Justin Courter The Bipedal Conspiracy Sept. 12
Dear Dr. Eliot, I happen to think that our bi-weekly, one,hour sessions are more than enough. And frankly, I resent your homeworky suggestion that I keep this journal. So I wiII address the entries to you. At least someone is listening to me now. But remember that I am fluent in psychi-
atric doublespeak. For instance, you stated that the purpose of our sessions is to help "clarify my thoughts," which I understand translates to "change my mind" about the events that landed me here. I suspect Brandon was trying to do the same, in his own way, when he referred
me
to
Dr. Drake.
But you are right on one point; after thinking about your questions for a day, I do find I can come up with more detailed answers co them. Yesterday, when you asked why I no longer want my legs, I had trouble answering because it's not a question I would consider. Who says I need a reason! My response was to ask you why you want to have sex. When you answered that it was a desire that had been with you since adolescence and I said nothing marc, I believe you thought you had cleverly stumped me. You had not. I was quiet because I was thinking back over the history of a desire that predates my adoles~ cence. The fact is, I have been repelled by bipedalism since 1can remember. It disgusts me to see the insect~like movements of human beings as they walk, run, climb and pedal. I want no part of that antique culture of pedestrianism. According to my parents, I learned to crawl early but walk late, probably because even then I was disturbed by all the perambulation I saw around me. Out of an instinct grew my child~ hood interest in orangutans, those most beautiful of brachia tors, and later, my enthusiasm for gymnastics. Yes, instinct. An instinct toward nonpedalism. Put that in the next article you submit to JAMA. Perhaps, as I swung myself around on the rings and parallel bars, in the back of my mind I harbored the belief that if I focused all my concentration on my upper lxxIy, the lower would atrophy, wither away eventually to nothing. I'm finding I don't mind writing my answers to you in this journal. It's less stressful than the sessions, where I feel you are toying with me like a lawyer who has already interviewed the other witnesses. (1 know 166
FUGUE #27