Abstract
This autoethnographic report chronicles communication-based interactions I had with my father after he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Utilizing a modified version of Michael Fischer's notion of “mosaic memory,” I construct a “mosaic” out of personal anecdotes about my father, scientific explanations of Alzheimer's disease, and philosophical discussions of memory. The paper is an unconventional memorial to my father that provides a narrative blueprint for how other caregivers might respond to senility.
Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank Heidi Rose, Bruce Henderson, and the reviewers for the valuable feedback they provided. A draft of this essay was presented as one of the Top Papers in Performance Studies at the 2009 Western States Communication Association conference