Nerve Language

by Brian Henderson

The new work centres on the Memoirs of Daniel Paul Schreber, perhaps the most written about of mental patients, as well as one of the most articulate. The Memoirs formed the basis of Freud's theory of paranoia, the interpretation of which was a primary cause of the split between Jung and Freud, was the basis of Bleuler's definition of schizophrenia (which is till operative today) and has been subjected to many other readings such as Canetti's attempt to connect paranoia and proto-fascist power and Wilden's to see a proto-feminism in a revolt against the forensic psychiatry and ideas of the masculine of the day. It has been a prompt to examine his relationship to his family, where other researchers have claimed to have found abuse. Und so veiter. In 1894, Daniel Paul Schreber had become a high ranking judge in Leipzig before being plunged into breakdown. He entered an asylum voluntarily but after six months was committed by his wife, his doctor and his former employer, at which point his worst experiences began. Nonetheless, he also began to work towards his release, which he achieved on appeal to the very court in which he was once the President.During his madness (and even after his release), he believed God spoke to him directly by way of what he called nerve language. His God had become the two central gods of ancient Persia. He believed that a terrible disaster had befallen the universe and that he was the last person alive. His task was to restore the cosmos by nerve contact with divine rays. In order for this to occur he had to enter the world of female voluptuousness, which would unman him.Henderson's poems enter this world of mad logic and real thought, of immense suffering, of vision and transformation, where love and freedom are just over the horizon of dark and clashing light.

124 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2007

About the author

Brian Henderson is the author of twelve volumes of poetry, the most recent of which is Unidentified Poetic Object from Brick Books. Sharawadji (Brick Books, 2011), was nominated for the Canadian Authors Association Chambers Award for Poetry. Nerve Language (Pedlar Press, 2007) was a finalist for the Governor General's Literary Award. Henderson's work, both critical and poetic, has appeared in a number of literary journals. He holds a PhD in Canadian literature, is the past director of Wilfrid Laurier University Press, and lives in Grey Highlands, Ontario, with his wife, Charlene.

Reviews

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this book about seven years ago for a course on Canadian poetry. I remember writing my final paper on it after reading Daniel Paul Schreber's Memoirs of my Nervous Illness...partly because I liked Never Language more than our other required readings, and partly because requesting Memoirs through interlibrary loans gave me an excuse to ask for an extension on the project. I still have my essay somewhere...that, and the re-living of my university days are the only reasons why I'm not getting rid of this book.

First off: Schreber. A schizophrenic German man whose memoirs were studied by psychologists, most notably Freud. He was obsessed with "nerves" and "rays" which he perceived as God's way of communicating with him. He also had some gender issues which I'm not going to try to define, but sometimes he wanted to be a woman and sometimes he wanted to desex himself.

Apparently there was a movie based on the Memoirs released in 2006, which may have been Henderson's inspiration for Never Language. I remember not feeling like he really did justice to Schreber's Memoirs, however, it's still an interesting idea for a poetic project. I'm not sure if I condone appropriating the identity of a mentally ill man, but Henderson deals with it in a (mostly) tactful way. There is a lot of pathos in the contrast between how Schreber is treated at the asylum and his longing for freedom.

The poetry itself is mediocre. Henderson steals and overuses certain words from Memoirs, like "rays," "nerves," "God," and "voluptuousness." The poems are repetitive. The ideas don't seem to flow logically either, so...I guess, good job on the "appearing mentally ill" theme, but it isn't enjoyable to read. There's also a ton of rhetorical questions, which is one of my pet peeves. They work effectively in a few places, but most of the time I just rolled my eyes at the pathetic attempts to appear profound.

Poems that I liked:
"Innocence is the Weakest Defence," "The Play-with-Human Beings," "Representing Questions," "Wall, Corridor, Balcony, Door," "Sabine: Accommodation," "For My Mother."

=6/56 (10.7%) poems that I liked.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the late 19th century, Daniel Paul Schreber was a respected judge in Leipzig when the onset of a psychosis landed him in a German asylum, where he remained until he died in 1911. He chronicled his condition in the book Memoirs of My Nervous Illness, which became influential in psychology, having even been analyzed (though never interviewed) by Sigmund Freud.

The title of the book, Nerve Language, refers to the method, Schreber explained, that God used to communicate to him. As such, Brian Henderson creates vivid poems of harrowing drama in a profoundly moving portrait of insanity, as the internal struggle within Schreber becomes a battle for comfort in a shattered identity. This struggle sets a potentially cold and austere work ablaze with humanity and passion, as we are meant to question ourselves about our own conformity affects our inspiration and raison d’être.

It is for books like this one which I wanted to get to reading again.