A SLENDER THREAD

Diane Ackerman shares her perspectives on aspects of her life and the world around her. Her insights are informed by her experience as a counselor at a crisis hotline. Lisa Rafel's air of detachment is suggestive of the detachment that the counselors must adopt to avoid burnout or personal involvement in the human dramas presented to them. The abridgment does not always provide a smooth transition between general observations and observations more directly drawn from specific incidents. The clients are all presented in a similar voice, reflecting the sense of insignificance that is integral to the depression they face. J.E.M. © AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 99]