With no idea of what had happened, MacLean accepted that explanation. It was later that he was told he had had a psychotic break and was suffering from amnesia due to Lariam, a fairly common medication prescribed for malaria. MacLean, a popular figure in Houston’s literary scene, is a graduate of the University of Houston writing program and cofounder of the Poison Pen Reading series.
In the year that immediately followed his memory loss, MacLean worked on filling in the blanks of his life history, rediscovering who he was and what he had done. The Answer to the Riddle is Me is MacLean’s memoir of that time, a look at the history of malaria (no, it hasn’t been wiped out) and Lariam (upon which the FDA recently imposed a “black box” warning).
7 p.m. Brazos Bookstore, 2421 Bissonnet. For information, call 713-523-0701 or visit brazosbookstore.com. Free.
Fri., Feb. 7, 7 p.m., 2014
