Carroll Cox wrote in reply to my note casting doubt on the diagnosis of
bipolar disorder on the grounds that the depressive phase seems to be
missing:

"This is not quite decisive. It is true that *most* bipolar patients suffer
from
depression more frequently and for longer periods than they do from
manic periods. Some, in fact, do not discover that they are bipolar until
medication for depression triggers a manic phase. But it is *also* true
that manic stages are far more visible to associates than is depression,
and friends, even family, will not necessarily recognize the symptoms of
depression. Also depression is often but not always incompatible with
considerable activity and with positive accomplishments. (Conrad, for
example, suffered seriously from depression.)

Depression can also leads to bursts of anger which (to bystanders) might
more easily fit the popular associations with "manic" behavior, and
while a major form of manic depression takes the form of extreme
elation and unrealistic optimism. Finally, it seems like many years
ago I read a statement from Pound (Interview with Hall in the
Paris Review??) something like, "I did not choose silence, silence
chose me" (in explanation for his withdrawal in his final years??)"

    I thank him for these remarks, which indeed support Tim Redman's
hypothesis. It appears Tim is reading the list, so he should be encouraged.
I had not considered the fact that bipolar disorder is often of late
onset--or at least the symptoms are sufficiently mild that late diagnosis is
common. So maybe that is a promising route to investigate. Certainly it is a
disorder that is not typically disabling to the sufferer--though it often
entails social difficulties. Perhaps Pound's eccentric social behaviour was
not just posing, but a symptom of his disorder.
    It should be added--and I'm sure Carrol Cox would agree--that bipolar
disorder does not entail any sort of cognitive impairment--though it might
express itself as irascibility, impatience, and verbal abusiveness.
    In the same post I referred to Tytell's SOLITARY VOLCANO, confusing it
with E. Fuller Torrey's ROOTS OF TREASON: EZRA POUND AND THE SECRET OF ST.
ELIZABETHS (Doubleday, 1987). I guess the old brain can't discriminate
between scholars whose names begin with "t". I thank Pati Cockram for
pointing out my blunder off line. Everything I said about Tytell's book and
Tytell himself is incorrect, but does correctly apply to Torrey's book.

Leon Surette
English Dept.
University of Western Ontario
London, Ont.
N6A 3K7