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“T h e W o r d G e t s A r o u n d ”: L e s l i e M a r m o n S i l k o ’s T h e o r y o f N a r r a t i v e S u r v i v a l in T h e D e l ic a c y a n d S t r e n g t h o f L a c e D a n i e l M o r r i s I n “T h e P e o p le a n d t h e JA M E S W R I G H T L a n d A R E In se p a r a b le ,” Le slie M a r m o n S i lk o st a t e s t h a t L a ­ g u n a n a r r a t iv e s r e c o n t e x t u a liz e in d iv id u a l t r a u m a a s “p a r t o f t h e v i l ­ la g e ’s e t e r n a l n a r r a t iv e s a b o u t lo ss a n d fa ilu r e , n a r r a t iv e s t h a t id e n t ify t h e v illa g e a n d t h a t t e ll t h e p e o p le w h o t h e y a r e ” ( 9 1 ) . I n a n e x ­ c h a n g e o f le t t e r s w it h t h e p o e t Ja m e s W r ig h t ( 1 9 2 7 - 1 9 8 0 ) , S i l k o (b . 1 9 4 8 ) m a k e s u se o f t h e L a g u n a v ie w o f n a r r a t iv e ’s a b ilit y t o c o n t e x t u a liz e st o r ie s b y p l a c i n g t h e in d iv id u a l e x p e r ie n c e in r e la t io n t o a c o m m u n it a r ia n d isc o u r se — in t h is in st a n c e , W r ig h t ’s st r u g g le w it h d e a t h . T h e e x c h a n g e t o o k p la c e b e t w e e n 1 9 7 8 a n d W r ig h t ’s d e a t h fr o m c a n c e r in 1 9 8 0 ; t h is c o l le c t io n o f le t t e r s w a s p u b lish e d in e d it e d fo r m a s T h e D e l i c a c y a n d S t r e n g t h o f L a c e in 1 9 8 6 . S i l k o e x p lo r e s t h e w a y la n g u a g e fo r m s a n d sit u a t e s h u m a n s a n d a lso sh o w s t h a t n a r r a t iv e p o e...

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