Sunday 29 August 2010

Books & truth & blood

I was truly sad to read about Candia McWilliam's struggle with a rare eye condition. I met her in the mid-nineties, she was funny and beautiful and kind. I can't recall now what writing I showed her. I've ordered her memoir from the library, though I see the memoir/fiction debate has been sparked again. It seems to me that AS Byatt wants to have her cake and eat it (though she admits she is 'tarnished' in this). Memoir is about truth or there is no point, but I suppose it can never be entirely straight as it is based on memory. Fictionalised memoir is a different matter.

Am so happy to see that blood donation from people with ME has been permanently banned from November 1. For me, this is not about the possibility of XMRV involvement, this is about the illness being accorded its rightful neuroimmune status by the blood bank. My energy is horrible just now, I'm like a calculator, ruthlessly measuring out tasks (I'm aways like a calculator, but at the moment I'm counting out in fractions of fractions). I'm definitely experiencing a sliding back this past couple of months.

2 comments:

trousers said...

I just read the article about Candia McWilliams - I wasn't aware of her previously (showing my ignorance!) but it's really fascinating. I might be drawn towards her memoir as a result.

I loved her quote right at the end - "I think the only way to dispel existential fretting is to invent a world."

nmj said...

Inventing a world has lot to be said for it :)