Wisdom for the Way

In At the Will of the Body , Arthur Frank told the story of his own illnesses, heart attack and cancer. That book ended by describing the existence of a "remission society," whose members all live with some form of illness or disability. The Wounded Storyteller is their collective portrait. Ill people are more than victims of disease or patients of medicine; they are wounded storytellers. People tell stories to make sense of their suffering; when they turn their diseases into stories, they find healing. Drawing on the work of authors such as Oliver Sacks, Anatole Broyard, Norman Cousins, and Audre Lorde, as well as from people he met during the years he spent among different illness groups, Frank recounts a stirring collection of illness stories, ranging from the well-known—Gilda Radner's battle with ovarian cancer—to the private testimonials of people with cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, and disabilties. Their stories are more than accounts of personal suffering: they abound with moral choices and point to a social ethic. Frank identifies three basic narratives of illness in restitution, chaos, and quest. Restitution narratives anticipate getting well again and give prominence to the technology of cure. In chaos narratives, illness seems to stretch on forever, with no respite or redeeming insights. Quest narratives are about finding that insight as illness is transformed into a means for the ill person to become someone new. Library Journal At the conclusion of At the Will of the Body (LJ 3/15/91), Frank (sociology, Univ. of Calgary) wrote that "remission society is new." Members of this group are those who, like himself, all live with severe illness or disability and know firsthand "the value of the everyday." In his latest work, Frank expands his narrative from the particular to the universal, from the heart-wrenching story of illness to a sociological theory of illness and ethics. By analyzing the works of authors such as Anatole Broyard, Norman Cousins, Audre Lorde, and Oliver Sacks, as well as the narratives of countless chronically ill, Frank evolves a theory that sick, or "wounded," people tell their stories to make sense of their suffering and to find healing...thus becoming a "moral witness" in society. Frank's structured theorizing may become a landmark in academic sick-role research studies and medical studies. For academic medical collections.-James Swanton, Albert Einstein Coll. of Medicine, New York Ill People Are More Than Victims Of Disease Or Patients Of Medicine; They Are Wounded Storytellers, Frank Argues. People Tell Stories To Make Sense Of Their Suffering; When They Turn Their Diseases Into Stories, They Find Healing. Drawing On The Work Of Authors Such As Oliver Sacks, Anatole Broyard, Norman Cousins, And Audre Lorde, As Well As On The Stories Of People He Has Met During Years Spent Among Different Illness Groups, Frank Recounts A Stirring Collection Of Illness Narratives, Ranging From The Well-known - Gilda Radner's Battle With Ovarian Cancer - To The Private Testimonials Of People With Cancer, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, And Disabilities. Their Stories Are More Than Accounts Of Personal Suffering: They Abound With Moral Choices And Point To A Social Ethic. Frank Identifies Three Basic Narratives Of Illness - Stories Of Restitution, Chaos, And Quest. Restitution Narratives Anticipate Getting Well And Give Prominence To The Technology Of Cure. In Chaos Narratives, Illness Seems To Stretch On Forever, With No Respite Or Redeeming Insights. Quest Narratives Are About Finding That Illness Can Be Transformed Into A Means For The Ill Person To Become Someone New. Understanding These Three Narrative Types Helps Us To Hear The Ill, But Ultimately Illness Stories Are More. Frank Presents These Stories As A Form Of Testimony: The Ill Person Is More Than A Survivor; She Is A Witness. Schooled In A Pedagogy Of Suffering, The Ill Person Reaches Out To Others, Offering A Truth About Living. The Truth Is A Starting Point For A Narrative Ethics, As Private Experiences Become Public Voices. Wounded Storytellers Teach More Than A New Way To Understand Illness; They Exemplify An Emerging Ethic Of Postmodern Times. 1. When Bodies Need Voices -- 2. The Body's Problem With Illness -- 3. Illness As A Call For Stories -- 4. The Restitution Narrative -- 5. The Chaos Narrative -- 6. The Quest Narrative -- 7. Testimony -- 8. The Wound As Half Opening. Arthur W. Frank. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 187-208) And Index. "Ill people are more than victims of disease or patients of medicine; they are wounded storytellers, Frank argues. People tell stories to make sense of their suffering; when they turn their diseases into stories, they find healing." "Drawing on the work of authors such as Oliver Sacks, Anatole Broyard, Norman Cousins, and Audre Lorde, as well as on the stories of people he has met during years spent among different illness groups, Frank recounts a stirring collection of illness narratives, ranging from the well-known - Gilda Radner's battle with ovarian cancer - to the private testimonials of people with cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, and disabilities. Their stories are more than accounts of personal suffering: they abound with moral choices and point to a social ethic." "Frank identifies three basic narratives of illness - stories of restitution, chaos, and quest. Restitution narratives anticipate getting well and give prominence to the technology of cure. In chaos narratives, illness seems to stretch on forever, with no respite or redeeming insights. Quest narratives are about finding that illness can be transformed into a means for the ill person to become someone new." "Understanding these three narrative types helps us to hear the ill, but ultimately illness stories are more. Frank presents these stories as a form of testimony: the ill person is more than a survivor; she is a witness. Schooled in a "pedagogy of suffering," the ill person reaches out to others, offering a truth about living. The truth is a starting point for a "narrative ethics," as private experiences become public voices. Wounded storytellers teach more than a new way to understand illness; they exemplify an emerging ethic of postmodern times."--BOOK JACKET In At the Will of the Body , Arthur Frank told the story of his own illnesses, heart attack and cancer. That book ended by describing the existence of a "remission society," whose members all live with some form of illness or disability. The Wounded Storyteller is their collective portrait. Ill people are more than victims of disease or patients of medicine; they are wounded storytellers. People tell stories to make sense of their suffering; when they turn their diseases into stories, they find healing. Drawing on the work of authors such as Oliver Sacks, Anatole Broyard, Norman Cousins, and Audre Lorde, as well as from people he met during the years he spent among different illness groups, Frank recounts a stirring collection of illness stories, ranging from the well-knownGilda Radner's battle with ovarian cancerto the private testimonials of people with cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, and disabilties. Their stories are more than accounts of personal suffering: they abound with moral choices and point to a social ethic. Frank identifies three basic narratives of illness in restitution, chaos, and quest. Restitution narratives anticipate getting well again and give prominence to the technology of cure. In chaos narratives, illness seems to stretch on forever, with no respite or redeeming insights. Quest narratives are about finding that insight as illness is transformed into a means for the ill person to become someone new. Contents......Page 10 Preface......Page 12 Acknowledgments......Page 16 One. When Bodies Need Voices......Page 20 Two. The Body's Problem with Illness......Page 46 Three. Illness as a Call for Stories......Page 72 Four. The Restitution Narrative: Illness in the Imaginary ......Page 94 Five. The Chaos Narrative: Mute Illness ......Page 116 Six. The Quest Narrative: Illness and the Communicative Body ......Page 134 Seven. Testimony......Page 156 Eight. The Wound as Half Opening......Page 188 Notes......Page 206 Index......Page 228 This work argues that people tell stories in order to make sense of their suffering; ill people are wounded storytellers. Frank recounts a collection of illness stories ranging from the well-known to the private testimonials of people with cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome and disabilities.