The Major Pain podcast is a collection of interviews from people living with chronic illness and disability. Our goal is to spread awareness, empathy and community around experiences often lived through in isolation. Through sharing these stories important themes have become increasingly apparent, including the dangers of medical gaslighting, the importance of self-advocacy and the fact that none of us are in this alone. You can share your thoughts, your story, or inquire about appearing on the show at majorpainpodcast@gmail.com.
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The Major Pain podcast is a collection of interviews from people living with chronic illness and disability. Our goal is to spread awareness, empathy and community around experiences often lived through in isolation. Through sharing these stories important themes have become increasingly apparent, including the dangers of medical gaslighting, the importance of self-advocacy and the fact that none of us are in this alone. You can share your thoughts, your story, or inquire about appearing on the show at majorpainpodcast@gmail.com.
Author Tim Cummings on How His Brother’s Epilepsy Shaped His New Novel
Major Pain
1 hour 4 minutes 51 seconds
3 weeks ago
Author Tim Cummings on How His Brother’s Epilepsy Shaped His New Novel
For Tim Cummings, growing up with a brother who lived with epilepsy often felt like there was a mysterious presence in their shared childhood room. Seizures would often affect his brother Matthew in the middle of the night, a terrifying experience for young Tim to witness. It felt like there was a doorway or a portal opening, connecting Matthew to an unseen realm. This feeling would haunt Tim well into adulthood, particularly after the tragic loss of his brother when Tim was 24.
After 40 years as a professional actor, Tim knew he had his own stories to tell. He went back to school, getting his masters in writing, and recently released a new novel inspired by his childhood experiences with Matthew. In The Lightening People Play, fourteen-year-old Kirby writes and produces a play to raise money for a seizure-alert dog for his younger brother Baxter. This production opens a portal through which mysterious figures and symbols appear. This story allows Tim to reckon with his past, immortalizing his brother while allowing for a more uplifting end to his brother's story.
In this episode of the Major Pain podcast, Tim recounts the personal history that inspired his new novel, reflecting on how his brother's epilepsy impacted their lives. We discuss the creation of The Lightening People Play and the ways in which chronic illness can affect not only the lives of those living through health challenges, but the lives of their loved ones.
Learn more about The Lightening People Play on Tim's website: https://www.timcummings.ink/
Join Tim for an event on 10/26 at The Village Well in Culver City with two stars from the TV show GRIMM, called Spooky Magic in Storytelling. Tickets at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/spooky-magic-in-storytelling-w-tim-cummings-tickets-1743861439509
November is Epilepsy Awareness Month, and if anyone wants to join in a 34-mile run/walk to support, they can sign up here: https://www.facebook.com/EpilepsyFoundationofAmerica/posts/-your-34-mile-walkrun-challenge-november-1-30-take-on-the-challenge-and-raise-fu/927116259443626/
The eBook for The Lightening People Play is now available on OverDrive, which serves more than 81,000 libraries and schools in 106 countries with the industry’s largest digital catalog. https://www.overdrive.com/media/12388451/the-lightning-people-play
PlayWatch the episode on YouTube, listen on your favorite podcast platform or here on our website.
Major Pain
The Major Pain podcast is a collection of interviews from people living with chronic illness and disability. Our goal is to spread awareness, empathy and community around experiences often lived through in isolation. Through sharing these stories important themes have become increasingly apparent, including the dangers of medical gaslighting, the importance of self-advocacy and the fact that none of us are in this alone. You can share your thoughts, your story, or inquire about appearing on the show at majorpainpodcast@gmail.com.
