Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - March/April 2010 - (Page 36)

off the shelf The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman Review by Bran Shim Anne Fadiman’s The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down is the chronicle of a Hmong refugee family from Laos and a tragic case of cultural misunderstanding that took place in California in 1982. The story, centered on Lia Lee, the family’s second-youngest and most favored daughter, is so compelling that the 288 pages fly by. Fadiman is an outstanding storyteller, weaving in Hmong history, culture, spiritual beliefs, and moral ethics with her own personal recollections and numerous folk stories, providing vivid context the reader needs to understand the Hmong experience. Lia had what was known in Hmong culture as qaug dab peg, translated into English as “the spirit catches you and you fall down.” In the Western world, it’s known as epilepsy. The Hmong considered this an honorable condition that came with the ability to fuse with the spirit realm. Chosen to host a healing spirit, most people like Lia would become sacred shamans. When Lia had her first epileptic seizure at three months old, it was cause for celebration rather than a trip to the emergency room. Of course, Lia’s doctors and the Merced Hospital staff would hardly agree: Lia’s severe case of epilepsy meant violent seizures that could be fatal. While the doctors devised what they believed to be the best course of treatment for Lia, the Lees saw Lia’s chart grow longer and longer until it contained more than 400,000 words. Fadiman writes, “Every one of those words reflected its author’s intelligence, training, and good intentions, but not a single one dealt with the Lees’ perception of their daughter’s illness.” Changing Lia’s complicated medication regimen 23 times or sending her away from reluctant parents to foster care were medically sound decisions. But those decisions did not prevent Lia from becoming irreversibly brain dead. Both Lia’s doctors and her parents had assumed that they knew what was best for her. The Merced Hospital staff administered countless pills to treat her condition while the Hmong sacrificed livestock to celebrate her gift. Unable to bridge the cultural gap, the doctors saw uncooperative parents refusing to medicate a patient properly. Lia’s parents saw doctors stripping their daughter of her divine powers and making her sicker from side effects. By the time parents and doctors finally com municated through a nuanced translator and realized their misunderstandings, it was too late for Lia. This book is a must read for anyone who considers medicine, writing, or participation in the global community of the 21 st century to be in their future. Lia’s treatment was nearly perfect, even textbook worthy. Tell that to her parents, who performed an elaborate pig sacrifice in hopes of reuniting Lia’s soul with her body. What Fadiman makes you realize is that the Lees are not fictional people in a remote village on the other side of the world: They are your neighbors. Read this book and then take a look at the world and the people around you. You won’t see them the same again. Bran shim is a senior at horace Greeley high school in New York. he has been the principal bassist of the Juilliard Pre-college orchestra, New York Youth symphony, and Aspen concert orchestra. his article about the Aspen Music Festival appeared in the January/February 2010 issue of Imagine. Also recommended: The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara The Killer Angels is a fascinating work of historical fiction that tells the story of the Battle of Gettysburg through the viewpoints of the military leaders in the Union and Confederate armies. Shaara’s story provides an engaging and in-depth study of the battle and the impact on those involved, and I would recommend it strongly to anyone who is familiar with or interested in learning more about the Civil War. —Elyse Cox, 16, PA Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi Reading Lolita in Tehran is one woman’s account of her experience of the revolution and wars in Iran. Nafisi is a literature pro fessor who keeps a secret literary circle in her home with seven other girls. Together, they discuss Lolita, Pride and Prejudice, The Great Gatsby, and their own lives, which to us might sound fictional. Nafisi does not rant and complain about the cruelties of her experience, but rather explains it all in a straightforward language that leaves a lasting impact on the reader. —Catherine Chen, 14, MA 36 imagine Mar/Apr 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - March/April 2010

Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - March/April 2010
Contents
Editor’s Note
Big Questions
In My Own Words
Why Study Philosophy?
The Great Conversation
Robots, Zombies, and Descartes
The Wide World of Philosophy
The Philosopher’s Toolbox
Bad Dreams, Evil Demons, and The Experience Machine
Harry Potter and Plato
Exploring Ethics (or, Why I Give Up Saturdays in Spring)
How to Start a Philosophy Club
Selected Opportunities & Resources
Middle Ground
Off the Shelf
Word Wise
Exploring Career Options
One Step Ahead
Planning Ahead for College
Students Review
Creative Minds Imagine
Sudoku
Knossos Games

Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - March/April 2010