Re: R: Re: GG and Competition and Showing Off

["Anne M. Marble" <amarble@sff.net>]

At 11:16 PM 10/29/01 +0100, madiva wrote:
> In the past we have already  discussed about GG's "Asperger Syndrome"! Now
> there is the GG's " Tourette Syndrome"!

No, on this list, it's called _asparagus_, remember? ;-> Anyway, there's
nothing inherently "wrong" with people who have Tourette syndrome. By the
way, Oliver Sachs has written about a community of people with Tourette,
and he commented about how many of them were very creative -- perhaps
because their brains were very active. TS doesn't have to be a burden, and
many people think that in a way, it can benefit the people who have it.
(Not that I said that GG had it. I was just mentioning what people had
discussed.)

> Why don't permit to Glenn His peaceful rest without to focus about His
> personal things?

Let's not forget that Glenn Gould openly talked about his health with
friends and acquaintances. He even joked about it in interviews. I think
talking about his health made him feel better. Maybe it gave him the
feeling of control over a subject that often troubled him. He'd probably
laugh if he knew people were still talking about it even today!

Also, many of the people on this list talk about Glenn's personal life not
because they are nosy but because they are fascinated by him. There are
many on this list who believe that knowing more about his life (without
prying) helps to bring context to the music.

Besides that, suggesting that Glenn Gould might have suffered from health
problems is not a criticism of Glenn. We are all sympathetic to the
problems he overcame. The important thing to remember is that whatever his
problems, Glenn Gould did overcome them -- and gloriously so!

Finally, let us not forget that even if Glenn Gould did not have Tourette
syndrome, discussing this condition can help people who do have it.
Discussions of health conditions can help dispel misconceptions and rumors,
not to mention help people who do have the condition realize they are not
alone in the world,and that any problems they DO have can be gloriously and
creatively overcome. This type of discussion can inspire.

> If (a deep if) Glenn has had pains we must admire His intelligence that
> permit You control,sharp thinks and ingeniousness
> instead  to discuss on hypothetical  (I repeat hypothetical)syndrome.
> Glenn is an artist not a patient for us

True. But I'd guess that most of the people on this list wish they could've
been his doctor. That way, we could have helped him and healed him! I'm
sure we would've been better for him than the doctors he visited. Perhaps I
have a selfish reason for this thought -- if I could've helped him, he
could've gotten a chance to conduct some Richard Strauss as he always
wanted to do!

Anne M. Marble
amarble@sff.net