Wolfson, Penny

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WOLFSON, Penny

PERSONAL:

Married Joe Lurio (a doctor); children: Ansel, Diana, Toby. Education: Sarah Lawrence College, B.A., 1976; M.F.A., 2000.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Dobbs Ferry, NY. Agent—Ellen Levine, Ellen Levine Agency, 15 East 26th St., Ste. 1801, New York, NY 10010.

CAREER:

Educator and writer. Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, NY, professor of creative writing.

AWARDS, HONORS:

National Magazine Award, 2002.

WRITINGS:

Moonrise: One Family, Genetic Identity, and Muscular Dystrophy, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 2003.

Contributor to periodicals, including New York Times, Atlantic Monthly, Exceptional Parent, and Good Housekeeping.

SIDELIGHTS:

Fifteen years before Moonrise: One Family, Genetic Identity, and Muscular Dystrophy was published, Penny Wolfson gave birth to her first child, a son. Before the child was born, Wolfson and her husband had seen an exhibit of Ansel Adams's landscape photographs titled Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico, and they decided to name their son Ansel, after the photographer. The rising of the moon became a symbol for Ansel's life. He was born with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), a debilitating disease passed from females to males that results in the deterioration of muscles over time and leads to death. Wolfson's Moonrise collects fifteen years worth of essays containing her thoughts and reflections on raising a child with DMD. Ansel's triumphs and his struggles are compared to the rising of the moon. By the end of the memoir, Wolfson ends with the image of a three-quarter moon, the author unsure if the moon is rising or setting. The reader is left feeling there is hope for Ansel, who enrolled at Columbia University and hoped to become a lawyer protecting the rights of people with disabilities. There continues to be no cure for his disease.

A Kirkus Reviews contributor called Moonrise, which is part personal reflection and struggle and part informational research, both "informative" and "poignant." Wolfson combines quotes from her personal journal with scientific research, the history of the disease, interviews with scientists, and an analysis of continuing efforts to find a cure. In Publishers Weekly a reviewer described the memoir as "heartfelt," citing Wolfson's writing as "expressive and skillful." KellyJo Houtz Griffin in Library Journal recommended Moonrise as an "excellent addition for most collections." Wolfson was honored with the National Magazine award for portions of her book that were published in the Atlantic Monthly in December of 2001.