Antonia White and Manic-Depressive Illness

289 Pages·2018·1.271 MB·English

by  Patricia Moran

Antonia White and Manic-
Depressive Illness
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Antonia White and Manic-
Depressive Illness
Patricia Moran
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Edinburgh University Press is one of the leading university presses in the UK. We publish
academic books and journals in our selected subject areas across the humanities and social
sciences, combining cutting-edge scholarship with high editorial and production values to
produce academic works of lasting importance. For more information visit our website:
edinburghuniversitypress.com
© Patricia Moran, 2018
Edinburgh University Press Ltd
The Tun – Holyrood Road,
12(2f) Jackson’s Entry,
Edinburgh EH8 8PJ
Typeset in 11/14 Adobe Sabon by
IDSUK (DataConnection) Ltd, and
printed and bound in Great Britain.
A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 978 1 4744 1821 8 (hardback)
ISBN 978 1 4744 1822 5 (webready PDF)
ISBN 978 1 4744 1823 2 (epub)
The right of Patricia Moran to be identifi ed as the author of this work has been asserted
in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, and the Copyright and
Related Rights Regulations 2003 (SI No. 2498).
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Contents
Acknowledgements vii
Introduction 1
1 The Beast in White’s Jungle: Manic-Depressive Illness 39
2 ‘I am a schizophrene’: Narrative Identity, Affective
Disorder and White’s Stories of Self 75
3 Master plots: Psychoanalysis and Catholicism 101
4 An Unfi nished Story: White’s Fictions of the Self 146
Epilogue: Composing a Self 213
Notes 219
Bibliography 260
Index 274
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In memory of David Van Leer
1949–2013
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Acknowledgements
Many people helped make this book possible. James Acheson was
the fi rst to discern a possible book in a lengthy draft that articu-
lated the key ideas I had about White and manic-depressive illness.
His encouragement led me to approach Jackie Jones at Edinburgh
University Press, whose enthusiasm convinced me that a book on
this subject was indeed viable. Erica Johnson, collaborator and
friend extraordinaire, has been there every step of the way. She read
numerous drafts of each chapter and offered the kind of editorial
advice and insight that has made my friendship with her one of the
sustaining elements of my life. I couldn’t be more grateful.
I owe a special debt to Lyndall Passerini Hopkinson, who gener-
ously offered to let me read her copies of her mother’s diaries at her
Palazzone in Cortona. Lyndall insisted on providing sumptuous meals
in her lovely garden throughout my visit; getting to know her has
been one of the most unexpected and welcome pleasures of undertak-
ing this study. I am also grateful to Lady Susan Chitty, who kindly
gave her permission for me to reference her mother’s unpublished
writing. I thank Carmen Callil and Jane Dunn for their timely and
helpful advice. Louis Sass was never too busy to respond quickly to
panicked questions about schizophrenia and psychiatry. Danai Dima
helped me understand some of the genetic factors involved in bipo-
lar disorder and kindly agreed to read through relevant sections of
the manuscript. At Edinburgh University Press Adela Rauchova and
Rebecca Mackenzie have overseen the production of this book with
admirable effi ciency.
I have been lucky to have the support and friendship of numerous
colleagues. I thank my former colleagues in English at the University
of Limerick, particularly David Coughlan and Sinéad McDermott,
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viii Antonia White and Manic-Depressive Illness
whose friendship made my years there some of the most enjoyable
of my career. Rachel Hynes’ enthusiasm for women writers and
modernism makes working with her a pleasure. I also thank the
members of my writing group, Tina Morin, Maggie O’Neill and
Michaela Schrage-Frueh, for providing good company as well as
good advice. I thank Head of the School of Culture and Communi-
cation, Tadhg Ó hlfearnáin for his wry but always sensible guidance
on all topics academic, and for his support of a research grant that
made it possible for me to travel to Italy in the summer of 2016.
I benefi tted from a book completion grant in the spring of 2016 that
relieved me of some of my administrative duties: my thanks to Dean
Tom Lodge of the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
for that support.
My colleagues in English at City, University of London have been
a friendly and lively group as we worked together to turn our dis-
parate strands of interest and practice into a department. I am par-
ticularly grateful to Mary Ann Kernan, who guided me with tact
and good humour as I set out to master the labyrinthine mysteries of
a new institution. Julie Wheelwright has been a mainstay from the
beginning, and has generously shared her time and resources with
me; her friendship has made my transition to London far easier and
more enjoyable than it might have been. Clare Allan is a gem: not
only do our intellectual interests coincide, but Clare’s passion for
dogs is matched only by my own, and her gift of ‘dog-time’ with
Elsie and Meg is priceless. Minna Vuohelainen and David Ashford
have helped immeasurably as we worked together to launch the BA
English: Minna deserves special mention for her capable handling
of numerous duties involved in setting up a new department and
for helping me get the manuscript ready for submission. Dean Theo
Farrell and Laurence Solkin believed in me more than I believed in
myself: I thank them for their support.
My son Patrick Higgins has lived with Antonia White more than
he would have liked: I appreciate his forbearance (‘You’re a nerd,
Mom. But a nice nerd’). I also thank friends and colleagues from
across the globe who have supported me in various ways. Joanne
Feit Diehl, Kari Lokke and Ray Waddington, my former colleagues
at the University of California, have continued to sustain me with
their interest and affection. Shout-outs go to Claire Davison, Jane
Garrity, Margaret Harper, Suzette Henke, Mark Hussey, Sydney
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Acknowledgements ix
Janet Kaplan, Kathy Laing, Frann Michel and Julie Vandivere.
Friends outside of academia provided much-needed perspective:
I thank Jack LaPoint and Gayle Denealius, whose practical advice
has been invaluable. I single out for special mention my oldest friend,
Cindy Crampsey, who knows me better than anyone.
Finally, I must thank two people who did not live to see this book
in print. My title pays tribute to the brilliant work of Thomas C.
Caramagno, whose study of Virginia Woolf and mental illness was
the starting point of this book. I did not know Caramagno person-
ally, only professionally, but I returned to his study of Woolf again
and again as I grappled with mastering the intricacies of manic-
depressive illness. His demonstration of how humanities scholar-
ship could build on the insights of other disciplines motivated me to
tackle this topic. I think he would have been pleased to know that
his work continues to inspire those who follow in his footsteps.
David Van Leer was my stalwart friend for more than twenty
years. We weathered many storms together, both personal and pro-
fessional, and his kindness and generosity of spirit kept me going
during some very dark times. I wish he could have read this book.
I miss him.
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