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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: "Bryon McLaughlin" <BMclaughlin AT nazarene.org>
  • To: "Percy-L: Literary and Philosophical Discussion" <percy-l AT lists.ibiblio.org>, <percy-l AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: RE: [percy-l] Kramer's new book
  • Date: Sat, 25 Jun 2005 12:16:06 -0500

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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