In a New York Times essay that received instant acclaim for its poignancy, beauty and determination, the renowned scientist and doctor revealed that he has incurable cancer.
“Over the last few days, I have been able to see my life as from a great altitude, as a sort of landscape, and with a deepening sense of the connection of all its parts, ” he wrote in the Times. “This does not mean I am finished with life.”
“On the contrary, I feel intensely alive, and I want and hope in the time that remains to deepen my friendships, to say farewell to those I love, to write more, to travel if I have the strength, to achieve new levels of understanding and insight,” wrote Sacks, 81.
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“I feel a sudden clear focus and perspective. There is no time for anything inessential. I must focus on myself, my work and my friends.”
For fans, there is good news among the gloom.
Sacks will publish an autobiography in the spring and in his Times essay says he is nearly done with several other books.
