[R.D. Laing] Substantial Typed Letter Signed "Alec Jenner " [Professor F.A. Jenner] to "Dr. Laing" [R.D. Laing] hoping to have further conversations and discussing a case of schizophrenia at length. WITH: Notes in Laing's hand.

Jenner Typed Letter Signed: Two pages, fol., fold marks, small closed tears on folds, ow good condition. He (and his team) would appreciate Laing's coming to dinner since they are starting to think about schizophrenia "in something like the way you have seen it for a long time [.] In particular we are in the middle of what might be called humanistic studies of a mere handful of to us extremely interesting 'schizophrenic' persons. I think a question which we would like to to put to you, if you felt you were able perhaps to come for dinner [.] is the disappointment we have in firstly, having very considerable understanding in our own minds of the patient, the power struggles and the conflicts involved etc. etc. and then finding that the patient's position can lead to violent acting out or quite inappropriate behaviour in our own view, which leads us to revert to physical treatments which are often very 'effective' in the sense that they quieten down the symptoms but hardly change the person in the way we would ourselves want in a meaningful way to do." He then discusses a case at length. R.D. Laing has made notes on the reverse of the second page as follows (some illegible to me; See image): First column: "You are reading this, at this moment. But who are you to me, the writer of the words you are reading"; Second column: "Western literature is a means of [communication?] [??] mind to mind heart to heart || 1. Flaubert | Salammbo | Cato || 2. Censorship| Candidness | Candide | Voltaire | 3. Ezra Pound | [?] Salammbo.".…