By outdoor-nature-child.com In the wake of Oliver Sacks’ passing in 2015, I took a moment to visit his Manhattan office to express my condolences to his long-time editor and friend, Kate Edgar. What I found was a treasure trove of Sacks’ legacy—shelves overflowing with translations of his works and desk surfaces cluttered with his distinctive and often chaotic handwriting. The subjects represented his diverse interests, with stacks labeled “Dreams,” “Memory,” and “Borges.” Edgar mentioned there was enough material for at least two more books of essays, and she hinted at the daunting task of sorting through 70 boxes of correspondence that chronicled Sacks’ life.
From these boxes, Edgar has curated a remarkable collection of 700 pages of letters that capture the essence of Sacks—his compassion, intellect, and creativity—spanning from August 1960, when he first moved from England to North America, until just days before his death from melanoma 55 years later.
Sacks, who qualified in medicine in England during the 1950s, moved to California in 1961 to continue his training in neurology. He marveled at the “enormous opportunities” life in the US afforded him, both professionally and personally. Coming from a family steeped in medicine—his father, Samuel, remained a GP in London well into his 90s, while his mother, Muriel, was a prominent gynecologist—Sacks’ upbringing was intertwined with the medical profession. He fondly remembered how his mother was one of the first Jewish women elected as a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons and believed she had a profound impact on his career.
Among the most poignant letters in this collection are those Sacks penned to his parents in his early years, revealing his fears and insecurities about the medical field, alongside tales of his weightlifting feats and wild motorcycle adventures fueled by amphetamines. Even in his 20s, his writing radiated a vibrant and academic flair, but it was after relocating to New York in 1965 that the empathetic doctor we recognize today began to emerge.
Initially diving into neuropathology, he soon transitioned into clinical work, ultimately finding his path as a resident neurologist at Beth Abraham Hospital. It was here that he became a compassionate advocate for patients battling severe neurological disorders, particularly in the wake of the “sleepy sickness” epidemic. His groundbreaking book, “Awakenings,” published in 1973, chronicled the stunning impact of a new medication, L-dopa, and later inspired both a celebrated play and a Hollywood film starring Robert De Niro and Robin Williams.
It was in the early 1980s that Kate Edgar entered Sacks’ world as an editor, assigned to his neurological case histories, which culminated in the book “The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat.” A letter from Sacks to Edgar requesting that she continue to work alongside him stands out; he referred to her as a sort of “literary/intellectual factotum” who helped him organize and refine his vast array of ideas.
Sacks expressed a deep emotional connection to Edgar, considering her a “mother figure,” and attributed much of his creative success to her presence in his life. The numerous works that followed—”Seeing Voices,” “Uncle Tungsten,” “Musicophilia,” and “Hallucinations”—serve as a testament to their fruitful collaboration.
Throughout his life, Sacks corresponded with a diverse group of admirers, artists, and scientists. His writing evolved as he embraced the role of a public intellectual, yet his insatiable curiosity and enthusiasm remained ever-present, even in response to criticism. In one notable exchange, he addressed a psychiatrist’s concerns regarding his portrayal of Tourette syndrome, emphasizing his respect for both the afflicted and the need to look beyond a purely medical framework.
With this collection of letters, Oliver Sacks’ remarkable legacy as a writer, humanitarian, and physician is firmly established, showcasing the profound ways he influenced the understanding of what it means to be human.