[John Isbell]

Good morning Mike,

OK, let's post exactly what you said, instead of relying on reports. You say this in your review:

The only serious adversity in Lowell’s highly privileged life was his severe bipolar disease. To overcome that adversity Lowell had wealth and class advantages that guaranteed him the best and least restrictive medical care. Had he been named Robert Jones, Robert Connolly, or Robert Berkowitz, the odds are that he would have been warehoused for life in a hellish Massachusetts institution, like the one that Frederick Wiseman exposed in his famous 1967 documentary film, Titicut Follies.

Now I believe i have fairly characterized that statement in the words I quoted above. Rather than delete a word, i will repeat it in its entirety:

I did read Juster's review, which stated if I understood correctly among other claims that the only problem in Lowell's privileged existence was his mental illness. Similarly, the only problem in Steven Hawking's privileged existence is his ALS. I did work for several years at a mental health clinic, and I have some grasp of the hidden challenges - they escape people - that mental illness routinely imposes. Those challenges did not seem visible in Juster's review, and my previous post in this thread aims to redress that balance. Particularly if folks read the review and skip the book, as I did. Misrepresentation comes easy in describing people. I hope to have avoided it here.

Once again, do feel at complete liberty to indicate at which point in these two passages I am 100% twisting what [you] said. I feel that I was fair. If i missed another passage, please feel free to quote it. You know your review better than I do.
Update: as i said, I think you have the wrong dog.

Cheers,
John