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

[David Alan Beck <dabeck AT iupui.edu>]

Karey,
Not to overburden you by adding another book to your growing list, but a
good book that I relied on when writing my thesis is Mary Deems Howland's
The Gift of the Other. She explores a much-negelected area in percean
studies: his connection with Gabriel Marcel. Most of the emphasis of
Percy's influences has been on Kierkegaard. But, to me, the Dane is only
half the picture. It seems that Percy relied on Kierkegaard's diagnosis
and Marcel's remedy. (Of course, Percy's ideas cannot be narrowed to two
philosophers, but putting the two together enhances our understanding of
his fiction--in my opinion.)

For what it's worth.


David Beck

"I would feel more optimistic about a bright 
future for man if he spent less time proving that
he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness
and respecting her seniority."                         
                      - E. B. White