Richard E. Cytowic, a clinical professor of neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, has published a new book titled, “The Magician’s Accomplice: My Father and I in the Age of Anxiety.”
The memoir explores the life of “Big Ed,” a Depression-era self-made man who was an actor, physician, hypnotist, photographer and magician. The memoir’s narrator, Big Ed’s adoring son, struggles with the tension between admiration and self-definition as he grows up in his father's shadow. When addiction threatens to unravel Big Ed’s world, a pivotal moment occurs that triggers a decades–long journey toward independence and reconciliation for the son.
Cytowic is a recipient of the Montaigne Medal, a Pulitzer nominee and a multiple-time DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities Fellow. He is also known for his contributions to public understanding of neurology through his books, essays and speaking engagements.