Award-winning writer documents leading-edge infertility process
from rare perspective of “hoping-to-be-father”
IRVINE, Calif., May XX 2004 — A new book from Gray Wolf Press offers readers, for the first time, an inside glimpse at the trials and tribulations of trying to conceive a child and the process of a leading edge infertility treatment — through the eyes of soon-to-be father, Michael Ryan. The book’s title, Baby B (ISBN: 1555973981), refers to one of four embryos placed inside the author’s wife — sending the couple to emotional extremes wondering if they might have one child, four children, or none at all.
A poet and English professor at UC Irvine, Ryan’s unique perspective and writing style in Baby B have already earned rave reviews from respected critics, media, readers, and TV personalities.
Publishers Weekly says: “Thanks to advances in reproductive technology, the memoir genre has spawned a new offspring: the infertility saga. Ryan’s humor is wry and somewhat understated — at 53, he figures ‘by the time the triplets graduate from college, I will be wearing a diaper myself.’ Ryan will strike readers as not only a superman of a husband, but also as a witty, thoughtful writer.”
Ryan’s story is even more dramatic because the couple’s fertility doctor is a world-renowned reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist known as “the Werl.”
The Los Angeles Times describes Dr. Lawrence Werlin as “a larger-than-life fertility specialist.” Werlin is the principle investigator of the world’s first prospective, randomized Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) study that finally proved to the world that the groundbreaking procedure is beneficial specifically for women who have had repeated miscarriages. The PGD method screens eggs for genetic flaws, ensuring that only the most viable eggs have the opportunity to fertilize.
“The Ryans have a remarkable story to tell,” said Werlin. “PGD has really revolutionized our approach to infertility. Even though there are more than one thousand successes with the technique, it is still a foreign concept to most — unknown territory. Michael’s book is a must-read for any couple considering this therapy, as it not only lets them know what to expect, but does so with the necessary humor and attitude to get through such an emotional time.”
While an invaluable book for any couple facing infertility treatment, the book offers special appeal to wannabe fathers, “Most books on infertility tend to be from a prospective mother’s point-of-view,” explains J. Robbins of Gray Wolf Press. “Baby B takes the rare perspective of a man who dearly wishes for a child. He weaves such a witty, gripping, yet, loving, story that perfectly expresses what a man might be going through. It’s a compelling story that men can really relate to.”
Michael Ryan is the author of three award-winning collections of poems and a highly praised autobiography, Secret Life. He is Professor of English and Creative Writing at the University of California, Irvine.
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Editor’s note: Interviews with Michael Ryan or Dr. Werlin can be arranged by calling Annamarie Santana at (949) 726-0600 or J Robbins of Gray Wolf Press at 651-641-0077.
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