paul's disease

[crud]

I remember in an interview around SG that Paul said he had some type of disease. What is it and how does it affect him?

[Huxley]

I know that Paul has said he has ADD Attention Defecit Disorder, which means he would have trouble focusing or concentrating on the task at hand. I have a son who is affected by this, it usually affects kids, but recently I've read that there is also adult ADD.

Anyway, I do remember from the CFMT dvd that Paul said that's why he does so many songs in one take, he has trouble remembering things the second time around.

[Caroline]

Are you thinking of the back problems from a while back? I found a bit about it in an interview with Mark Brown in 1999:

Q. Is it anything besides your back?
The back is the greatest symptom of it. It might be A.S., a severe case of that, which ankylosing spondylitis – it's like rheumatoid arthritis, which can make you sick, like a fever, joints, dizzy, ringing in the ears, swollen glands. When it hits, you feel pretty sick. But I'm feeling right on. I'm feeling good today. It's not gonna stop me. It might slow me a hair, till I get it under control.

Here's the entire interview:
members.aol.com/pwfiles/mbrown.htm

I always thought this was probably one of the reasons why he didn't tour for Suicaine.

[Doug]

ADD (or ADHD?) plus dyslexia. I'll bet it helps explain why he's such an interesting guy. And didn't like school much. I have an adult friend with ADD who's really considerate and interesting. But he does have a hard time self-editing sometimes.

[UnderneathABigHorse]

Is he really dyslexic? I mean, i've heard him say it once or twice, but I think it was more of in the kidding way. He's also said he reads a lot, and I don't he'd enjoy it that much if he really was dyslexic.

Faith

I use dyslexia and ADD in a jokey way frequently and people don't seem to really get it. They always respond with "Really?" Well...no...

[Doug]

I think it's the reason for the blue glasses. Apparently it helps.

And probably some of the trouble with lyrics.

[landshark]

Not conclusive proof of dyslexia, but a friend told me a story of Paul signing an autograph to a woman named Sarah:

My friend: "That's Sarah with an "h" "

Paul: "OK, with an 'h'."

When he got home, my friend looked at the signature again, and it said, "To Sahra."

[kgp]

FaithNia said:

Is he really dyslexic? I mean, i've heard him say it once or twice, but I think it was more of in the kidding way. He's also said he reads a lot, and I don't he'd enjoy it that much if he really was dyslexic

I'm not an educator or psychologist but I think a lot of dyslexics that are of above average intelligence can slip through the cracks or do just well enough in school so not to appear as if they have any kind of learning disability. I guess it could also explain the self-editing problems. Is anybody familiar with Billy Childish? Supposedly he's severely dyslexic, yet produces an insane amount of work. He has slowed some in tha past few years, but I think still records at least one or two albums per year, writes poetry and paints. I'm not that familiar with his writing (kind of hard to find stateside), but most of his albums sound similar to the point of redunancy. (Still pretty fun stuff, though). Kind of makes you curious about the sudden rush of releases Paul's had in the past few years, unrestrained by the majors and there predictable schedules.

[torethatbridgeout]

landshark said:

Not conclusive proof of dyslexia, but a friend told me a story of Paul signing an autograph to a woman named Sarah:

My friend: "That's Sarah with an "h" "

Paul: "OK, with an 'h'."

When he got home, my friend looked at the signature again, and it said, "To Sahra."

That's a nice story.

Just a look at the Sorry Ma liner notes gives you some idea. Lotsa Sahra type stuff there.

[UnderneathABigHorse]

I just thought he couldn't spell.

"tittle" makes me laugh every time I read it...

teeheehee

Faith

[ElegantMule]

kgp - Billy Childish is amazing. I saw him play a tiny little club a few years ago and it was really special. I had no idea he had dyslexia - he has tons of books! I bought one - I think one of his woodcuts is on the cover - and I think he only does poetry. "Only."

Out of all trillion songs he has, he still took requests....great guy.

He is maddeningly prolific. Hmmm, and another renaissance man. Connection?

[kgp]

ElegantMule said:

kgp - Billy Childish is amazing. I saw him play a tiny little club a few years ago and it was really special. I had no idea he had dyslexia - he has tons of books! I bought one - I think one of his woodcuts is on the cover - and I think he only does poetry. "Only."

I've never found any of his books. I swear I read somewhere that he'd written an autobiography. I think he'd been abused by someone in his family and written about it. His albums are another story. How many does he have now? Last time I heard it was over 80. He's kind of hard to keep up with. I just sort of buy his records when I find them. I'd love to see him on tour.

[Numskll]

FaithNia said:

Is he really dyslexic? . . . He's also said he reads a lot, and I don't he'd enjoy it that much if he really was dyslexic.

I read a lot and am dyslexic. Many dyslexic people maladapt or adapt to their limitations. I had to make up a host of strange habits to study effectively in school, but once I got down to a routine it became very effective at it ( to the point of remembering word for word much of what I read . . I still do). That habit of [mal]adapting might be part of PW's verbal genius. He perceives language differently than most folks.

Anyway dyslexic doesn't equal poor literacy skills and dyslexia is sort of a catch all for a raft of perceptual cognitive disorders all of which in the great tradition of Russian formalism 'make language strange' every moment of every day.

whew. I feel better now

/adjusts his nerdy glasses and stumbles off soap box

[scoOter]

hello? it is clear paul has a bad case of the rockin' pneumonia, and the boogie-woogie flu!

[Lee]

"I'm not an educator or psychologist but I think a lot of dyslexics that are of above average intelligence can slip through the cracks or do just well enough in school so not to appear as if they have any kind of learning disability. I guess it could also explain the self-editing problems. Is anybody familiar with Billy Childish? Supposedly he's severely dyslexic, yet produces an insane amount of work. He has slowed some in tha past few years, but I think still records at least one or two albums per year, writes poetry and paints."


Tim Armstrong from Rancid and Operation Ivy is dyslexic, too. i think he's an amazing writer, especially from "...And Out Come the Wolves" and on. there are some amazing political/philosophical lyrics on "Life Won't Wait," "Rancid V," and even on the new record, "Indestructable." Tim's lyrics from the Transplants are really good and really do a lot with a few words. they're really resonant and evocative, much like Westerberg's can be. i wonder if that's part of it (being a dyslexic writer, that is), where one writes with fewer words, and is more choosy with the ones one uses.

[UnderneathABigHorse]

I apologize. I have to admit that all I really knew about dyslexia I learned from bad sitcom situations. All I thought it meant was that when you read the words were all switched around. Teach me to watch bad TV.

And now I am completely convinced that I am also dyslexic. I have always done silly things like putting the letters of words in the wrong order while writing. I just always thought I was absent minded. And I probably actually have ADD too.

Wow, I suck. Oooh, look, shiny.....

Faith

[kgp]

I think Numskll put it most eloquently. I didn't use dyslexia to signify all learning disorders, or that having a different or unique way of processing language should be called a disease. I'm not the most linear thinker in the world, either. I guess medicine tends to label anyone who is different from the norm, find the disease, and try to cure it. If you look at the criteria for diagnosing learning disorders or ADHD (and I think they can occur simultaneously) you'll notice a lot of people could easliy be considered dyslexic or afflicted with ADHD.

[Doug]

Numskll said:

That habit of [mal]adapting might be part of PW's verbal genius. He perceives language differently than most folks.

I agree with KGP that Numskll put it well. It helps explain what most of us have known for a long time -- that Paul's got any amazing way with language. Like the various movies and books over the years where people briefly start using much more of their brains. I think there was a John Tavolta one. And there was Charley. I better stop. That's sounding stupid.

This has been a good thread.

It's 5:30 p.m. Friday in Melbourne. Have a good weekend.

[wolvesinthewalls]

Numskll said:

I read a lot and am dyslexic. Many dyslexic people maladapt or adapt to their limitations. I had to make up a host of strange habits to study effectively in school, but once I got down to a routine it became very effective at it ( to the point of remembering word for word much of what I read . . I still do). That habit of [mal]adapting might be part of PW's verbal genius. He perceives language differently than most folks.

whew. I feel better now

/adjusts his nerdy glasses and stumbles off soap box

numskll, i applaude your speach. i have ADD, and i was beginning to feel like no one was going to mention the fact that people with learning disabilities figure out their own ways of doing things and adapt.

also, the ability to see and interpert things differently, wheather its a choice or not, is definatly something to be appreciated, and part of what makes Paul Westerberg so amazing