When an artist is haunted by a phantom twin, the sense of loss must feel overpowering and certainly must influence perception, output and life choices. So it seems, at least, with Elvis Aaron Presley and his phantom twin brother, Jesse Garon Presley. "Return to Sender," "Teddy Bear," etc.
Or consider Philip K. Dick and his phantom sister, Jane: A Scanner Darkly, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
Or Thornton Wilder's phantom brother, Theophilus: Our Town, The Bridge of San Luis Rey.
Then there's the double trouble of dual living and competing twins.
Caroline Knapp barely mentions her twin sister, but she's there somewhere: Pack of Two: The Intricate Bond Between People and Dogs; Drinking: A Love Story; Alice K's Guide to Life; Appetites: Why Women Want; The Merry Recluse.
How about Pauline "Popo" Esther Friedman (Dear Abby) and her sister Esther "Eppie" Pauline Friedman (Ann Landers)? Rather eerily, they had a dual wedding.
Finally, consider Anthony Shaffer (Sleuth, The Wicker Man, 1973) and Peter Shaffer (Equus, Amadeus).
Twins are wild, ain't they?
Today's Rune: Defense.
3 comments:
Have you read Wilder's 'Theophilus North'? It's a very sweet book.
YOu know, I never really thought about this, but very interesting. I remember reading about Elvis's twin long ago.
Jesse Garon Presley i know but who is Elvis Arron Presley?
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