Today it's my privilege to review his book and talk with Canadian Ricky Tsang,
author of Ricidulous: An Autobrainography
Book Review
(Note: I first met Ricky online when I reviewed his book for Readersfavorite.com, and we've corresponded regularly since)
Ricky Tsang’s book is a journey into a brilliant mind; the reader will find humor (dark/bawdy and/or hilarious), love, tenderness, truth and fantasy within its pages.
Diagnosed with Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy at age seven, Ricky has witnessed the gradual wasting of his muscles as a result of this cruel, incurable disease. When he lost the use of his hands, he turned to writing (with the aid of his computer) to express himself. This book is a result of several years of posts on his popular blog.
I enjoyed his original and creative style, and because of his humor and sense of the ridiculous, the reader does not read about his life with pity but with interest and respect. Though many of his essays are philosophical or humorous, an occasional mention of incompetent nurses (on whom he must depend for every physical need) illustrates the fragility of his daily existence. He finds daily support from his dedicated family, of whom he writes with great love and admiration.
This is a touching and intriguing book; no one label can describe this multifaceted look into the genius of Ricky Tsang’s mind. I hope he continues to blog and publish, as his is a most original voice.
JKJ 
Q & A with Author Ricky Tsang
Where did the
idea for the book originate?
When I was young, I always wanted to
become a cartoonist, but because of my physical disability, I eventually lost
the ability. I found writing some years
later and started off with poetry, only to realize there were too many
restrictions in my need for expression.
I started a blog in 2006 with a practice run a couple years prior and because
of my growing readership, decided to turn it into a book.
What inspired
the title?
One of the reasons I started my blog was
because I felt faint all the time, at the time.
I was dizzy every day and thought I was dying. As I continued to write however, I stopped
feeling it. It was then that I realized
what had happened. I added too much
vinegar in my shark fin soup and wasn’t really dying!
The origin story of this book is
“Ridiculous”. Humility drives me to call
my ramblings nonsense, while arrogance forces me to claim a little mindfulness.
What kind of
physical disability do you have?
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is a genetic
but not hereditary disease that slowly weakens and deteriorates voluntary
muscle strength and mass. It’s x-linked
recessive and inherited from mothers alone, affecting mainly boys and rarely
girls. I was diagnosed after a muscle
biopsy at Sick Kids Hospital when I was seven years old.
What genre is
your book?
Since it talks about my life and is
mainly a journal of thoughts, I call it an “autobrainography”.
What is the
one-sentence synopsis of your book?
“Ridiculous: The Mindful Nonsense of
Ricky’s Brain” is a book about everything and who I am, a record of my brain
throughout the several years of writing that reveals the strange and perhaps
contradicting dichotomy of my person, and includes both fictional (short) and
real-life stories, not to mention romance, tragedy, comedy, self-help,
philosophies, and much, much more.
How long did it
take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
It took a little over five years, since
it was a blog.
Who or what
inspired you to write this book?
Women inspired me. They’re the epiphany of selflessness and
innocence. I suppose I must have sensed
this from a very young age because I’ve always had a fascination towards the
female gender. I write to learn, and
perhaps even encourage women to know how beautiful they are for their
individual selves.
In my journey of romance, I’ve come to
realize that a woman’s intentions are what make her gorgeous. Understanding her is the greatest journey to
undertake. With this book, I hope to
encourage women to know how beautiful they are for their individual selves and
defy the perverse misconceptions that society has brought upon us.
How did you
feel when you held the first printed copy of the book in your hand?
I never did, actually. That would be impossible for me. However, when I saw it for the first time, I
felt very accomplished, especially as a self-published writer. I did everything myself, including the editing
and designing.
Your book
recently won an award. Tell us about it.
Back when I first published my book, I
submitted it to Readers Favorite for a review.
I was privileged to receive one from author Janet Kay Jensen and was
thrilled to get five stars from the amazing writer. In mid-2012, after some media attention from
newspapers and a television station, I entered a contest from the
aforementioned, international website. I
won the Honor award soon after for the non-fiction humor category. I was too excited!
What’s next on
the writing agenda?
Right now, I’m working on a genuine
autobiography regarding my life with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. It’ll focus on an attitude of gratitude. I’m also planning on a sequel to “Ridiculous”
and a romantic novel. This time, they
will be traditionally published.
What else about
your book might pique the reader’s interest?
In this book, I’ve uniquely written love
letters to all races of women. Why? This depends on whether you’ve taken the time
to recognize the three extensions of a woman’s heart; her eyes, smile, and
touch. Have you ever noticed how the
sunlight glows in her radiance, when her lips dance in song to the melodies of
the most angelic curves? If so, then you
might understand because her warming gracefulness instils a resonating silence
that helps us to remember that the infinite beauties of the universe can neither
be corrupted nor destroyed.
Because of my need to redefine all
things known to humanity, I envisioned a way to reinvent racial stereotypes and
make them funny and endearing. There are
many challenges when it comes to being a woman, and I wanted to take the
initiative to encourage even one person to feel good about herself. When I found the opportunity to include
everyone, I went ahead and did my thing.
I always try to be original.
What would you
like readers to know about Ricky?
Our bodies are worthless if we don’t
have a little character, and people who know me personally would agree that I’m
a character, which isn’t necessarily a good thing… for others. I blame it on sarcasm. I’ve learned an emotional independence that
continues to strengthen my foundations as a person because physical limitations
are simply external. I acknowledge
without focusing on them.
It’s funny because while I was blogging,
a number of people accused me of playing the sympathy card. I have a disability and include it in my
writings from time to time. Muscular
Dystrophy is a significant part of my life and not something I can get away
from. Then again, I can’t control how
others react, and if some of them choose to feel sorry for me, it’s their
problem. I call it “reverse sympathy”
because there’s no hope for them either.
I’m glad and I’m sad and I’m mad and I’m
bad. I’m stubborn and ridiculous and my
humour is insane. I’m mysterious and
eccentric and annoying and outspoken. I
don’t compromise with anything because I’m not a one-dimensional person. I’m me.
How can people
find Ricky Tsang on the Internet?
As a ridiculous person, I obviously have
a ridiculous amount of links, but everything is on my official website: http://www.rickytsang.ca
Thank you, Ricky!
More Ricky links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DearRicky
The Toronto Star featured Ricky on its front page; http://www.rickytsang.ca/ricky/thetorontostar/
Here is a YouTube video preview of his book http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1rmxNMU9aI
Author Biography - from Readersfavorite.com
Ricky
Tsang came into the world on May 20, 1981, scaring the daylights out of all
the pretty nurses when he smiled at them without tears. He’s one of the
oldest living individuals with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a “genetic but
not hereditary disease” as he likes to say (for fear of sounding contagious),
that slowly weakens and deteriorates voluntary muscle strength and mass. He
was diagnosed after a muscle biopsy at Sick Kids Hospital when he was seven
years old, but only cared about the ice cream his parents had promised.
Born and raised in Hong Kong and eventually becoming a Canadian citizen, this aspiring author, blogger, songwriter, and artist from Ajax, Ontario was wheelchair bound by the age of nine. It was only after losing his ability to draw with his hands that he pursued the literary arts. As a motorized madman, Ricky isn’t looking to be an inspiration, but instead uses his peculiar sense of humour to find a little ridiculousness in life. He focuses his writing on romance (and comedy) because his lifelong dream is to make every girl throw up. It’s all a part of his evil plan, according to the one who’s writing in third person, of course! Ricky will continue to write until he finally goes out of print since Duchenne’s is apparently “fatal”, and until then, who knows how many more chicken wings may survive? 
Ricky and his mom
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Monday, January 28, 2013
Ricky Tsang's Ridiculous: An Autobrainography
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