[pct-l] Scott Williamson in Backpacker

[StoneDancer1 at aol.com (StoneDancer1@aol.com)]

Made it out of my cave today and survived a day of civilization, where  I 
found a copy of Backpacker.  I always thought that "first person" was my  most 
unfavorite kind of writing... until today.  ( This, even though I have  been 
doing some writing, and find it difficult to write a personal narrative  without 
using "I"). The Scott Williamson story is a marvelous tale, written  in second 
person "you," that seemed to bother a lot of people.... me  included.
 
I think the writer's attempt to make the reader more closely identify with  
Scott, by  the tragic overuse of "you," is unfortunate.  Further, this  is a 
monumental achievement... more unlikely even than Brian Robinson's triple  
crown, because chance, among other things, plays such an enormous  role.  (Not to 
denigrate the triple crown...at all.)  The story is so  compelling that its 
second person narrative lessens it rather than  intensifies it.... grabs you like 
the television newspaper commentator that  keeps saying "Ah...... " again and 
again.
 
Finally, it doesn't seem to be as much a story of a yo-yo as it does a  
psychological portrait.  All thruhikers have their demons to wrestle  with.  
Granted, Scott's are more monumental than some, but not SO much more  than others... 
my own included, in some small part.  
 
Still, it's a haunting tale.  
 
And I can't stand Backpacker Magazine.  Sorry.  Any magazine that  makes you 
search through the ads to find the articles...
 
"No Way" Ray  Echols