Cancer has stolen Roger Ebert's ability to speak, but it hasn't silenced him. In some ways, it has given him new life and has made his voice in print much stronger. He's been reborn as a writer, an extraordinarily gifted writer. Here's an example of some of Roger's work in the Chicago Sun-Times about his favorite restaurant:
If I were on Death Row, my last meal would be from Steak 'n Shake. If I were to take President Obama and his family to dinner and the choice were up to me, it would be Steak 'n Shake--and they would be delighted. If the Pope were to ask where he could get a good plate of spaghetti in America, I would reply, "Your Holiness, have you tried the Chili Mac or the Chili 3-Ways?"
A downstate Illinois boy loves the Steak 'n Shake as a Puerto Rican loves rice and beans, an Egyptian loves falafel, a Brit loves banger and mash, an Indian loves tikki ki chaat, a Swede loves herring, a Finn loves reindeer jerky, and a Canadian loves bran muffins. These matters do not involve taste. They involve a deep-seated conviction that a food is absolutely right, and always has been, and always will be. These convictions are fixed at an early age. I do not expect to convert you.
Tragically, according to Roger in an interview in Esquire, he cannot remember the last thing he ate. Despite his grave difficulties, writing makes his problems go away. As he is quoted in Esquire:
When I am writing my problems become invisible and I am the same person I always was. All is well. I am as I should be.
He is living urgently. The loss of his ability to speak has caused Roger to realize that he has a lot to say and that there may be far too little time to say it. He writes as if he were dying with something very important to say. Two thumbs up for Roger Ebert, way up.
