Well, it works too for dementia: that dull and darkening cloud that will dim more and more people’s lives as baby boomers enter old age. Alzheimer’s is the most common variant of dementia, like tequila is to mezcal — both of which might come in handy if you are helping care for someone with the disease. I’ve watched some version of it descend on both of my parents (hi Mom, for whom the print edition of The New York Times remains a blessed daily guidepost). A credit-card bill unpaid; a date forgotten; an episode of disorientation at a familiar train station — these might get excused and melt away. Then one day you wake up and realize you’re in a full-on blizzard.

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Persons: “, ”, John Bayley, Iris, Iris Murdoch, —, I’ve Organizations: The New York Times Locations: Israel