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About the author and blogger ...

Anne Goodwin writes entertaining fiction about identity, mental health and social justice. She has published three novels and a short story collection with Inspired Quill. Her debut, Sugar and Snails, was shortlisted for the Polari First Book Prize. Her new novel, Matilda Windsor Is Coming Home, is rooted in her work as a clinical psychologist in a long-stay psychiatric hospital.

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Sounding out the body in fiction

7/8/2016

8 Comments

 
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I spent what seemed to me a considerable amount of time flushing out what I thought was a bit of leek stuck between my upper right incisor and its neighbouring canine – first with my fingernail, then with the corner of a business card, and finally with a sharpened matchstick. But there was no piece of leek. It was an erroneous message that my gums were sending me, themselves misled by some previous irritation.

As a boy, the unnamed narrator has spent so much time with his ailing father, learning from him and emulating his ways, that he develops only a fragile sense of his own corporeality. Following his father’s death, a humiliating accident at the Scout camp to which his mother has banished him, he resolves to become better acquainted with his body. This diary in which he records his intermittent observations from a few days before his thirteenth birthday in 1936, until his death a few days after his eighty-seventh in 2010, is the result.

From its starring role in sex and illness to the chorus line of contagious yawning and behind-the-scenes picking one’s nose, through the kitchen-sink drama of heartburn, nosebleeds and insomnia, his body takes the stage in all its defeats and triumphs, its pains and pleasures, its humanity. Although he’s resolved to expunge the social and psychological entity that this body enables, he inevitably discovers that the physical cannot be completely split off from the psyche. Just as his body is composed of multiple systems we meet his different selves: frightened boy; curious adolescent; diligent student; freedom fighter; lover; doting father; senior civil servant (I think); grandfather; friend.

I did wonder, in that sometimes irritating
stolen-head device some writers draw upon to contextualise their fiction, about the narrator’s decision to bequeath a diary about fucking (among other things) to his daughter. And, because I’m much more interested in character, I did occasionally lose interest. But mostly I found Diary of a Body a warm, moving and humorous story about what it means to be human, refreshingly different albeit with echoes of The A-Z of You and Me. Translated from the French by Alyson Waters, it’s published in the UK by MacLehose who kindly provided my review copy.

If you have time, and haven’t done so already, you might like to check out my own writing about the body,
including my debut novel, Sugar and Snails, which explores the drive for bodily transformation and features a visceral description of self-harm in the opening chapter, as well as several short stories you can read for free by following the links from my virtual annethologies page, along with a few associated blog posts.


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© Shannon Archuleta
Writers, along with others with desk-bound jobs, need to take extra care of our bodies, as I know to my cost after overenthusiastic typing resulted in repetitive strain injury, which has never gone away in well over a decade. However unwelcome, disabilities do afford a certain expertise; mine has recently brought me a guest post on the blog Writing and Wellness on the subject of self-care and speech recognition software. Don’t say you haven’t been warned!

Although I can type a little, my hands, arms and fingers are so affected that I can’t even bear to watch someone else typing, especially if they are using an older and somewhat noisy keyboard (or even, my personal bugbear, an electronic keyboard programmed to sound like a typewriter). As I understand it, it affects me this way because we experience imagined movement in our bodies similarly to real movement (
I think that’s what this study says, and apologies that I couldn’t find the less specialised article I’m sure I’ve read in the past) and mirror neurons cause us to react to movement of others as if it were our own.
For me personally, however, it might also be because I’m particularly sensitive to, and easily unsettled by, intrusive noise. While I enjoy music – as evidenced by my undercover soundtrack – some kinds of noise upset me in the same way as the young man in a recent 99-word flash At home on the tennis court? or the boy in an earlier flash Neurodiversity . While I could’ve recycled either of those for the latest flash fiction challenge (if that were within the rules), I’ve gone for something more upbeat albeit with a similar moorland setting. If you like, you can read it with a sound accompaniment . Or defer it till after you’ve read it to check whether my descriptions work for you.

Sweet sounds of autumn
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None of the pictures flashing through her mind made sense. A conference of elephants in England? An Arabic instrument midway between a zither and an oud? A motorbike, churning up the peat, miles from a road? Sadly, the latter seemed most likely and it was the Ranger’s job, if she could, to persuade them to stop.

The noise grew louder as she stumbled through the heather, wondering if she should radio in for help. Then she saw them, heads down, antlers locked, a guttural groaning protesting each was king. Every October it surprised her when the deer rut began.


Thanks for reading. I'd love to know what you think. If you've enjoyed this post, you might like to sign up via the sidebar for regular email updates and/or my quarterly Newsletter.
8 Comments
sarah link
9/8/2016 12:26:51 am

At first, I was intrigued but, with your description of the book, became less so. I'm in the middle of my diary novel so this would be interesting for that and body awareness is always fascinating to me so... Not sure.

This line caught me: "I’m particularly sensitive to, and easily unsettled by, intrusive noise" I am the same way. To an extreme.

Ha! Nice flash. :-)

Reply
Annecdotist
9/8/2016 04:34:26 pm

Ah, we’ll have to discuss that the noise sensitivity some time, Sarah. I think I know where mine comes from and, while it’s loads easier than it used to be, it’s still way too scary to “sound” of about. I’m not even ready to write fiction about it, although I’d like to try some time.

Reply
Sarah
12/8/2016 05:12:13 pm

Writng fiction about it would be excellent, actually. We should discuss it. It's interesting because now there are all sorts of diagnoses but there weren't' when I was growing up. Also, with kids, it's especially difficult as I can never REALLY get away from it, even when I go home. I never actually get that sensory break that I need. And then I need to explain it to the kids. It's hard.

Annecdotist
13/8/2016 05:38:22 pm

Oh, indeed, Sarah, a lot more difficult for you with the kids who need to make a noise.
I’m not sure I’d want a diagnosis myself but might be interesting to write about – I’ll mull it over.

Charli Mills link
9/8/2016 01:47:16 am

And as I comment, the Red Deer continue to sound off...I actually enjoyed listing and reading your flash. I didn't peek at what the recording was so, like the ranger character, was mystified at the sound and yes, it did sound like the tailpipe of a motorbike. Deer surprise me with their sounds as often they are silent. I once listened to a fawn bleat at its mother and was delighted by the sound just for its oddity and rarity. A rich post -- an interesting review, though I'm not sure my kind of read. I cope with a body that can no longer do what it once did, yet it can remember -- I can imagine riding horses, though I'd be dumped on my head if I dared try now. Muscles remember. I like the idea that mirror neurons also suggest we are hardwired for empathy. Do your fingers still recall the way across the keys? I worry for that loss as I "think" with my fingers moving!

Reply
Annecdotist
9/8/2016 04:30:46 pm

Yes, Charli, it’s a great sound, especially as, like you say, deer are often silent.
I didn’t realise that you can no longer ride horses, but I wonder if you mean you can’t gallop bareback (or something similarly extreme that would freak me out at any time) or can’t even walk along sedately?
And yes, I know a lot of people consider that the words only come when they’re doing something physical either typing or writing by hand. I do recall the keyboard layout (although somehow it stumps me when I try to use on my phone, perhaps because the “keys” are far too small for my fingers) but it’s not in my head when I’m dictating my words. But it’s such a long time since I’ve typed anything of any length so I imagine I’m well out of the habit.

Reply
Norah Colvin link
11/8/2016 11:15:01 am

What an amazing sound are those deer! Thank you so much for linking to the recording. It explains and supports your flash perfectly. I'm pleased I didn't listen to it before reading, as I was able to feel the mystery and suspense building. It really is a sound that is difficult to describe. You've done pretty well with your choices. Great flash.
I also enjoyed your article on Writing and Wellness. I'm pleased that the Dragon enables us to benefit from your creativity.
I'm not sure about the book. It's not high on the list at the moment. I guess a record of ways in which a body changes, and one's responses to it, over a lifetime could be interesting. Can't say I find mine all that interesting, though. More a nuisance! Thanks for sharing.

Reply
Annecdotist
11/8/2016 05:26:36 pm

Thanks, Norah, it really is an amazing sound. Glad also that you enjoyed the piece on Writing and Wellness.

Reply



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