbrecht’s stories move with generations of his family as they migrate from pre-revolutionary Russia to Germany to New Jersey to Ohio and to Villa Hills.
The book grows on you and remarkably so.
Before I Forget is much more than what it first appears to be: a random collection of memories. Rather, it is well-written compendium of a man’s rich and fulfilling life, his passions, loves, and losses. It also reveals the exploits of dramatic and assorted characters in his noteworthy family.
You will find the kind of stories that are passed on from one generation to the next, a sumptuous algorithm of hints, scenes, glimpses, vignettes, and flashbacks that are as memorable by themselves as they are expressive of the people they denote. They are funny, reflective, poignant, heartfelt, emotional and revealing.
Giesbrecht is professor emeritus of economics at Northern Kentucky University. He also taught economics for many years at Wilmington College in Ohio. His love for music is clearly a theme in his commemorative narrative.
You will find stories from Europe, stories about his ancestors’ immigration to America, reflections on how Giesbrecht met his wife Pat, an amusing recollection about an outhouse and a wedding (not usually mentioned in the same sentence), stories about graduate school in Europe, reflections of his life in and around the Tri-State, tales about playing and acquiring clarinets and saxophones, and the adventures of an academic, who often reported on economics for NPR. Trust me; you’ll discover much more in this fine book.
If you appreciate old family stories and anecdotes, this book will ring true. These kinds of narratives make the past and one’s heritage sparkle. Often, what we think are quiet lives are filled with the stuff of giants. Giesbrecht’s book satisfies this observation. It is alive with the sweet rhythm that makes a distinctive life exciting.
At first, I thought Giesbrecht’s collection was a random series of stories; however, after a full read, I soon realized that, when finished, I had a very good grasp of the author’s life, his family, his beliefs, his humor, and a feel for the things he holds sacred. Whether by design or serendipity, his easy-to-read narratives masterfully weave a colorful tapestry of definitive characters.
If you are looking for a quick and enjoyable read, with a humorous twist, pick up a copy of Giesbrecht’s book. You might find it especially appealing if you are one of the thousands of students to whom he taught economics.
Before I Forget is the kind of book you can read from front to back, back to front, or start in the middle. Any which way you look at it, you cannot go wrong.
You can learn more about his book here.
Donald Then, a novelist and experienced editor and journalist, is NKyTribune’s literary editor. He will review books written by local authors or those with a Northern Kentucky setting. Reach him at author@djamesthen.com Visit his website at
www.djamesthen.com