A Lifespan the Length of a Dog’s: Illness as Loss in the Novel So Much For That

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We consider “illness as loss” through three different scenarios from Lionel Shriver’s novel, So Much For That. The three scenarios are: sociopsychological, financial, and clinical. We focus on how the literary novel form isolates these scenarios and offers fully reflective accounts of how people can be affected by them. We also note how literary fiction can be the only or best medium for subjects often too sensitive for public forums such as whether money can be an object in health care decisions. We spend some time distinguishing illness as what people experience subjectively from a particular health problem, and disease as the pathophysiological basis for a particular health problem. Dan talks about how illness as loss is a useful concept for discerning the help people may need, and how using the word “loss” can be a valuable tool for helping them.
Citation:

Shriver L. So Much For That. New York; HarperCollins, 2010.

Links:
Russell Teagarden's blog pieces mentioned in the podcast:

• Review of So Much For That
• A comparison of biomedical and literary descriptions of familial dysautonomia
• Distinguishing disease, illness, and sickness
• Elements of illness
• Illness as loss

Recommendations:

• The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, by Jean-Dominique Bauby (memoir and movie)
• On His Blindness, John Milton, poem, recommended by inhouse rhetorician and literary editor, Alexis Teagarden
• Rick Beato interview with Keith Jarret, recommended by inhouse musical director and cultural editor, Benedict Teagarden

Please send us comments, recommendations, and questions to: [email protected].
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Executive producer: Anne Bentley