Suicide and the South
by Penne J. Laubenthal
When he was only 31 years old, the brilliant and talented John Kennedy Toole killed himself by using a garden hose to asphyxiate himself with exhaust fumes from his car. His novel A Confederacy of Dunces, a book he considered a comic masterpiece, had been rejected by
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TeachBES says...
Yes, thank you, Carol, I have a friend who can certainly use this information. Penne, I was recently listening to an author teleseminar which featured Jack Canfield, author of the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series. He said he faced rejection 144 times before being published. He also commented he had spent half of his income during one year on marketing alone. I took pages and pages of notes during his 1 1/2 hour conference. It is amazing the trials and tribulation some people go through before being published, and I can certainly see where it would lead to depression. I have several friends/acquaintances who have taken their lives, and it has always been a mystery to me as to how they could take that final fatal step not knowing exactly what to expect on the other side. We long for that beautiful, comforting/peaceful, white light to encompass us, but one never knows.
I was heartbroken when I learned of Toole's death. It wasn't until after I read A Confederacy of Dunces and endeavored to learn more about him. The real tragedy of Toole's self-inflicted demise- apart from a life lost so needlessly, was that we will never know the wonderful, fantastic body of work that must have been contained in that troubled mind of his.
PenneElk says...
Carol, thank you so much for the information. Suicide and depression are subjects that touch all of us deeply. I appreciate your taking the time to let us know about this organization.
cforet says...
Suicide hurts so many. I want to share with you a site that addresses this dark issue: OUTOFTHEDARKNESS.ORG. This organization was shared with my by a friend who lost her brother last year, who has gotten involved with Out of the Darkness. A community walk is being held Sept. 27 at Wilson Morgan Park, Decatur, AL. Pre-registration begins at 7:30am, and the walk is going to be held from 9am-11am. For more information: Call 256-227-0412
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