"More than a stunning debut. It is the announcement of a bold new literary voice"
—Stephen Chbosky, author of The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Growing up my dad always played your music. You are one of his favorite musicians. You are actually one of my favorite musicians. Your music has depth, something not a lot of music these days have. I love your music not only because of the words, but for the beats as well. Every aspect of your music has meaning. I love the way your music has been immortalized, You made a really big impression on this earth. You were my childhood, so your music left a big impression on me, and the music I listen to now. I just wanted to write you and say thank you for being such a big part of my childhood. I hope you’re in NIRVANA. See what I did there? Anyways, Thank you for even making the decision to make music when you did.

Growing up my dad always played your music. You are one of his favorite musicians. You are actually one of my favorite musicians. Your music has depth, something not a lot of music these days have. I love your music not only because of the words, but for the beats as well. Every aspect of your music has meaning. I love the way your music has been immortalized, You made a really big impression on this earth. You were my childhood, so your music left a big impression on me, and the music I listen to now. I just wanted to write you and say thank you for being such a big part of my childhood. I hope you’re in NIRVANA. See what I did there? Anyways, Thank you for even making the decision to make music when you did.

Growing up my dad always played your music. You are one of his favorite musicians. You are actually one of my favorite musicians. Your music has depth, something not a lot of music these days have. I love your music not only because of the words, but for the beats as well. Every aspect of your music has meaning. I love the way your music has been immortalized, You made a really big impression on this earth. You were my childhood, so your music left a big impression on me, and the music I listen to now. I just wanted to write you and say thank you for being such a big part of my childhood. I hope you’re in NIRVANA. See what I did there? Anyways, Thank you for even making the decision to make music when you did.

Growing up my dad always played your music. You are one of his favorite musicians. You are actually one of my favorite musicians. Your music has depth, something not a lot of music these days have. I love your music not only because of the words, but for the beats as well. Every aspect of your music has meaning. I love the way your music has been immortalized, You made a really big impression on this earth. You were my childhood, so your music left a big impression on me, and the music I listen to now. I just wanted to write you and say thank you for being such a big part of my childhood. I hope you’re in NIRVANA. See what I did there? Anyways, Thank you for even making the decision to make music when you did.

Growing up my dad always played your music. You are one of his favorite musicians. You are actually one of my favorite musicians. Your music has depth, something not a lot of music these days have. I love your music not only because of the words, but for the beats as well. Every aspect of your music has meaning. I love the way your music has been immortalized, You made a really big impression on this earth. You were my childhood, so your music left a big impression on me, and the music I listen to now. I just wanted to write you and say thank you for being such a big part of my childhood. I hope you’re in NIRVANA. See what I did there? Anyways, Thank you for even making the decision to make music when you did.

Growing up my dad always played your music. You are one of his favorite musicians. You are actually one of my favorite musicians. Your music has depth, something not a lot of music these days have. I love your music not only because of the words, but for the beats as well. Every aspect of your music has meaning. I love the way your music has been immortalized, You made a really big impression on this earth. You were my childhood, so your music left a big impression on me, and the music I listen to now. I just wanted to write you and say thank you for being such a big part of my childhood. I hope you’re in NIRVANA. See what I did there? Anyways, Thank you for even making the decision to make music when you did.

Growing up my dad always played your music. You are one of his favorite musicians. You are actually one of my favorite musicians. Your music has depth, something not a lot of music these days have. I love your music not only because of the words, but for the beats as well. Every aspect of your music has meaning. I love the way your music has been immortalized, You made a really big impression on this earth. You were my childhood, so your music left a big impression on me, and the music I listen to now. I just wanted to write you and say thank you for being such a big part of my childhood. I hope you’re in NIRVANA. See what I did there? Anyways, Thank you for even making the decision to make music when you did.

You had climbed Mount Everest five times before succumbing to the mountain’s will in April of 1996. Leaving behind a wife and a daughter. Sometimes I wonder, when you were dying, did you ever think about what your daughter would be like? Did you feel guilty for having summited and trying to save Doug Hansen and not being able to go back to your life like you were supposed to? Were you angry that you had to die the way you did? Scared because you knew you couldn’t be rescued? Or, were you happy that you actually died doing what you loved, even if it was in the most undesirable way possible? I think you felt all those emotions at once. Guilt, anger, fear, love, joy, and most of all, peace. Guilt for not being able to complete your job as a guide and protecting the people who summited; even though both you and your team knew the risks. Guilt for not being able to go back home to your wife and unborn child. For not being able to see all the things your daughter would accomplish; not seeing her be born, leaving her fatherless, not seeing her take her first ... Read more

I’ve been writing you a journal of letters, and when I read that book it made me feel less crazy for doing so. I don’t really know how to feel anymore, Andrew. I’m so sad and angry and numb all at the same time, not to mention scared. It’s been two weeks without you, almost 3. I love you, Andrew. Even if wasn’t enough to make you stay, you were my Big Brother. I hope you’ve found your happiness, and I hope you’ll help me find mine. You still owe me a dance, Brother. I promise I’ll always save you one, even if I look like a freak for dancing with an invisible partner. I promise to take good care of your jacket. I promise to text a friend if I want to hurt myself, since I can no longer text you. Most of all, I promise that you will always be my Big Brother.

You have inspired me to treasure every moment in my life and for that I will be forever grateful. There is this 6th grader on my bus who is so rude and obnoxious, and I knew that if you were still here, you would’ve set him straight. When you died, I felt grief for the first time, and I will never get over that. I learned to life my life to the fullest and that is thanks to you. You will never be just a teacher to me. You will always be the person who made me feel human again.