Reader's Digest - February 2022

H E A LT H

A Voice In The Dark

A seemingly unresponsive patient creates some
career-changing questions for Dr Max

I n my first year as a junior time, this was quite a novel and
doctor I worked on a stroke revolutionary idea. People were
ward. It was a dynamic, cutting- given intense treatment with drugs
edge unit with close links and physiotherapy in an attempt to
to universities and actively minimise disability.
involved in research. A stroke is
usually caused by a blood clot in It was an exciting place to
one of the blood vessels in the work. But there was a part of the
brain—similar to how a heart attack ward that was reserved for those
is caused by a blood clot in the patients for whom no recovery was
blood vessels supplying the heart. possible. Their strokes had been so
The parts of the brain downstream catastrophic that there was no hope
from the clot don’t get enough fresh, of improvement. Outside of the
oxygenated blood because of the stroke ward, I sometimes heard it
blockage and start to die. The unit cruelly called “the cabbage patch” by
pioneered the idea that if someone other doctors, because these people
was treated quick enough with clot- were considered little more than
busting drugs, then the damage vegetables. This always struck me as
from the stroke could be limited. in very bad taste, but I understood
This is now widely accepted with that it was a misguided attempt to
rapid-response stroke treatment deal with the bleak situation these
units in many hospitals, but at the patients were in. One such patient
was Mr Roberts. He was in his fifties
Max is a hospital doctor, and had been brought in after a
author and columnist. He terrible stroke which had left him
currently works full time in entirely paralysed. He had been
mental health for the NHS. standing on the golf course one
His new book, The minute and the next, had collapsed.
Marvellous Adventure of In that moment, his life changed
Being Human, is out now forever. He could not communicate

48 • FEBRUARY 2022

at all and it was assumed he was looked into his eyes and smiled as
effectively brain dead. The doctors warmly as I could and spoke to him
discussed the very poor prognosis as I took his blood, just in case.
with his wife over his motionless
body, as though he wasn’t there. The idea that he was trapped in
She sobbed as they explained there there, a living hell on earth, haunted
was little hope for him and he would me until he died two weeks later. It
be like this until he likely succumbed had a profound effect on me and from
to an infection and died. then on, I have never spoken about
an unconscious patient in front of
Later that day I returned to take them again. I always introduce myself
some blood from his lifeless arm. and explain what I am doing, just in
His head was on one side and as case there is part of them that is still
I knelt down I met his gaze, there aware. And years later, when my gran
seemed to be some sort of look. was lying dying, utterly unresponsive,
It was as though he was pleading I still spoke to her, reassuring her that
with me to do something. It was I was there, for hours until she died,
horrifying and it has preyed on my just in case there was some part of
mind far more than any of the deaths her that was conscious and scared or
I have witnessed while a doctor. confused. In matters like this, you just
I instinctively held his hand and never know. Q

FEBRUARY 2022 • 49

H E A LT H

The Doctor Is In

Dr Max Pemberton

Q: I’ve noticed narrow white lines sign of kidney disease. The list of “nail
appearing on my nails. They only signs”, as they are called, goes on and
appear on my thumb, and are worse on. The problem is that they’re often
on the left one. Aside from this my not very specific—they can indicate a
nails seem fine. Any idea what these number of conditions so you can’t
are? Or how to reduce them? - Bill make a diagnosis from the nail alone.
It does, however, sometimes help
A: Dear Bill, you might be surprised combined with other symptoms. So in
to hear that one of the first things you general, it’s always worth showing
are taught at medical school is to look nail changes to your GP. In your case,
at a patient’s nails. This is because I suspect you have “Beau lines”. These
while a change in colour, texture or are lines or grooves that run the width
shape can be harmless, it can also be of the nail. It means that something
a sign of disease. A lot of medical temporarily stopped or slowed your
conditions involve changes to the nails while they were growing. As this
nails in one way or another. Psoriasis, part of the under-grown nail grows,
for example, can cause yellowish- we notice it, as it moves out of the nail
orange spots, called salmon patch bed and on to the exposed nail we
dyschromia or “oily drop” sign. A nail can see. A lot of things can cause
that lifts up (the medical term is these—fever, pneumonia, problems
onycholysis) can be a sign of fungal with circulation, or chemotherapy,
infection. Pits in the nail can be a sign but so can simple, local injury to the
of certain types of arthritis. Spoon nail bed, which we’re often not even
shaped nails (called koilonychia) can aware has occurred (or we forget
mean someone has a problem
with their stomach or about because of the time it takes
intestines, or sensitivity to for the nail to grow). It’s worth
gluten (coeliac disease). Yellow showing them to a GP who can
nails can be a sign of lung reassure you. Q
disease, as can bulbous shaped
nails (called clubbing). Red Got a health question for
lines, called splinter our resident doctor?
haemorrhages, can be a Email it confidentially to
[email protected]

50 • FEBRUARY 2022 illustration by Javier Muñoz

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H E A LT H

Get Together, tip-of-the-tongue feeling—and so we

eagerly join in with the challenge at
Remember More! hand ourselves.
Second, believing that others are

Teamwork makes brains close to remembering something

work better, says our memory boosts our confidence that we can get
expert, Jonathan Hancock there too.

And you don’t have to go on

New research shows that University Challenge to experience
being part of a team has these effects. Here are three ways
remarkable benefits for that we can all tap into the power of
recall. But you’ll know team learning.

that already if you’ve ever watched

University Challenge. Every week • Share the memory load.

the contestants perform amazing Many couples and families do

feats of memory. First, they work this naturally. Your partner

independently, racing to buzz in and may remember birthdays, for

solve the “starter for 10.” As we all example, while you’re in charge

have to do several times every day, of remembering bin day. Having

they search their memory banks in a “recall responsibility” can be

solitary silence. But then one team motivating, and give you the

gets to work together. They can confer confidence you need to succeed.

before answering. And that’s when • Reminisce in a group. Use the

we see how much it helps to flex our “contagion” effect in teams to

memory muscles with others. awaken your own memories. But

It’s partly common sense. In the also work together to trigger each

team round, there’s less individual other’s recall. You’ll all enjoy much

pressure, more time to chew over richer and more multi-layered

each question, and the players can remembering as a result.

consider several possibilities before • Make memory a team game. Tackle

giving their final, group response. newspaper quizzes and gameshows

But there’s even more going on in a group. Confer to come up with

according to Canadian researchers, your best joint answers. But be

who’ve shown that our brains get personally competitive, too, and

a natural boost when they’ve got trust the science. Your teammates’

company. The study suggests two mental energy should motivate and

reasons why. First, when we’re with empower you to beat your personal

people who are trying to remember best, and help to keep all your

something, we can easily “catch” that thinking skills sharp.

52 • FEBRUARY 2022



HE CURED
HIS OWN

DISEASE

A medical
lifdeeliandel—ystdfuridoseomnrtdhbeisratoftiwlninnaglrlyeasgeoatrach

By Ryan Prior

from cnn.com

54

H E A LT H

Photograph by Peter Murray

HE CURED HIS OWN DISEASE

IT WAS JUST have a baby girl, and he’s devoting photos, opening spread and story: hand lettering by maria amador
his medical career to saving other
after Christmas 2013, and David patients like him.
Fajgenbaum was hovering near death.
As a boy in North Carolina,
He lay in a hospital bed at the US, David spent his Saturdays
University of Arkansas, his blood watching the North Carolina State
platelet count so low that even a Wolfpack American football team
slight bump to his body could trigger with his dad, the team’s doctor.
a lethal brain bleed. A doctor told
him to write his living will on a piece At age seven, he was obsessed with
of paper. becoming an elite athlete. In school,
he would wake up at 5am to run. The
David was rushed to a CT scan. walls of his bedroom were covered
Tears streamed down his face and with American football play charts.
fell on his hospital gown. He thought
about the first patient who’d died He achieved his dream, making the
under his care in medical school and Georgetown University football team
how her brain had bled in a similar as a quarterback. But in 2004, during
way from a stroke. his second year his mother died of a
brain tumour.
He didn’t believe he’d survive the
scan. But he did. David's obsessive focus deepened,
helping him learn to appreciate life’s
David was battling Castleman precious moments and understand
disease, a rare autoimmune that bad things happen to good
disorder involving immune cells people. “I know people far more
attacking vital organs. It wasn’t the worthy of miracles than I am who
first time a relapse had threatened haven’t gotten them,” he says. David
his life. Massive “shock and awe” founded a support group for grieving
chemotherapy regimens had helped students at Georgetown called
him narrowly escape death Students of AMF—an acronym for
during four previous attacks, but Ailing Mothers and Fathers, as well as
each new assault on his body his mother’s initials (Reader’s Digest
weakened him. wrote about his group in 2008).

“You learn a lot by almost dying,” David went on to earn a master’s
he says. degree at the University of Oxford,
where he learned how to conduct
He learned enough to surprise his scientific research so that he could
doctors by coming up with a way fight the disease that took his mum.
to treat his disease. Six years later, That relentless focus and scientific
he’s in remission, he and his wife rigour would one day save his life.

David entered medical school at

56 • FEBRUARY 2022

READER’S DIGEST

David Fajgenbaum
in 2004, in a
football drill at
Georgetown
University (left),
and how he looked
in February 2011,
two weeks after
his third flare-up
of Castleman
disease

photos: (left) courtesy peyton williams/ the University of Pennsylvania to were failing, and he noticed curious
accphotos.com; (right) courtesy david fajgenbaum become a doctor like his father— red spots on his skin. He asked each
specifically, an oncologist, in tribute new doctor who came in his room
to his late mother. what the “blood moles” meant. But
his doctors, focused on saving his
In 2010, during his third year, he life, weren’t interested in them.
got very sick and was hospitalised
for five months. Something was “They went out of their way to
attacking his liver, kidneys and other say they didn’t matter,” David says.
organs, and shutting them down. But the med student turned patient
would prove he was on to something.
The diagnosis was idiopathic
multicentric Castleman disease. “Patients pick up on things that no
First described in 1954, Castleman one else sees,” he says.
presents partly like an autoimmune
condition and partly like cancer. The Castleman disease struck David
disease causes certain immune- four more times over the next three
signalling molecules, called years, with hospitalisations that
cytokines, to go into overdrive. It’s as ranged from weeks to months. He
if they’re calling in fighter jets for all- stayed alive only through intense
out attacks on home territory. chemotherapy “carpet bombing”
campaigns. During one relapse, his
In his hospital bed, David felt family called in a priest to give him
nauseated and weak. His organs his last rites.

After all the setbacks, all the organ

FEBRUARY 2022 • 57

HE CURED HIS OWN DISEASE

failure, all the chemo, David worried investigate Castleman. David
that his body would simply break. also prioritised clinical trials
Yet despite it all, he managed to that repurposed drugs that had
graduate from medical school. He already been approved as safe
also founded the Castleman Disease rather than starting from scratch
Collaborative Network (CDCN), a with new compounds.
global initiative devoted to fighting
Castleman disease. Meanwhile, he never knew whether
the next recurrence would finally kill
Through the CDCN, David began him. Staving off relapses meant flying
bringing the world’s top Castleman to North Carolina every three weeks
disease researchers together for to receive chemotherapy treatments.
meetings in the same room. His
group worked with doctors and Even so, he proposed to his
researchers as well as patients to university sweetheart, handing her a
prioritise the studies that needed to letter written by his niece that said,
be done soonest. in part, “I’m a really good flower girl.”

Rather than hoping for the right “The disease wasn’t a hindrance
researchers to apply for grants, they to me,” says his now-wife, Caitlin
recruited the best researchers to Fajgenbaum. “I just wanted us to
be together.”
“I don’t think I would
have felt comfortable But in late 2013, Castleman struck
trying the treatment again, landing David in that Arkansas
on another patient; hospital. It marked his closest brush
there were too many with death yet.
unknowns. Who
knew what problems Before he and Caitlin could send
could arise when out wedding invitations, David set
you shut down out to try to save his own life.
a volatile immune
system like mine” After examining his medical
charts, he zeroed in on an idea that—
david fajgenbaum, in his book more than 60 years after Castleman
chasing my cure disease was discovered—researchers
hadn’t yet explored.

A protein called vascular
endothelial growth factor, or VEGF,
was spiking at ten times its normal
level. David had learned in medical
school that VEGF controls blood
vessel growth, and he hypothesised
that the blood moles that had shown

58 • FEBRUARY 2022

up with every Castleman relapse

were a direct result of that protein

spike, which signals the immune

system to take action.

He also knew that there

was an immunosuppressant

called sirolimus that had been

approved to help fight the

immune system when it activated

against kidney transplants.

After consulting with a National

Institutes of Health expert, David

asked his doctor to prescribe the

drug. He picked it up in February

2014 at a pharmacy less than a

mile from his home. “A drug that

could potentially save my life was

hiding in plain sight,” he says.

So far, it’s working. David

has been in remission from

Castleman for more than six

years. He’s not the muscular David Fajgenbaum with his
football player he once was, wife Caitlin and their daughter Amelia
but he’s close to full strength.

He is now an assistant medical

professor at the University of And he feels his suffering means

Pennsylvania, running a research lab something when he looks in the

and enrolling patients in a clinical eyes of his patients with Castleman

trial for the drug that has given him disease. One girl, named Katie, was

his life back. diagnosed at age two and endured

In 2018, he and Caitlin became 14 hospitalisations.

parents when their daughter, Then her doctor prescribed

photo by peter murray Amelia, was born. “She’s such a little David’s drug after the family reached

miracle,” Caitlin says. “We’re so lucky out to the CDCN. Katie hasn’t been

to have her.” hospitalised since and just finished

David hopes his story offers lessons kindergarten. She has even learned

far beyond medicine about what how to ride a bike. Q

people can do when they’re backed from cnn.com (september 16, 2019), copyright © 2019
against a wall. by turner broadcasting systems, inc., cnn.com

FEBRUARY 2022 • 59

Get Into A
New Exercise
Routine This
New Year

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Do you have a New Year’s resolution by modern lifestyles which encourage
to exercise more? Lot’s of us do prolonged sitting at home and work.
- the problem though, is actually Exercise, rather than a cure, presents a
finding a routine that works and prophylactic we can all use for a better life.
actually sticking to it.
If you’ve tried to get more active before, But despite the obvious benefits, the
you will already know it can be a tough motivation to exercise over 50 often remains
adjustment, with muscles and joints elusive. Adopting an exercise habit is hard
complaining after every workout. The key - and sometimes it’s difficult to even know
is to take things slowly, and to listen to the where to start.
needs and wants of your body.
As we all know, it’s imperative to invest in While it’s all very well to pass a fleeting
our health and wellbeing at any age, but the new year’s resolution, it’s harder to
stakes only increase in later life. incorporate exercise into longer-term
By doubling down on self-care you can lifestyle change.
enjoy a happier retirement, minimising the
risk of health conditions and illnesses that For this reason, it’s always a good idea
manifest in older age. to start slow and with an exercise which
According to the NHS, “There’s strong isn’t too taxing on the body. An excellent
evidence that people who are active have example of this is Pilates. You’ll probably
a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, type have heard of this before - it’s a bit like yoga
2 diabetes, some cancers, depression and and is a mix of stretching and movement.
dementia.”
Exercise not only leads to physical health Classes are generally about an hour long
improvements but can also improve our and really tries to improve overall flexibility,
mental wellbeing, research showing that balance and posture. These classes are
physical activity “holds the promise of usually locally run and can cost upwards of
better mental health outcomes for older £20 per class - so the price can be a factor
adults”, whilst combating conditions such as for many.
depression.
As we age, dietary self-indulgences If you have an internet connection and a
accumulate and metabolic digestion slows, laptop, tablet or smartphone you can now
adding weight in unwelcome places. join Pilates classes online, and enjoy them
Exercise not only improves such from the comfort of your own home. This
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enough to go on holiday or simply able to
play with the grandkids. Mirthy.co.uk is one of the most popular
Such factors are invariably exacerbated websites for online Pilates classes - and best
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access to as many classes as you like.

For a limited time, you can join Mirthy
entirely for free - joining takes a few seconds
and then you can get full & free access to
every event they run for a full month. Q

K nown as the "food Pendle Hill,
capital of the North", in the
Lancashire's Ribble distance
Valley also boasts overlooking
outstanding natural beauty, the Ribble
stunning countryside and Valley
quaint historic villages.
STEPHEN FLEMING / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO
Visitors to this picturesque
part of Britain can enjoy a trip
to the 800-year-old Clitheroe
Castle, which offers panoramic
views of the region and a
fascinating museum telling
the story of the surrounding
landscape over the past 350
million years. Another
unmissable landmark
is Pendle Hill. Renowned for
its role in the 17th-century
witch trials, take in its moody
atmosphere while glancing
out over the resplendent
scenery below.

As well as its natural beauty,
history and friendly
communities, the Ribble Valley
has one of the most exciting
food scenes in the UK. From
Michelin-star dining experiences
through to satisfying pub grub
and family-friendly eateries,
there's truly something for every
taste and appetite. We spoke to
two players in the Ribble Valley
food game to understand what
makes the area so special for
culinary connoisseurs.

62

INSPIRE

My Britain:

Ribble
Valley
By Anna Walker

63

MY BRITAIN: RIBBLE VALLEY I’ve lived in the Ribble Valley for 13
years, ever since opening my
Steven Smith restaurant, The Freemasons, in 2009.
I came to the Ribble Valley from
Steven Smith, 39, is the chef and Blackburn, where I’m originally from.
owner of The Freemasons, an I chose to open the restaurant in the
award-winning inn in the Ribble Ribble Valley, as I had visited it over the
Valley village of Wiswell. Visit years and always found it to be such a
freemasonsatwiswell.com for wonderful place. At that time, there was
more information a good food and pub scene in the valley,
but it was all quite similar. With The
Summer day on the Freemasons, I wanted to push the
River Ribble boundaries of what pub food could be.

The Ribble Valley really is the jewel of
Lancashire, with beautiful scenery all
around, great pubs and places for
walking, plus it’s peaceful and remote
with an abundance of fresh air. It has
everything you need. In nearby
Clitheroe, you can walk the Tolkien Trail,
a 5.5-mile circular trail inspired by Lord
of the Rings author JRR Tolkien, who
loved spending time writing in the
Ribble Valley. There are charming

64

READER’S DIGEST

historic market towns, scenic nature five AA Gold Stars as a Restaurant with
spots, and the Forest of Bowland and Rooms, and we were voted sixth best
Yorkshire Dales are just a short drive gastropub in the 2021 Estrella Damm
away—perfect for an autumnal weekend 50 Best Awards and 38th place in the
away in the countryside. recent National Restaurant Awards.
Guests return to us time and time
People in the Ribble Valley are very again, either for an overnight stay, a
proud to live here, and there is a great meal for a special occasion or a hearty
community spirit among the residents. Sunday lunch. They love the relaxed
It’s an aspirational place and there are atmosphere combined with the superb
many people that own their own food and exciting dining experience.
independent businesses. The place is
very much part of me now having lived Our overnight guests love to try
here for over a decade. our epic Tasting Breakfast (which is
included with their stay), served in
At The Freemasons, we aim to Mr Smith’s, my experimental kitchen
provide the ultimate gastronomic space that brings you close to the
experience in a stylish and relaxed pub culinary action. We offer special
setting, where everyone feels welcome. gastronomic experiences too, like the
The four rooms were refurbished in 2019 "Chef for the Day" experience and
and are contemporary in style, with themed cookery masterclasses. They
luxury touches like a roll-top bath and offer a great way to discover a brand
dressing room at mezzanine level, Sonos new hobby while on staycation, or to
sound systems and fluffy robes. Our elevate your home cooking skills to the
accolades include three AA Rosettes and next level.

65

BMEYS BT ROI TF ABI NR I: TRI SI BHB L E V A L L E Y

Giles Shaw

Giles Shaw, 54, is the owner
of Wellgate Fisheries in the
Ribble Valley. Visit facebook.com/
wellgatefishmongers

I've lived in the Ribble Valley for 42 The Coronation
years. I came here when I lived with my gardens in the village
parents, so it has always felt like home of Waddington
for me. I’ve never left the Valley because
I love the place and there’s nowhere
else like it. I love the warmth
of the people, the setting in the
wonderful countryside, and the great
collection of restaurants and food
producers. People feel safe here. There
is little crime, an people look out for
each other. There is a close-knit
community here and everyone knows
their neighbours, so it is always friendly
and welcoming. We really have
everything here on our doorstep,
from the stunning scenery to fantastic
food establishments—all within a
close community.

My favourite spot in Ribble Valley
is the village of Waddington, often
called Lancashire’s best kept secret.
The village is steeped in history, with
King Henry VI residing briefly at
Waddington Old Hall in 1465. It’s great
for walks, with fantastic views, and
there are a couple of great pubs to relax
and chat with the locals.

66 • FEBRUARY 2022

BESTPIX / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO My business, Wellgate Fisheries, is a
traditional independent fishmongers
situated in the heart of Clitheroe.
Founded in 1939 by Jack Hall, the
business was later taken over by his
son, before I finally bought it myself in
the 1980s.

We are a member of The National
Federation of Fishmongers and are
passionate about providing a local
service where quality really matters.
We are famous for our in-house
smokehouse where we produce our
own smoked salmon, which is rope-
hung for 24 hours for a richer flavour
and we supply Lancashire’s top
restaurants, like the Freemasons and
Moor Hall. Our fish and seafood is
sourced from all over the British coast
and we choose sustainable fishing
practices like catches from small day
boats and diver-caught scallops. Q

To plan a future trip to the Ribble Valley,
head to visitribblevalley.co.uk

FEBRUARY 2022 • 67

If I Ruled The World

Barbara Dickson

As a multi-million selling recording
artist with an equally impressive
Olivier Award-winning acting career,
Barbara Dickson OBE is one of the
UK’s best-loved performers

Single use plastic would be
completely abolished. No plastic
bags would be handed out and that
would be a great step forward to
getting rid of waste, especially in
sea water. This would benefit marine
life and also we would have to be
mindful of bringing a bag to shopping
trips. If you need a bag, it should be
possible to get a paper one. The new
idea of using compostable bags for
veg in the supermarkets is a step
forward, but it’s not enough. I come
from a generation that didn’t waste
much and we’ve become a throw-
away society.

I’d make everyone put their phones
away in restaurants and bars. In fact
all public places other than buses,
railway stations and airports;
anywhere other than necessary use.
We spend no time in conversation
and getting to know each other
nowadays. Strangers are in the main,
just like us, and it would be helpful to
smile and interact with more people
in our lives in a natural way.

68

INSPIRE

I’d ban all cosmetic surgery, other Screaming children should be taken
than that of a reconstructive nature. out of church and not allowed to
I think it fills people with false hopes disrupt the services. I had three
about their lives and doesn’t lead to children and as soon as one kicked
happiness. Happiness is generated off, they were hoicked out of their seat
from within and we have a society and taken outside! It’s pretty much
obsessed with youthful looks and the usual for children to misbehave in
devaluation of age as a natural church, but it’s not, in my new world,
process. The elders are required to acceptable for them to cause chaos.
advise the youth, but they are not
consulted in our Western Society. Life I would ban all competitive
has its cycle and we need to get used television shows, where a person is
to that. “eliminated” each week. I loathe this
desperate set of values we seem to
I’d ban UPVC windows (plastic) and have encouraged, where people
the inappropriate renovation of old search for “success” in terms of show
property. Artisan cottages and little business, without having been given
modest houses, even sturdy 1960s the advice and support they deserve
council properties have been ruined to make a career out of their new
by disastrous updating. We need to found fame. I remember when folks
use appropriate materials in our won the football pools, they were
renovation to stop ugliness around us. given financial advice to help them
They’re a blot on the landscape in our adjust. It’s so easy to fall off the ladder
lovely country. if you’ve gone up too quickly.

I’d ban cancel culture. It’s a I’d ban celebrity culture completely:
blatant misappropriation of opinions giving people attention because of
by a few. We have to be able to their “influencing” on Instagram
engage in disagreement in our without them having any expertise in
lives, without blaming others for a any way. I want to be educated by
difference of opinion. In extremity, public figures, and feel that the
this is very damaging and dangerous frivolity of the “new” celebrity we
and people have been threatened have to tolerate, is misguiding young
and harassed for their views. It people and setting false horizons for
reminds me a lot of communist them in their lives and futures. Q
states where citizens were made to
wear dunce hats for disagreeing with Barbara Dickson tours nationally from
the State. We must be more actively March 17, 2022. Tickets available from
tolerant of each other. venue box office and ticketline.co.uk

FEBRUARY 2022 • 69

INSPIRE

70

UNFORGETTABLE

DeWitt
Wallace

This month marks 100 years since
Reader’s Digest got its humble start. Here
is the remarkable story of the man who, with
his wife, Lila, built it into a global success.

By Charles Ferguson

illustration by Nigel Buchanan 71

UNFORGETTABLE DEWITT WALLACE

HE WAS A QUIET MAN WHO SAID LITTLE
PUBLICLY. DEWITT WALLACE SPOKE INSTEAD
THROUGH READER’S DIGEST, WHICH BECAME
THE WORLD’S LARGEST INTERNATIONAL
MAGAZINE. IN ITS PAGES HE TOLD MORE
STORIES AND BROUGHT MORE INFORMATION—
AND LAUGHTER—TO MORE READERS THAN
PERHAPS ANY OTHER MAN WHO LIVED.

The scene is Greenwich Village, brunette, blue-eyed, and petite.
New York City, one morning in A social worker, she had been an
January 1922. The Village, where English teacher before the war. She
rents are low, is a quaint bohemian has been Mrs DeWitt Wallace for
place peopled by artists, poets, and three months.
writers. Those who deal with the
printed word come to New York to DeWitt Wallace—Wally, as he came
be near literary markets. to be called—also 32, is tall and lean,
and moves with easy athletic grace;
At No 1 Minetta Lane, in a in his teens, he’d played semi-pro
basement storeroom office, the last baseball. In the eyes of his family he
copies of the first issue of Reader’s is something of a flop. His father,
Digest, with a February 1922 cover James, is a Greek scholar and
date, are being readied for shipment. university president. DeWitt is a
The work is supervised by DeWitt university dropout who has gone
Wallace and Lila Acheson Wallace, from one job to another. Fired most
founders and co-editors of the recently by a firm in Pittsburgh, he
magazine. They have hired habitués has come to New York to publish a
of the speakeasy upstairs to help. homemade magazine.

Finally, the last of 5,000 copies It measures 5½ by 7½ inches.
are wrapped, addressed, trussed Consisting of 64 pages including
in postbags, and set outside. A taxi the covers, the magazine is half the
will take them to the nearest post thickness of your little finger. This
office, from where they will be sent “pocket size” will be its first bid for
to subscribers. Then will come days attention, the dimensions signifying
of anxious waiting to see if the little that all within is compressed and
newcomer is indeed what the world condensed. As for content, it’s just
has been waiting for. informative, helpful articles—no
fiction, no pictures, no colour, no ads.
Lila Acheson Wallace, 32, is

72 • FEBRUARY 2022

READER’S DIGEST

Will the little magazine appeal to Shown here is
readers? For two years, professionals the first issue of
in the business have been saying no. Reader’s Digest.
So now with the help of his new bride DeWitt and
and a couple thousand dollars, much Lila did much
of it borrowed, the amateur is going to of the work
try to wing it on his own. under a New
York speakeasy
LESSONS FROM LIFE
photos: reader’s digest archives
H is brothers and sisters
knew DeWitt, the third son
of James and Janet Wallace,
as dependably unpredictable. He
was a prankster at school, attending
Macalester College in their home
city of Saint Paul, Minnesota, where
his father was a professor. Although
the virtues of academic excellence
were regularly extolled to all the
Wallace kids by their parents, the
family finances were dismal. Wally
determined he would one day make
a fortune.

He spent the summer of 1911,
when he was 21, selling maps door-
to-door in rural Oregon. His first day
out, he sold only 12. So he talked with
veteran salesmen in hotel lobbies,
picking up their strategies. Selling
fascinated him. At night, he read
magazines, writing notes to retain
useful ideas about getting ahead in
business. As he widened his circle
of acquaintances, he discovered he
could learn from anybody.

And this was an age that saw
information emerge, when change
itself became the big news of the
20th century. Wire services and

FEBRUARY 2022 • 73

UNFORGETTABLE DEWITT WALLACE

newspapers flooded readers with what I’ve read during the day, and
every latest detail and speculation. from time to time I go through the
Their emphasis was on speed. file recalling articles from memory.
Yet many harried readers found I do not see why time thus spent is
themselves so carried along by a not as beneficial as if spent studying
tide of information that they could books.” Sometimes a quote or simple
not distinguish between what was outline didn’t suffice. Wally would
meaningless, and what facts fit then copy down in tiny but legible
into a larger pattern. DeWitt found script the essence of the article as a
newspaper treatments tentative, whole, condensing it in the writer’s
hasty. A magazine—halfway between own words.
newspaper and book—offered time to
discern the significant, to develop an To DeWitt, the world of business
was emerging not simply as a way

THE YOUNG DEWITT MADE FULL USE OF
LIBRARIES, DEVOURING BOOKS ON
SUBJECTS HE DIDN’T KNOW A LOT ABOUT

underlying theme, while still dealing of earning a living, but as a different
with the fresh and new. kind of educational system. For the
youngest son of a high-principled
It was also a pivotal period in academic family to go into the
the history of man’s aspirations. money-making business would
Self-improvement was the key, and raise questions from some about
success could be achieved through moral values because, to many,
learning. But truth was transient: with progress meant materialism. Yet
new discoveries it had to be grasped for the great majority, including
and regrasped. DeWitt, man’s material progress
promised a new age, a time of
DeWitt, alive to what was fresh fulfillment when everybody would
and new in a rapidly changing world, have enough of everything.
devoured magazines. He jotted down
anything that might be of use to him, This belief—the American dream—
a practice he had started at age 19. got support from the life story of
To his father, James, he explained: American industrialist Andrew
“I have 3x5-inch slips of paper, and Carnegie. One of the world’s richest
when I read an article I place all the men, he published his philosophy
facts I wish to preserve or remember of philanthropy, which declared
on one of these slips. Before going that a successful businessman was
to sleep at night I mentally review

74 • FEBRUARY 2022

READER’S DIGEST

morally obliged to continue to a 128-page booklet, Getting the
accumulate wealth in order to give it Most Out of Farming. It listed and
away. Carnegie also knew the value described the most useful bulletins
of reading and how it democratised put out by the government about
privilege. He gave $60 million to agriculture. He then set out in a
build some 2,500 libraries throughout second-hand Ford on a five-state
the United States and the English- selling trip, aiming especially at
speaking world, some of which banks and seed stores that might
DeWitt spent time in devouring buy the booklet in volume to give
books on subjects he didn’t know away to farmers.
a lot about (once while delivering
maps, Wally stopped to watch a In several months he sold 100,000
courtroom trial. The contest of wits copies and paid off his expenses. He
between attorneys fascinated him. So netted nothing, yet he had learned
one rainy night he walked to one of how to put out a publication.
Carnegie’s libraries and came away
with The Art of Cross-Examination by He was considering how to follow
Francis Wellman. He read the book up when the idea hit him: he could
in its entirety, then wrote his father do a periodical aimed not just at
fervently about the experience). farmers but at all readers interested
in informing and improving
For a self-directed learner like themselves, and in getting ahead in
Wallace, a system designed to supply the world.
any seeker with useful information on
almost any subject was ideal, and he Needing to make a living
made full use of libraries. until he could launch such a
magazine, Wallace took a job with a
DeWitt attended university but in manufacturer of calendars; this was
spring 1912 dropped out for good. in late 1916, a few months before the
He took a desk job at Webb United States entered the war. But
Publishing Co in Saint Paul, handling the big idea was there in his mind.
inquiries about Webb’s agricultural Maybe his recording of the essence
textbooks. At night, he continued of articles he’d read could serve as
collecting kernels of practical wisdom the basis for something. Among his
from his magazine reading. Could notes was this one:
his notes provide the basis for some
kind of publication offering distilled “Never fear, there is a strong
business counsel and pointers for undercurrent of desire for
achieving success? knowledge. Supply it and every
dollar’s worth of printed matter
After leaving his job, he got to work will come home to roost.” The
and in several months produced observation would be validated in
the coming years.

FEBRUARY 2022 • 75

UNFORGETTABLE DEWITT WALLACE

“A GORGEOUS IDEA” Proudly, Wally started showing his
dummy around Saint Paul and then
T he notes were interrupted by to the big publishing houses, willing
the Great War. On the fifth day to give his invention away to anyone
of the Meuse-Argonne offensive who’d publish it and sign him on as
in October 1918, shrapnel fragments editor. One after another, publishers
struck Sergeant Wallace of the 35th turned down the idea as naive, or too
Infantry Division in the nose, neck, serious and educational.
lung, and abdomen. One piece of
metal came within a hair’s breadth Dejected, the ex-sergeant found
of slicing open his jugular vein. his fortunes at low ebb. There was a
“In which case,” a medic amiably single compensating bright spot.
explained, “the only way we could One day, he ran into Barclay Acheson,
have stopped the bleeding would be a university friend. DeWitt had
by choking you to death.” once spent the Christmas holidays
at the Acheson home, where he was
Instead, the lucky young man much taken with Barclay’s sister,
was blessed with a few months of Lila Bell—“a dream of a girl.” Nothing
convalescence at a US Army hospital. came of it at the time: Lila was
Ambulatory and at leisure in a place already engaged.
supplied with magazines, he now
concentrated on his idea: a general- During the war she had made
interest digest. He’d read, select articles, a career of helping to improve
and boil them down as he copied them conditions for female factory
in his chisel-clear handwriting. workers, and now she was still at
it, working for the YWCA in New
Once back home in Saint Paul, over York. Wallace, on hearing from
six months in the library he built a Barclay that she had not in fact
stockpile of choice articles. Finally married, fired off a telegram to
he put together 31—one for each day her: “CONDITIONS AMONG
of the month, each cut to two pages WOMEN WORKERS IN ST PAUL
or less—and had a printer run off GHASTLY. URGE IMMEDIATE
several hundred copies of this sample INVESTIGATION.”
Reader’s Digest. It was dated January
1920. To finance the project he had By chance Lila was already
tapped his older brother Benjamin scheduled for a temporary assignment
for $300. His father at first refused a in Saint Paul. On her first evening
like amount, pointing out that DeWitt there, Wally proposed; on the second,
was hopeless at managing money. But she accepted. Only after they were
James Wallace was persuaded to help engaged did he give her a copy of his
by the argument that readers were sample magazine. “I knew right away it
“anxious to get at the nub of things.” was a gorgeous idea,” she said later.

76 • FEBRUARY 2022

READER’S DIGEST

Though practical considerations of the city, and they formed The
prevailed—she returned to New York, Reader’s Digest Association.
and he took a job writing promotional
copy for Westinghouse Electric in Settling into a Greenwich Village
another city—he never stopped apartment, the couple got out
thinking about his own magazine. another batch of letters before going
off on a two-week honeymoon
In 1921, Wally was laid off. That north of the city. Replies from
did it. In his gloom, he saw anew the these letters brought the number
brilliance of a suggestion that had of paid subscribers to 1,500, each
been given him by a fellow worker— subscription accompanied by $3; they

AFTER THE FIRST ISSUE CAME OUT,
NOBODY CANCELLED THEIR SUBSCRIPTION.
SO THE PAIR GOT WORKING ON A SECOND

why not sell the magazine directly to had enough cash to put out a first
readers, by mail? issue, maybe even a second.

Immediately, on his portable That first issue of Reader’s Digest
typewriter in his rented room, he featured, in its lead article, the great
began pounding out letters soliciting inventor Alexander Graham Bell
subscriptions. He hunted for lists of and his belief that self-education is a
people—nurses, preachers, members lifelong affair: “The very first essential
of clubs. From university catalogues, of any real education is to observe.
he got names of faculty members. Observe! Remember! Compare! It is
the foundation of all education.” The
The pitch had to be particularly article was an accurate reflection
good since what he was peddling of the mind of DeWitt Wallace,
existed only in his mind. But he university dropout, self-educated
offered a provisional commitment— man, and founder of Reader’s Digest.
the subscription could be cancelled
and all money refunded if the reader To help pay the printer, Lila had
wasn’t satisfied. For four months, he sublet one room of their small
wrote and mailed out letters, each apartment, sharing their kitchen and
with an individually typed first page. bath with another couple. Now they
Then, in October 1921, he left for New waited. What would they do if even
York, and Lila. one third of the subscribers wanted
their money back…
Together they did two things: They
got married at a church in the small Continued next month in our March issue
town of Pleasantville, 30 miles north

FEBRUARY 2022 • 77

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East Sussex

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In Association With

-

To celebrate the 100th Our 100-word-story competition is your
anniversary of Reader’s Digest chance to show the world your story-telling
talents. There are three categories—one for
we’re relaunching our much- adults and two for schools: one for children
loved 100-word-story aged 12–18 and one for children under 12.
Your stories should be original, unpublished
competition with prizes of up and exactly 100 words—not a single word
to £1,000 to be won shorter or longer! Entries are now open. The
editorial team will pick a shortlist of three in
each category and post them online on
June 1. You can vote for your favourite, and
the one with the most votes will scoop the
top prize. Voting will close on May 1 and
winners will be published in our September
issue. Visit readersdigest.co.uk/100-word-
story-competition to enter.

Light up your life indoors with a Serious Light.
Proud sponsors of the 100-word-story competition.

seriousreaders.com/100words

79

100-WORD-STORY COMPETITION

Previous Winner

MONKEYS WITH MONEY AND GUNS
by Matt Soden, Chelmsford

Shaving the chimp and getting it into a suit was one illustration by Daniel Mitchell
thing, but getting it elected? Madness. Gullible, yes. The
people weren’t stupid…were they? Sure, he looked like a
businessman and he had even learned to talk, but what
he knew about running a country you could write on the
outside edge of a dollar bill—plus the animalistic urges
remained. Less fiscal, more fist-full.

Let the people decide! Oh, I didn’t think…The world
waited to see how this monkey business would end, as
he sat beating his chest, staring at the big red button on
his desk.

Rules: Please ensure that submissions are school, and the runner-up will receive a £50
original, not previously published and exactly books voucher.
100 words long (not including title). Don’t forget
to include your full name, address, email and Please submit your stories by 5pm on
phone number when filling in the form. We may May 1, 2022 either online at readersdigest.co.
use entries in all print and electronic media. uk/100-word-story-competition or via
post addressed to:
Terms and conditions: Reader’s Digest
100 Word Story Competition
There are three categories—one for adults and Warners Group Publications
two categories for schools: one for children aged West Street
12–18 and one for children under 12. Bourne
PE10 9PH
In the adults category, the winner will receive
£1,000 and a Serious Readers High Definition The editorial team will pick a shortlist of entries,
Floor or Table Light (value up to £399.99) and and the three best stories in each category will
one runner-up will receive £250. be posted online at readersdigest.co.uk on
June 1, 2022.
In the 12–18s category, the winner will receive a
£200 book voucher or an 8GB Kindle Paperwhite You can vote for your favourite, and the one
and a £100 book voucher for their school, and with the most votes wins the top prize. Voting
the runner-up will receive a £100 books voucher. will close at 5pm on June 30 and the winning
entries will be published in our September
In the under12 category, the winner will receive issue. The entry forms and full terms and
£100 of book vouchers or an 8GB Kindle conditions are on our website.
Paperwhite and £100 of book vouchers for their

80 • FEBRUARY 2022

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INSPIRE

82

In Dogs
We Trust

What I learned from my constant companions

BY Jennifer Finney Boylan FROM GOOD BOY: MY LIFE IN SEVEN DOGS

illustrations by kendra huspaska

83

IN DOGS WE TRUST

Indigo Bed ’n’ Biscuit, our dog daycare. One
of their customers was dying, and her
  It seemed like it had only dog, Chloe, needed a home. Given
been a few years ago that our recent loss, they asked, might our
Indigo, our black Lab, had family be interested in adopting her?
first barged through our
door. Her underbelly I told the Bed ’n’ Biscuit we were
showed the signs of the litter she’d sorry but we wouldn’t be adopting
recently delivered, and between the any more dogs.
wise, droopy face and the swinging
dog teats, she was a sight to behold. I’d owned a succession of dogs
since 1964, each one of them a
She had a nose for trouble. On witness to a particular phase of my
one occasion, I had come home to life. But with the loss of Indigo, all
find that she’d eaten a five-pound that was over. The days of my dogs,
bag of flour. She was covered in I now understood, were done at last.
white powder, and flour paw prints
were everywhere, including, Then one morning, as I was passing
incredibly, on the countertops. the Bed ’n’ Biscuit in my car, I pulled
I asked the dog what the hell had over. I could at least lay eyes upon this
happened, and Indy just looked at me Chloe. What harm could it do?
with a glance that said, I cannot
imagine what you are referring to. She had a soft face.
When Chloe entered our house, she
Time raced by. Our children grew was cautious, uncertain. She spent
up and went off to university. The hours that first day going to every
mirror, which had reflected a young corner, sniffing things out. Finally she
mum when Indigo first arrived, now sat down by the fireplace and gave me
showed a woman in late middle age. a look. If you wanted, she said, I would
I had surgery for cataracts. I began to stay with you.
lose my hearing. We all turned grey:
me, my spouse, the dog. Playboy

In August 2017, I took Indigo for   Everything I know
one last walk. She was slow and about love I’ve learned
unsteady on her paws. She looked up from dogs. But
at me mournfully. You did say you’d everything I know
take care of me when the time came, about loss I’ve learned
she said. You promised, Jenny. from them, too. They fill our hearts.
They leave floury paw prints all over
She died that month, a tennis ball the house. They lick the tears from
by her side. our faces. And then, in what seems
like no time at all, they’re gone.
Not long after, I got a call from the

84 • FEBRUARY 2022

READER’S DIGEST

It reminds me a little bit of what father, a soft-spoken man who had
people say about childbirth: if you always wanted to be a medieval-
really remembered how difficult it history professor but who wound up
was, you’d never go through it more working at a bank instead. At the end
than once. And yet, year after year, of the day, Dad would come through
dog after dog, I’ve forgotten the grief the door with the Evening Bulletin
of losing them—right up until the and tug off his tie, often with an air of
moment they give me that look with grim exhaustion. Then he’d sit down
their grey faces: Jenny, you promised. in a leather chair and Playboy would
lie down at his side and roll around
IT’S IN OUR LOVE until his paws were in the air. My
FOR DOGS THAT WE father would rub the dog’s belly.
CAN MOST EXPRESS “Who’s a good boy?” he’d ask. “Who’s
HOW HARD IT IS TO a good boy?”

BE HUMAN It was a good question.
What did I learn about love from
The pain of their loss doesn’t Playboy? That it is perfectly fine if
seem to be lessened one bit by everyone hates you, as long as you
the fact that many of the dogs I’ve are deeply loved by one person.
owned have been kind of terrible.
My first dog, for instance, was a bad- Sausage
tempered dalmatian named Playboy,
a resentful hoodlum who loved no   In adolescence, I had another
one but my father. dalmatian—a sad,
overweight blob named
We lived in the farm country of Sausage. I got her for my
eastern Pennsylvania then, and 11th birthday, and for
Playboy had no qualms about several years I adored her, carrying that
chasing donkeys, cows and even, on dog around like a Raggedy Ann doll.
one occasion, a leather-jacketed Hell’s Some nights she slept in my bed, her
Angel racing by on a Harley. That dog head upon the pillow next to mine.
once stole the Christmas turkey right
off the table. He bit people. There “I’ll always love you,” I told the dog.
were times when my sister and I hated “We’ll always be best friends.”
his guts. We were fairly sure the
feeling was mutual. But the promise I made as a child
was hard to keep once I became a surly
And yet he was devoted to my teenager and Sausage developed some
obscure condition that caused her to
lose the hair on her tail. An unsettling
brown goo oozed out of her eyes.

FEBRUARY 2022 • 85

IN DOGS WE TRUST

Friends who came over to my house make love to my grandmother’s leg.
made fun of Sausage. They said my dog Which was fine, I guess; my
was gross, and they were not wrong. grandmother thought it was funny.
“He’s got more spunk than your
More unforgivably, though, my dog grandpa!” said she. From Matt the
was uncool, a reminder of the nerd Mutt I learned this: sometimes the
I myself had been not so long ago. happiest people are the ones who
make everyone else’s lives impossible.
So I turned my back on her. I made
other friends, some of them boys who Brown
owned hot rod cars with T-bars.
  When I was in my twenties,
It was from Sausage that I learned my parents got a Labrador
this awful truth: sometimes love named Brown. This time
fades, and as you age, it can be hard to we swore—just once!—
keep a promise you made when you we’d own a dog that was
were young. not completely insane. In this our
hopes proved nugatory.
Matt the Mutt
Brown developed a strange
  At the end of her first year of addiction to running water. She would
uni, my sister brought home move a kitchen chair to the sink with
a terrible dog named Matt her snout and open the tap with her
the Mutt, who’d been raised teeth. Then she’d stand on the chair,
in her dormitory. She biting the running water. Later, the dog
handed him over to my parents—he’s became obsessed with chewing her
yours!—and headed west. Just like that, own paws, something the vet
the reign of Matt the Mutt began. described as a lick granuloma.

For the next eight years, the dog We’d hoped that this time we’d have
bounced around the house, lifting his a normal dog. But from Brown I
leg pretty much wherever he pleased, learned, instead, that sometimes
knocking people over, barking people who seem the most normal
incessantly. Anyone coming through turn out to be the craziest.
the door—including my tired father
with his briefcase and his newspaper— Still, it was Brown who provided me
would be instantly assailed by the consolation when my father died of
bouncing, howling creature. melanoma. As I sat in a chair in my
mother’s house, weeping, the dog
Matt the Mutt was a love machine, a came over and put her head in my lap.
regular Pepé Le Pew. He would Do not be dismayed, for I am thy Dog,
copulate with pretty much anything: she said. Whoever lives in love, lives
furniture, the postbox, even the now-
geriatric Sausage. Above all, he lived to

86 • FEBRUARY 2022

READER’S DIGEST

in Dog, and Dog in him. Brown for us is unconditional, but I’ve
looked at me with steadfastness and never found this to be the case.
adoration, and her tail thumped What’s unconditional is the love we
against the floor. There had been scars have for them.
on her legs. Maybe, with time, they
could be healed. At 60, I’m pretty sure that if there is
any reason why we are here on this
Lucy planet, it is to love one another. It is,
as the saying goes, all ye know on
  I got married just after I earth, and all ye need to know.
turned 30, and we moved
to a farmhouse in central And yet, as it turns out, nothing is
Maine, where I got a job harder than loving human beings.
teaching English at Colby
College. There we were joined by a That’s where dogs come in. It’s in
yellow dog I bought from a pig farmer. our love for dogs that we can most
We called Lucy—a Kennebec Valley express how hard it is to be human,
flycatcher—on account of her how glorious and how sad.
fondness for biting flies right out of
the air. Sometimes she’d look at me as Chloe
if to say, They might be flies to you, but
to me they are sky-raisins.   After Chloe joined us,
I had hopes of having a
Lucy would give me other looks, conversation with her
usually in shades of disdain. When my previous owner, the woman
daughter was nine, she wrote an essay who’d been laid low by
for school: “Our Dog Hates Us.” It was cancer. I wanted her to know that her
true, too. Everything about our family dog had found a good home and that
seemed to annoy Lucy. For a while, we’d take care of her.
this made me feel a little puny, until at
last I realised that Lucy was just When I finally got through,
lonesome for the place she had loved though, I learned that Chloe’s owner
first: our neighbour’s pigsty. had died.

And so from Lucy I learned this: It snowed that night, and I woke
sometimes all people want is the up in a room made mysterious by
thing they had when they were young. light and stillness. In the morning,
I sat up and found that Chloe had
Each of these dogs had taught me climbed into bed with us as we slept.
something about the perilous nature of
devotion. Some people will tell you Well? she asked. I touched her soft
that the magic of dogs is that their love ears in the bright, quiet room and
thought about the gift of grace.

“If you wanted,” I said, “I would
stay with you, too.” Q

FEBRUARY 2022 • 87

TRAVEL & ADVENTURE

LEARNING
SAMBA
IN RIO

To dance at Carnival would be a dream The author, centre,
come true. But I was not a natural talent plunged feet-first
into the fun
By Sebastian Kempkens from die zeit of Carnival

88 photographs by Evgeny Makarov

If it looks so easy, why does it feel so difficult?
That’s what I ask myself as sweat runs down my
forehead. My T-shirt is stuck to my body, I am gasping
for air. I tell myself these hardships won’t stop me.
I am on a mission: to learn how to dance the samba…

It’s February 2019, and I had allowed into the Sambódromo, buy
arrived in Brazil a few days prior, the proper outfit, and rehearse.
having picked the Carnival season
for my vacation. I’m from Rhineland There was just one problem.
in Germany, and I love Carnival. The only dance lessons I’d ever taken
Countless times during the dated back to a crash course before
celebrations in Cologne, I’ve partied a school dance ten years ago. I was
in pubs dressed as a bear, a banana, not a natural talent. And samba—
or a cow. I have boozed, kissed, and involving quick, lively moves
danced my way down Zülpicher accompanied by music of the same
Strasse with people from France, name—is highly complex. It was
Spain, and Colombia. brought to Brazil long ago by African
slaves; in Angola, the word semba
So I thought it would be great to meant the implied touching of the
experience Rio de Janeiro’s legendary bellybuttons of two dancers, which
Carnival. In Brazil the celebration was an invitation to dance.
has Catholic roots as an annual feast
before the 40-day fasting period of Rio has more than 100 samba
Lent. It has since transformed into schools, but the nationally televised
one of the world’s biggest festivals, parade includes just 13. I wanted to
with costumed dancing groups called be with one of them. So when I arrive
blocos parading on the streets. five days before Carnival, I call one of
the most renowned, Unidos da Tijuca.
I especially wanted to join
the grand finale parade at the “My name is Sebastian,” I say.
Sambódromo stadium and do the “I’m from Germany and I’d like
samba with thousands of dancers, to learn samba so I can be in the
cheered on by tens of thousands of Sambódromo parade.”
spectators. For me, that would be
the crowning glory. And making that Silence. Is the man on the other
happen sounded very simple: register end of the line too polite to laugh?
with one of the samba schools that is Too shocked to shout?

“Let’s see what we can do,” he
growls. “It depends on your skills.”

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The grand finale
takes place at the
Sambódromo stadium

F rom Ipanema in the south of far from the city centre. On a wall is
the city, the taxi heads along a sign: “Cidade do Samba”—City of
Copacabana toward Rio’s centre. Samba. I walk onto a huge square
To my right, the sea is turquoise; bordered by tall warehouses, which
bare-chested guys on the beach are the headquarters of the major
keep a football in the air seemingly samba schools. In front of Unidos da
without effort. To my left we pass the Tijuca, where I’ll take lessons for 60
glass facades of fancy hotels, and euros an hour, is a man in a yellow
then the favelas, or slums, rickety muscle shirt and flip-flops, leaning
wooden structures that blend into against the wall and holding a protein
the hills like colourful mosaics. shake: Fabio, my dance master. As
he leads me inside, Fabio, who is
Soon the taxi driver points to a responsible for 750 of the 3,500 Tijuca
lonely looking concrete monstrosity dancers, tells me in a whisper that this
with two grandstands facing each is a kind of holy place, “like a church.”
other like an unfinished stadium: the
Sambódromo. It’s hard to imagine This is where the floats are built.
that the year’s biggest party will take I see a tree-sized figure of Jesus
place there in a few days. enthroned on a carriage, surrounded
by his disciples. Next to it is the
We stop in an industrial area not

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READER’S DIGEST

replica of a slave boat as big as a repetition is an introductory lesson
school bus. Plastic figures of women and warm-up. “One, two, one, two,”
and men look down from the railings, Fabio calls, then adds a little jump,
their hands in chains, their faces arms swinging. Not a lot of moves, yet
contorted in pain. every part of the body is in motion.

“No photos,” says Fabio. Competing When we’re through, Fabio high-
schools a few dance halls away must fives me, “You’re athletic, that’s
not find out what Tijuca has planned. good.” It’s only later, when I am in
the taxi, euphoric and soaked with
In his office on the third floor, Fabio sweat, that I wonder about his praise.
explains that celebrating Carnival is Athletic? Me?
about more than fun. There is a start
line and a finish line for the parade That evening I go to Rio’s Botafogo,
in the Sambódromo. Each school a neighbourhood of galleries and
has 85 minutes to complete the nightclubs. I sit in a wicker chair
distance between the lines. Any faster on the sidewalk and people-watch
or slower means you lose points. while sipping on a caipirinha (a local
Judges give scores for the drummers, cocktail made with lime juice and
costumes, floats, and dance steps. cachaça, a cane-sugar-based spirit).
The passing crowd looks ready for
I see trophies in the offices here, Carnival: there’s a man wearing a
but Tijuca hasn’t won in a long time. raffia skirt and fishnet shirt, smiling
“The pressure is on,” says Fabio, blissfully; a group of women, their
sounding like a football coach. “We nipples covered with black tape; an
have to deliver!” Am I his trump elderly man sporting a giant afro wig.
card? Hardly.
T he next day Fabio and I dance
Fabio has spent the past few laterally, diagonally, back and
months in countless auditions picking forth. For the first time, we do
his stars, the men and women who step sequences. I swing my right foot
will dance in the limelight. He has behind my left, tap my heels, scuttle
been training with them several in the opposite direction, just as
times a week. Most dancers, however, Fabio demonstrates. I feel weightless,
perform a simple choreography. in the midst of a transformation,
A few steps, repeated over and over. playfully shaking off my dark
If all goes well, I will be part of this German soul.
rank and file.
Then we step in front of the mirror
We move to a makeshift dance to dance, and I think: Oh, Fabio, I’m
studio where I am to learn the basics. sorry! Because what I see doesn’t
Fabio demonstrates: a step onto the reflect the light-footed Neymar I had
right heel, then onto the left, the
right, the left. The seemingly endless

FEBRUARY 2022 • 91

Samba is highly complex and
involves quick, lively moves

imagined myself to be only moments Fabio takes my hand to guide me,
ago. Instead, I look like I’m relearning but I stand there like a stubborn
how to walk. Angular, clumsy donkey refusing to budge. I suffer
movements. Every step an effort, a cramps in my calves, my body is
declaration of war on the samba. I’m done, and I feel helpless. And there
like a geriatric Bavarian folk dancer is Fabio next to me: graceful, poised,
gone astray. smiling. I don’t think he’s even
sweating. So I keep going.
But Fabio laughs, claps, and cheers
me on. I deeply admire his ability to Afterwards, we sit on the sofa.
not only bear with me but apparently I know the moment is here—the
have fun doing it. Or am I not as bad moment when, like a medical
as I think? Is there still hope? diagnosis, I’ll find out that
despite heroic efforts, my condition
The next day is the final training is incurable.
session, the moment of truth. Fabio
starts the choreography that he Fabio begins. “Maybe I should
wants me do in the parade. He snaps have told you this already,” he says,
his fingers, swings his arms, shoots but at Carnival a few years ago,
across the room with steps so fast he Tijuca’s theme was Germany. There
doesn’t seem to touch the floor. I try were giant foam beer mugs on the
to follow suit, running and jumping, floats, and men in lederhosen and
snapping and clapping, giving it my Goethe costumes pranced through
all, and I realise: I can’t do it. the Sambódromo. Fabio had allowed

92 • FEBRUARY 2022

READER’S DIGEST

a number of German tourists to At the meeting point, I soon
participate. It was a decision he feel like part of a conspiratorial
came to regret bitterly: half of community: there are people with
them showed up drunk the day of glitter on bare skin, people wearing
the parade, and the other half had neon colours and feathers. Women
forgotten their dance steps. The are in swimsuits and fishnet tights,
result? Tijuca tumbled in the judges’ and men wear skimpy shorts and
rankings. Ever since then, he’s been nothing else. I put on a pair of
very sceptical of Germans. golden swimming trunks and slip on
a Hawaiian shirt. Pop music blares
I sink into the sofa. How from the kiosk’s speakers. We toast
embarrassing! Here I am, some kind each other and Carnival.
of clueless megalomaniac reporter
who thought he could just dance his Then, trumpets sound. The crowd
way onto the team. I am about to starts to move. A band is waiting
start apologising when Fabio puts for us on the street, more trumpets,
his hand on my shoulder like a trombones, drums, and rattles. We
second-hand car dealer about to run and dance behind the musicians,
make a proposition too good to turn and the farther we parade, the wilder
down. He has an excellent bloco to it gets. It’s like a partying dance
suggest for me, he says. That’s where caravan in the middle of the city.
I should go and perform everything
he has taught me. We block main streets, run past
squat colonial buildings and glass
And, of course, he says, I should office buildings, and even head right
come to the Sambódromo anyway, through a small shopping mall. It’s
“as a spectator.” Fabio has dropped pure anarchy. I’ve lost track of where
me as a dancer in the big parade, but I am—and of my Hawaiian shirt—
manages to make the alternatives but that doesn’t matter; I’m only
seem just as good. The man is a hero. following the drumbeats.

The meeting point for my bloco Then it starts pouring, and we
is a kiosk in the city centre, just hop arm-in-arm through the
behind the gilded facade and puddles, cheering towards the sky
turquoise domes of Rio’s opera and thanking the rain god. The
house. I stroll through a deserted band plays ABBA and the Beatles,
downtown, past office buildings and and I dance samba the way Fabio
shuttered stores. No one is working. taught me.
Every few metres, music blares from
a dark alley, and there is a beer At some point, a woman pulls
booth with a few revellers. me into the middle of the band.
Perhaps she has seen my stumbling
efforts, perhaps she has sensed the

FEBRUARY 2022 • 93

Revellers gather at Rio de
Janeiro’s Botafogo beach

sweat I have sacrificed over the past waving flags to the rhythm of the
few days. We dance together, her music. A turtle with a fluorescent shell
feet flying, her hips swaying, me pushes past, as big as a cruise ship.
improvising—and eventually our
bellybuttons kiss. Tijuca is the last school to dance;
it’s almost four o’clock the next
The next evening, I’m sitting in morning. At this point I am quite
the Sambódromo waiting for Fabio’s drunk. Red flares give the start signal.
team. I have never seen a party like I watch Fabio as he runs along the
this. Old and young squeeze into the floats, shouts instructions, cheers,
stands, cheering each float. The rich corrects. In the end, Tijuca makes
are crowded into boxes lined with seventh place. Once again there’s no
artificial turf, the poor are squatting trophy for them, but at least they are
up high on the concrete benches not relegated.
swilling canned beer. Everyone is
screaming and clapping nonstop. On my flight home, it occurs to me
that maybe it’s a good thing I was
The performances look like just an observer of the Sambódromo
a psychedelic dream filled with grand finale. Maybe samba and
princesses and warriors, glitter and Carnival are about dancing until you
pomp. Men in scuba-diving gear can’t anymore. And that if you can’t
dangle from a float, arms moving dance…don’t. Q
as if they are swimming. Women
in gorgeous gilded costumes pass, from die zeit (september 2020), copyright ©2020 by
die zeit

94 • FEBRUARY 2022

PARTNERSHIP
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TRAVEL & ADVENTURE

My Great Escape:

Welsh
Wonders

Our reader Carolyn
Ross discovers the
beauty of north Wales

I t’s embarrassing to admit by tooting a sympathetic horn. Ten
that only now at the grand old minutes later we had the hood up
age of 64 I have discovered and, bearing a passing resemblance
the breathtaking beauty of to drowned rats, dived into the
north Wales. Lured from interior where we generated a steamy
Buckinghamshire to the region by mist all the way to Caernarfon.
the Portmeirion classic car run,
my husband’s 1964 Daimler Dart Along with its medieval castle,
effortlessly steered us through a this pretty town possesses infinite
magnificent route which teemed streets and passages studded with
with dramatic hills, mountains, lakes, delightful inns, including the Black
rivers, streams and waterfalls and
many, many sheep.

North Wales is lush, green and wet.
The Daimler Dart has a soft top which
can sometimes prove problematic
to put up, especially when time is of
the essence. We left our hotel the first
day with breakfast under our belts,
and the top down. Within a few miles
it became apparent that this was a
bad move, as a light drizzle became a
downpour. Gamely we wrestled with
the hood, waving wetly but cheerily
as our fellow classic motorists passed

96 • FEBRUARY 2022

Boy which was built around 1522, No trip to Wales would be complete
and which proved to be a more than without visiting its highest mountain.
agreeable locale in which to enjoy a The run took us to Llanberis where
cappuccino while drying off. we abandoned the cars in favour
of a train that took us halfway up
Mount Snowdon. Hordes of climbers
were trekking up the footpaths to
the summit where, we were told,
there were no facilities open. It was
shrouded in mist so there was nothing
to see, and it was heaving with people.

So we contented ourselves
with a blustery stroll
around the halfway point
at 3,500 feet, allowing
ourselves to be shoved
hard by sudden gusts
of chilled air, refreshing
as a cold shower, and
gazed down at a quiet
lake which changed with
a chameleon-like quality

from slate grey to brilliant
turquoise as the sun came in and out
from behind the scudding clouds.

There was more we saw, and so
much more we didn’t see. There was
also momentary hysteria when we
came across a quest of an alternative
route to the next rendezvous point.

Each day of our trip finished with a
welcome libation bathed in evening
sunshine at the Portmeirion Hotel
and in happy anticipation of a divine
dinner menu. Q

Tell us about your favourite holiday (send a
photo too) and if we print it, we’ll pay £50.
Email [email protected]

FEBRUARY 2022 • 97