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percy-l - Re: [percy-l] Kramer's new book

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Subject: Percy-L: Literary, Religious, Scientific, and Philosophical Discussion on Walker Percy

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  • From: J Rivas-Pita <juliorivas AT gmail.com>
  • To: "Percy-L: Literary and Philosophical Discussion" <percy-l AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [percy-l] Kramer's new book
  • Date: Sat, 25 Jun 2005 14:16:07 -0400

Let me venture a possible answer.
Percy is "gotten wrong" by people who'd rather get him wrong than
having to realize that they lead a wrong life -an unaunthentic life.
In kirkergaardian terms, familiar to most on this list, when you
realize that you lead a wrong life you have but two choices left:
repent and change (I'm not meaning those words in their
televangelistic meaning of course) or make a decision to go the wrong
way fully aware, taking responsability for your choice.
Much more comfortable to get Percy (or life) wrong...

Regards,
Julio

On 6/25/05, Bryon McLaughlin <BMclaughlin AT nazarene.org> wrote:
> If Percy is often "gotten wrong," can someone on the list explain what
> areas is often gotten wrong, and possibly more importantly, WHY? Why is he
> gotten wrong? Is it that he is hard to understand, that he was at time
> cryptic? Why? Thanks.
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: percy-l-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org on behalf of Robert_Pauley AT oxy.com
> Sent: Fri 6/24/2005 5:26 PM
> To: percy-l AT lists.ibiblio.org
> Subject: RE: [percy-l] Kramer's new book
>
>
> "However, to me he gets Percy quite wrong."
>
> Everybody does. Percy is the most "gotten wrong" writer in American
> letters. With the exception of this fine list, of course.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: percy-l-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
> [mailto:percy-l-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Robert Eckert
> Sent: Friday, June 24, 2005 8:01 AM
> To: percy-l AT lists.ibiblio.org
> Subject: [percy-l] Kramer's new book
>
>
> Dear List,
>
> Peter Kramer, the author of _Listening to Prozac_, recently
> published _Against Depression_.
>
> The last chapter of _LP_ is "The Message in the Capsule" and deal
> extensively with Percy. Kramer corresponded with Percy at some point.
>
> However, to me he gets Percy quite wrong.
>
> On p.265 of _AG_ Kramer writes:
>
> "...Percy's position blurs distinctions we might want to make. It
> overstates the case only slightly to say that for Percy, there is no
> difference between treating epilepsy and treating
> alienation. Both are best approached via faith and revelation, not
> technology."
>
> It amazes me that Kramer could have read Percy's nonfiction, which
> he states he has (e-mail), and miss Percy's use of the Dyadic/Triadic
> distinction, especially:
>
> "I can even visualize the hospital of the future in which the first
> signs the patient sees in the corridor do not read INTERNAL MEDICINE,
> SURGERY, OB-GYN, DERMATOLOGY, PSYCHIATRY UPSTAIRS, but rather two big signs
> just inside the front door, one pointing left, one right (I won't say which
> is which), but one reading DYADIC DISORDERS; the other, TRIADIC DISORDERS."
>
> To Percy, the distinction is so profound that he feels the very
> architecture of the hospitals of the future could be based upon it!
>
> It is a shame that Kramer has broadly disseminated such a profound
> and fundamental misreading of Percy's work.
>
> Robert Eckert
> Rochester, New York
>
>
>
> ________________________________
>
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>
> --
> An archive of all list discussion is available at
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/pipermail/percy-l/
>
> Visit the Walker Percy Project at http://www.ibiblio.org/wpercy
>


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