Tourette's Syndrome and "Motherless Brooklyn".
Years ago when I worked at a faux-hippie bar in Oakland, I met a guy named Jeff- who had Tourette's Syndrome. He was said to be the son of a very rich man, and thus lived a fairly carefree life. He constantly caught flak from various bar employees for trying to convince patrons to gamble with him in a contest of backgammon or chess. Jeff was generous enough not to be considered a complete cretin. Often he would stand in the entranceway and chat with me. Every so often the flow of his conversation was punctuated by a jerk of his head and an accompanying exclamation that sounded like "Whoah!" Aside from that he didn't differ all that much from the regular derelicts that frequented the bar. He was a bit obsessive, but so is anyone that is willing to listen to tapes of the same band for four hours straight every week. Jeff would try to cadge some money now and again, but again... this was a hippie bar so I was used to that kind of thing.
As far as I know, Jeff is the only person I ever interacted with that had Tourette's Syndrome. He was pretty much a textbook case, with his tics and verbal outbursts. I'm sure if I knew what I do now, I could have spotted other typical behaviors associated with the disorder. But I was caught up in the novelty of talking to someone who exhibited "involuntary" social behavior. In fact, for a time after meeting him I was distracted by wondering how much of his behavior was actually under his control. Without knowledge of the disorder, it's quite easy to believe that someone with Tourette's is f'king with you.
Tourette's is a genetic, nuerological disorder that usually manifests during childhood (most often between the ages of 5 and 7 years). The symptomatic tics of those afflicted can be either phonic (vocal) or motor-related (physical). Specialists have estimated that 1 in a hundred people have the syndrome. It usually becomes milder with age. Famous people with Tourette's throughout history have included Dr. Samuel Johnson, baseballer Jim Eisenreich, and author Andre Malraux. A popular stereotype portrays those suffering from Tourette's as being unable to suppress shouted oaths of obscenity (referred to as "coprolalia"), but this in fact is rare (fewer than 15% of subjects). Eye blinking and throat-clearing are actually the most common tics. Technically tics can indeed be suppressed, and so they are more properly described as "unvoluntary". People with Tourette's experience a build up of sensory tension that is relieved through the expressions of the tics. These tensions are referred to as "premonitory urges". The ability to suppress the urges differs across individuals. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Diorder and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder are frequently associated with Tourette's, and they can be more debilitating than the tics themselves.
Perhaps you've never met anyone with a severe case of Tourette's. In that case you might be interested in reading a fictional account about a man with the disorder. In Jonathan Lethem's Motherless Brooklyn, the first-person narrator is so afflicted. Lionel Essrog is a private detective in the employ of a minor wiseguy from Brooklyn. Lionel, along with his three co-workers, was taken up from an orphanage and shown the ways of petty crime by Frank Minna. His fellow gumshoes have accepted the outward results of his syndrome, and affectionately refer to him as the "Human Freakshow". But the interactions he has with the unsuspecting often have humorous consequences. Lionel is self-aware and analytical about the ways Tourette's affects him, and provides a lot of insight into a worldview mediated by tics.
For the most part it seems like Lethem spent sufficient time researching Tourette's Syndrome. From the limited amount of reading I've done on the subject, the descriptions in Motherless Brooklyn ring true. Yet this is so only for those with extreme cases of the disorder. The average subject stricken with Tourette's is not likely to have similar experiences, so it would be foolish to extend this reading much beyond speculation, or to invest it with the confidence of a larger reality. This is a neo-noir potboiler meant more for enjoyment than edification. At he same time, I'd be lying if I said that particular condition of Lionel Essrog wasn't the main thing that sustained my interest in the book. Lethem didn't seem all that interested in any of his other characters, and the plot was remarkably thin. All those tics bore the primary responsibility for keeping the clock moving as I tore through the book.
As far as I know, Jeff is the only person I ever interacted with that had Tourette's Syndrome. He was pretty much a textbook case, with his tics and verbal outbursts. I'm sure if I knew what I do now, I could have spotted other typical behaviors associated with the disorder. But I was caught up in the novelty of talking to someone who exhibited "involuntary" social behavior. In fact, for a time after meeting him I was distracted by wondering how much of his behavior was actually under his control. Without knowledge of the disorder, it's quite easy to believe that someone with Tourette's is f'king with you.
Tourette's is a genetic, nuerological disorder that usually manifests during childhood (most often between the ages of 5 and 7 years). The symptomatic tics of those afflicted can be either phonic (vocal) or motor-related (physical). Specialists have estimated that 1 in a hundred people have the syndrome. It usually becomes milder with age. Famous people with Tourette's throughout history have included Dr. Samuel Johnson, baseballer Jim Eisenreich, and author Andre Malraux. A popular stereotype portrays those suffering from Tourette's as being unable to suppress shouted oaths of obscenity (referred to as "coprolalia"), but this in fact is rare (fewer than 15% of subjects). Eye blinking and throat-clearing are actually the most common tics. Technically tics can indeed be suppressed, and so they are more properly described as "unvoluntary". People with Tourette's experience a build up of sensory tension that is relieved through the expressions of the tics. These tensions are referred to as "premonitory urges". The ability to suppress the urges differs across individuals. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Diorder and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder are frequently associated with Tourette's, and they can be more debilitating than the tics themselves.
Perhaps you've never met anyone with a severe case of Tourette's. In that case you might be interested in reading a fictional account about a man with the disorder. In Jonathan Lethem's Motherless Brooklyn, the first-person narrator is so afflicted. Lionel Essrog is a private detective in the employ of a minor wiseguy from Brooklyn. Lionel, along with his three co-workers, was taken up from an orphanage and shown the ways of petty crime by Frank Minna. His fellow gumshoes have accepted the outward results of his syndrome, and affectionately refer to him as the "Human Freakshow". But the interactions he has with the unsuspecting often have humorous consequences. Lionel is self-aware and analytical about the ways Tourette's affects him, and provides a lot of insight into a worldview mediated by tics.
For the most part it seems like Lethem spent sufficient time researching Tourette's Syndrome. From the limited amount of reading I've done on the subject, the descriptions in Motherless Brooklyn ring true. Yet this is so only for those with extreme cases of the disorder. The average subject stricken with Tourette's is not likely to have similar experiences, so it would be foolish to extend this reading much beyond speculation, or to invest it with the confidence of a larger reality. This is a neo-noir potboiler meant more for enjoyment than edification. At he same time, I'd be lying if I said that particular condition of Lionel Essrog wasn't the main thing that sustained my interest in the book. Lethem didn't seem all that interested in any of his other characters, and the plot was remarkably thin. All those tics bore the primary responsibility for keeping the clock moving as I tore through the book.
posted by Merge Divide at 5:22 PM
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