What Don't Kill Me Just Makes Me... | Buy

Summary

What Don't Kill Me Just Makes Me Strong is a survival memoir that recounts Stewart Francke's remarkable journey through leukemia and a bone marrow transplant, complications and recovery. Understanding he is, as a survivor, part of the “lucky unlucky,” Francke finds the silver lining in his struggle and then some.Each chapter begins with guides to survival--through any adversity, not just cancer. These informed aphorisms lend What Don't Kill Me a spiritual dimension, making it both literary memoir and a guide to living. As a young father and renowned musician, Francke describes the relationships with his family, friends, medical team and muse with poignant detail, humor and love. He ultimately comes to treat each breath as a gift and grows to understand that a life in service to others is a life lived with true purpose.The trip from initial biopsy to full recovery is often horrific, but Francke writes as an unflinching advocate for his own condition, and comes to understand that both surrender and faith are choices. He continually chooses the latter, and finds only death is irrevocable. All else either makes us stronger or can be learned to live with. Although this is a somewhat singular journey through illness, faith and family, Francke makes it everyone’s story.

Author Biography

This kind of penetrating and emotional writing is nothing new for Stewart Francke, one of Michigan’s favorite sons as both a performer and writer. From his beginnings in the Michigan industrial city of Saginaw to bright lights on national stages, his creative work has transformed the lives of thousands who’ve listened to his songs or read his writing. In 2009 Stewart’s hometown of Saginaw recognized his music by awarding him a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Saginaw County Cultural Arts Commission for “the enjoyment and insight his songs and prose have brought to so many in his home town, home state and beyond.” A leukemia and stem cell transplant survivor, Stewart has been recognized by the Points Of Light Foundation for his personal work in cancer patient support. The Stewart Francke Leukemia Foundation was presented the prestigious Partnership In Humanity Award by the Detroit Newspapers and he was named Volunteer of the Year by the National Marrow Donor Program in 2002. He's been recognized by his peers in his community through numerous Detroit Music Awards, including Best Artist, Songwriter & Album. Hour Detroit readers voted him most popular musician 2002-2004. He was awarded a Creative Artist Grant by Artserve Michigan in 2004. In 2007 his book of collected lyrics and essays on music, "Between The Ground and God," won a trio of Indie Excellence Awards. As a musician, he’s performed several dates on the 2011 Bob Seger Tour, as well as on bills with the likes of Sheryl Crow, Stevie Winwood, Steve Earle, Eddie Money, Huey Lewis & The News, Shawn Colvin, Hootie & The Blowfish, Chicago, Hall & Oates, Chuck Berry and many others. Stewart Francke lives in Huntington Woods, MI with his wife, Julia, and children.

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