clueless? (#12071)
by Richard Henry Morgan on May 12, 2003 at 4:33 PM

The author invokes a "syndrome" popular with Alcoholics Anonymous (not a medical body), that I've yet to see in the relevant DSM. Please correct me if I'm wrong on that score, and cite the page. The author is spared the problem of losing a medical license for diagnosing without actually interviewing a patient, simply on the grounds that she has no medical license. But the cluelessness (if that is what it is) does not end there. There is no J.D Hatfield. There is a former con who took the name JH Hatfield, and wrote the mentioned Fortunate Son. He made claims therein that his publisher (St Martin's) could not substantiate, his book was withdrawn from publication, only to be taken up by SoftSkull Press (the same people who revived Bellesiles' disgraced Arming America), and he proceeded to commit suicide -- and this is a source that Wormer cites.

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/1999/10/20/hatfield/

http://archive.salon.com/politics/red/2001/07/20/blue/print.html