[stylist] More things to ponder

[Chris Kuell]

Jackie,

I enjoyed your poem--thanks for sharing. I also share your fascination with 
sociopaths, although I don't believe I've ever met one in person. However, I 
once outlined a novel about a sociopathic politician, but it's too scary for 
me to write. A great resource is: Without Conscience- The Disturbing World 
of the Psychopaths Among Us by Robert D. Hare (1999). The thing I found most 
disturbing is that there's no known treatment except to lock them up.

Having said all that, we are writers, which mean we can tap into our 
imaginations. Stephen King crafted a terribly disturbing politician, and a 
hero who could see the future when he touched objects in 'The Dead Zone'. 
'Lolita' by Vladimir Nabokov is one of the best written books I've ever 
read. It's about a pedophile, and there's not a single swear or curse word 
in the entire book. And Nabokov wasn't a pedophile that I know of. 'Silence 
of the Lambs' by Thomas Harris portrayed one of the most realistic 
sociopathic killers (Hannibal Lechter) in all of modern literature. 
'Middlesex' by Jeffrey Eugenides portrays a hermaphrodite so well I felt 
certain the writer must be one, but it turns out he's just a great writer. 
One of my favorite novels, 'The Poisonwood Bible' by Barbara Kingsolver, is 
about a crazy minister sent to the Congo to convert souls, his wife, and 
four daughters. All the characters are written exquisitely, yet are products 
of Kingsolver's imagination. I could go on, but won't.  I hope you see my 
point.

chris