Comments on: Annals of Narcissism: On Daphne Merkin http://www.theawl.com/2009/05/annals-of-narcissism-on-daphne-merkin Seriously, this could not be more beta Sat, 13 Mar 2010 00:11:29 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: gpage4 http://www.theawl.com/2009/05/annals-of-narcissism-on-daphne-merkin#comment-4686 gpage4 Tue, 12 May 2009 20:36:35 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=2800#comment-4686 This post and the comments that follow are disturbing. You all - particularly you, hockey mom and Bohan - are apparently experts on depression. I have a feeling, however, that many less-learned folks found this first hand-account of the disease enlightening. Also, narcissism? The author herself accepts this trait, and abhors it. This post and the comments that follow are disturbing. You all – particularly you, hockey mom and Bohan – are apparently experts on depression. I have a feeling, however, that many less-learned folks found this first hand-account of the disease enlightening.

Also, narcissism? The author herself accepts this trait, and abhors it.

]]> By: HoboSpaceJunkie http://www.theawl.com/2009/05/annals-of-narcissism-on-daphne-merkin#comment-4502 HoboSpaceJunkie Tue, 12 May 2009 08:04:30 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=2800#comment-4502 Being a doped-up manic-depressive (though with age the mania has pretty much stopped) I have to say that Merkin's piece did a pretty good job, perhaps unintentionally, of conveying one essential truth about depression: it's just not very interesting, for either the depressed or his/her family & friends. And it does suck that you don't look like anything is wrong with you, so your less enlightened family assume that's actually the case. However, mania is much more interesting, both to experience and to read about. Try Kay Redfield Jamison's autobiography. It blows anything Merkin's written out of the water. Being a doped-up manic-depressive (though with age the mania has pretty much stopped) I have to say that Merkin's piece did a pretty good job, perhaps unintentionally, of conveying one essential truth about depression: it's just not very interesting, for either the depressed or his/her family & friends. And it does suck that you don't look like anything is wrong with you, so your less enlightened family assume that's actually the case. However, mania is much more interesting, both to experience and to read about. Try Kay Redfield Jamison's autobiography. It blows anything Merkin's written out of the water.

]]> By: Matt H http://www.theawl.com/2009/05/annals-of-narcissism-on-daphne-merkin#comment-4491 Matt H Tue, 12 May 2009 02:01:13 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=2800#comment-4491 I thought the NYT article succeeded as high concept: nothing happens story-wise, the prose lacks emotional tone, the themes are all of self-involvement to the point of autism, and yet--it is easy to lose oneself in its repetitive drone. Seems a pretty good simulation of depression, no? I certainly doubt the editors were implying this was something groundbreaking. I thought the NYT article succeeded as high concept: nothing happens story-wise, the prose lacks emotional tone, the themes are all of self-involvement to the point of autism, and yet–it is easy to lose oneself in its repetitive drone. Seems a pretty good simulation of depression, no? I certainly doubt the editors were implying this was something groundbreaking.

]]> By: hockeymom http://www.theawl.com/2009/05/annals-of-narcissism-on-daphne-merkin#comment-4459 hockeymom Mon, 11 May 2009 20:17:43 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=2800#comment-4459 Having a mother and sister much like Ms. Merkin, I felt like I've already lived her story and didn't really need to read about it. You feel sorry for the depressed person, you do your best to help them, hold their hand, show up in the middle of the night to rescue them, but ultimately, you resent that your life is held hostage by their disease. And then you feel guilty about thinking such a thing. So my best wishes to her daughter....and my admiration to her sister. Having a mother and sister much like Ms. Merkin, I felt like I've already lived her story and didn't really need to read about it.

You feel sorry for the depressed person, you do your best to help them, hold their hand, show up in the middle of the night to rescue them, but ultimately, you resent that your life is held hostage by their disease.
And then you feel guilty about thinking such a thing.

So my best wishes to her daughter….and my admiration to her sister.

]]> By: propertius http://www.theawl.com/2009/05/annals-of-narcissism-on-daphne-merkin#comment-4375 propertius Mon, 11 May 2009 16:39:24 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=2800#comment-4375 Didn't Kierkegaard write a "Stages on Life's Way"? S.K. will cure depression. For sure. Didn't Kierkegaard write a "Stages on Life's Way"?

S.K. will cure depression. For sure.

]]> By: meave http://www.theawl.com/2009/05/annals-of-narcissism-on-daphne-merkin#comment-4367 meave Mon, 11 May 2009 16:27:34 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=2800#comment-4367 Anyone who could have written at least as compelling an essay as Ms. Mopey Merkin, shake your fist at the screen in impotent rage. Thinking about how much better this silly thing might've been is depressing. Anyone who could have written at least as compelling an essay as Ms. Mopey Merkin, shake your fist at the screen in impotent rage.

Thinking about how much better this silly thing might've been is depressing.

]]> By: formerly it takes a lot etc. http://www.theawl.com/2009/05/annals-of-narcissism-on-daphne-merkin#comment-4361 formerly it takes a lot etc. Mon, 11 May 2009 16:14:54 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=2800#comment-4361 The presentation of that article was weird, as though it were something new and different and maybe even a bit edgy; I guess the art director, knowing it was a retread, overcompensated. The presentation of that article was weird, as though it were something new and different and maybe even a bit edgy; I guess the art director, knowing it was a retread, overcompensated.

]]> By: Abe Sauer http://www.theawl.com/2009/05/annals-of-narcissism-on-daphne-merkin#comment-4358 Abe Sauer Mon, 11 May 2009 16:09:48 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=2800#comment-4358 Stages of life (sub-subset): “Who am I?” "Follow my blog!" “Follow me on Tumblr!” “Follow me on Twitter!” “I'm quitting the Internet; want to know why?” Stages of life (sub-subset):
“Who am I?”
"Follow my blog!"
“Follow me on Tumblr!”
“Follow me on Twitter!”
“I'm quitting the Internet; want to know why?”

]]> By: rod_townsend http://www.theawl.com/2009/05/annals-of-narcissism-on-daphne-merkin#comment-4355 rod_townsend Mon, 11 May 2009 16:04:07 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=2800#comment-4355 Stages of life (normative): "Who am I?" "I am what I am." "Is this it?" "Oh well." Stages of life (subset): "Who am I?" "Hey, look at me!" "Hey, look at me!" "Why did you stop looking? At me?" Stages of life (normative):
"Who am I?"
"I am what I am."
"Is this it?"
"Oh well."

Stages of life (subset):
"Who am I?"
"Hey, look at me!"
"Hey, look at me!"
"Why did you stop looking? At me?"

]]> By: propertius http://www.theawl.com/2009/05/annals-of-narcissism-on-daphne-merkin#comment-4354 propertius Mon, 11 May 2009 16:02:41 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=2800#comment-4354 When I read this: "I had begun to be apprehensive about what lay in wait for me" I couldn't help but think of a caveman's five- or six-year-old kids, who may have been apprehensive. Then thought: maybe terror banishes depression. When I read this:

"I had begun to be apprehensive about what lay in wait for me"

I couldn't help but think of a caveman's five- or six-year-old kids, who may have been apprehensive.

Then thought: maybe terror banishes depression.

]]> By: belltolls http://www.theawl.com/2009/05/annals-of-narcissism-on-daphne-merkin#comment-4352 belltolls Mon, 11 May 2009 16:00:17 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=2800#comment-4352 Mr. Woolfe, your complaint is more properly directed to the New York Times Magazine --they had a choice about what they would publish. It is also known the NYT Mag has a love of stories in which navel lint is explicated. In their defense, they gave fair warning of what the piece was and I fairly ignored it. Mr. Woolfe, your complaint is more properly directed to the New York Times Magazine –they had a choice about what they would publish. It is also known the NYT Mag has a love of stories in which navel lint is explicated. In their defense, they gave fair warning of what the piece was and I fairly ignored it.

]]> By: BoHan http://www.theawl.com/2009/05/annals-of-narcissism-on-daphne-merkin#comment-4351 BoHan Mon, 11 May 2009 15:47:47 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=2800#comment-4351 Thanks. At least as presented, her life is no different from that of anyone of the tens of millions of people who suffer from depression today (but with much more human compassion around and access to advanced pharmaceuticals), but yet she thinks it is. Depression as a unique condition was much more interesting in the time when there were no other solutions than permanent hospitalization, primitive electro-shock that caused your hair to fall out, and debilitating addictive drugs that caused at the least permanent tardive dyskinesia. My mom could write that story if she weren't dead. Thanks. At least as presented, her life is no different from that of anyone of the tens of millions of people who suffer from depression today (but with much more human compassion around and access to advanced pharmaceuticals), but yet she thinks it is. Depression as a unique condition was much more interesting in the time when there were no other solutions than permanent hospitalization, primitive electro-shock that caused your hair to fall out, and debilitating addictive drugs that caused at the least permanent tardive dyskinesia. My mom could write that story if she weren't dead.

]]> By: coleslaw http://www.theawl.com/2009/05/annals-of-narcissism-on-daphne-merkin#comment-4350 coleslaw Mon, 11 May 2009 15:35:38 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=2800#comment-4350 http://bit.ly/CqGJW http://bit.ly/CqGJW

]]> By: resipsaloquacious http://www.theawl.com/2009/05/annals-of-narcissism-on-daphne-merkin#comment-4349 resipsaloquacious Mon, 11 May 2009 15:32:33 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=2800#comment-4349 I believe Merkin is one of those rare persons whose outward appearances are in perfect aligment with their inner selves. I believe Merkin is one of those rare persons whose outward appearances are in perfect aligment with their inner selves.

]]> By: El Matardillo http://www.theawl.com/2009/05/annals-of-narcissism-on-daphne-merkin#comment-4344 El Matardillo Mon, 11 May 2009 15:22:40 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=2800#comment-4344 This post was untried and untrodden on an intellectual level, because I didn't read it. This post was untried and untrodden on an intellectual level, because I didn't read it.

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