“Brick by Brick: the Story, Art and Poetry of Bert F. Mann”, written by author Bert F. Mann, a man who works with special-needs children, takes readers on an intricate journey through the unfortunate and pain-ridden life of Mann, who faced the circumstances of being raised by an alcoholic father, an abusive mother, and the constant struggle of moving from place to place.
Mann begins his story as a young child, nearly oblivious to the racially and class divided world around him. With an early introduction of characters such as the wise-aged African-American nanny referred to as Miss Birdie, readers are bombarded with an intimate viewpoint of Mann’s inner turmoil and depth perception of the world around him.
There is no definite main setting, unless you count the states of Arkansas and Mississippi, where Mann grew up. But, even with the lack of what some would refer to as a “home-base,” Mann is able to amplify the emotional attachment to the places that he once considered his home.
Mann effectively causes readers to sympathize with the young boy who felt lost his entire life, a boy who felt so separated from the world around him, he created a place of safety in what he could find, like the art he drew on the garage wall or a levee where he and his troupe of toy soldiers would spend their days taking unwarranted adventures.
The story progresses in a numerical format of both mental and physical aging. From that of the adventurous boy, to the rebellious angry teenager, to the child-like adult who realized that his love of art saved his life. The story reveals the inner strength of a simple man facing a life of trauma, inner turmoil, and personal demons through his intricate artistic creations that existed within him since the very beginning.
As the title suggest, Mann faced the struggles of his life by building an emotional wall so thick and protected that he nearly lost himself to the madness that threatened to consume him. With the help of his family, friends, teachers, co-workers, wife, and children, Mann faced the monsters he spent his whole life being beaten by. He embraced his faith of God and his inner-strength and with love, art, and a desire to help those suffering around him, Mann has been able to take down the wall. Brick by brick.
This is not a book full of laughter and immense joy. It’s not a book where the main character fully overcomes a predicament, be prepared for disappointment. But, this book succeeds in creating a story that is raw, and real, leaves one like myself with the need to contemplate the meaning of my life and my purpose for the world. Mann is able to reel the reader in with easy to read language, and relatable or humorous moments checkered throughout the overall serious tone of the story. With about 30 plus pages of self-written poetry and drawings, Mann effectively creates a timeline of events to the present day (the book was published in 2005).
