Posts tagged "illness"
Review: “In the Kingdom of the Sick” by Laurie Edwards
You never know if you’re Douglas Adams or Ray Bradbury
Back in March 2000 I saw Douglas Adams and Ray Bradbury speak at Clowes Hall in Indianapolis. Admittedly, I made the three hour drive from college to see Douglas Adams, author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series, but Ray Bradbury was a nice bonus. Douglas Adams was as lively and funny as you'd... [Read More]
Obesity as an illness of metaphor
I've been reading The Pain Chronicles by Melanie Thernstrom, a well-researched and fascinating book about pain viewed through the filters of history, literature, science, religion and the author's personal experiences. Of particular interest to me was the idea that disease is sometimes seen as metaphor. For example, a common 19th century belief about consumption (a.k.a.... [Read More]
A sickness I can name
I have a cold and I'm rather enjoying it. I sneeze and people say "Bless you." My throat is sore, so I take cough drops. When people see the wastebasket full of tissues, they know I have a cold. It's visible and understandable. Everyone has had a cold. They know what that feels like. They... [Read More]