Subject: Re: Percy, Grand Canyon, and illness
From: Doug Miller (millerd@STCL.TAMU.EDU)
Date: Sun Aug 08 1999 - 18:25:12 EDT
I've been traveling a lot this summer, so I am too late to reply to some of the
interesting posts of the summer. But I've been thinking a lot about WP. A story
on NPR this morning about a new NPS-approved hotel complex at the Grand Canyon
reminded me of WP's use of the Grand Canyon as an example of a place that our
culture has made it impossible to experience in any true sense. (I'm not saying
that quite right, but those of you who have read the essay I have in mind will
understand the reference.) /// On a different topic, can anyone help me with
some suggestions on sources: it seems to me that I read something substantial
about the connection between WP's long illness and his ruminative or creative
powers. Did he have any sort of theory about a specific connection between
illness and creativity? I thought there was something on point in _Message in the
Bottle_, but I haven't found it so far. (No index in my edition.) (I understand
that in general he believed that most psychological explanations of writing were
bunk.) (I'm not saying that right either. Maybe I'll dig out a quote to
elaborate on that.)
Doug Miller
Houston, TX
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