Introducing "Lifelike"
On verisimilitude in art and life
I was in the car driving home from a doctor’s appointment when the idea for the name of this blog came to me. Probably eighty percent of my driving time is accounted for by going to and from medical appointments. To see specialists, or get lab work done, or go to physical therapy, or pick something up from the pharmacy, or have yet another injection in an uncomfortable location, etc., etc. It leaves a lot of time for listening to the radio and letting one’s mind wander.
Writing is a lifelike medium, but it is not life. The act of writing can be part of one’s life, as can the act of reading. But the words themselves are only lifelike. Words are a representation of things and ideas. Art is another form of representation. Even the most factual reportage is an account of events, not the event as it occurs. “Ceci n’est pas une pipe,” as the French surrealist Magritte painted.
Is that all too esoteric? Let me get to the point. This newsletter is a representation of my life and the world around me, but it can only get so far in sharing my experiences. “Lifelike” is tongue in cheek, a reminder that everything you learn about me is only part of who I am; talking about one’s experience with chronic illness and disability is often met with pity or scorn, and I don’t want either of those.
I’ll also be sharing stories from my life in the Great Lakes region, about the environment and the increasing effects of climate change, as well as what I’m reading and writing. Because yes, I am a writer and I have a book coming out next year. Body Weather: Notes on Chronic Illness in the Anthropocene will be published by Beacon in April 2026, and I’ll post announcements about it here.
Lastly, I also want to connect with writers, artists, nature-lovers, and chronically ill/disabled brethren. I hope this will become a place for sharing stories, tips, discoveries, and questions. This space will change as it grows. I hope you’ll help grow it with me.
