This site is for the friends and family of Jed Deppman. In August 2008, Jed was diagnosed with colon cancer, and both he and Hsiu-Chuang are on leave Fall semester from Oberlin College while Jed undergoes treatment. We will use this site to update you on Jed's condition and also to let all the people who care about Jed, Hsiu-Chuang, Formosa, and Ginger know what they can do to help out.
Jed’s latest book is now available for pre-order on Amazon.com. It’s called Trying to Think with Emily Dickinson and is due out in November. Here’s what the reviewer has to say about it:
Deppman’s book gives us a Dickinson who speaks powerfully to central philosophical questions of the twenty-first century while also positioning her in the historical context of her own time, thereby illuminating significant intellectual trends that link her age to ours. . . . Deppman’s close readings of key poems are lively, engaging, and frequently humorous. One of the most impressive stylistic achievements of this book is Deppman’s ability to interweave challenging philosophical debates with a focused analysis of Dickinson’s poems. He smoothly and compellingly integrates materials from multiple genres, differing historical periods, and radically different verbal registers.
–Paul Crumbley, author of Inflections of the Pen:
Dash and Voice in Emily Dickinson
You rock, Jed!
Hello well-wishers! Jed is continuing to improve, increasing food and activity with each day that goes by. He finds he’s sharing the schedule of his Scottie dog, eat, walk, nap, eat, walk, nap, etc. Due to his heavy napping schedule he’s not yet ready for visitors, but rest assured, he’s making great progress!
Jed has been discharged from the hospital and is happy to be continuing his recovery from the comfort of his own home. The focus of the next several weeks is a complete recovery from this surgery so that the next stage of treatment (yet to be determined) will be successful. He’s off to a great start- keep sending all that positive energy his way!
Mom, Formosa, Ginger and I visited Jed and Hsiu-Chuang yesterday and found them both doing well. Jed has been up and around some, and is pleased to be allowed to have Starbucks coffee from the lobby. He’s also happy to be off the clear liquids diet, and onto cream soups and ice cream. His spirits are good and we look forward to having him continue his recovery from home in a couple of days.
Hi everyone,
Just a brief note to say Jed is doing fine, but is pretty tired, so HC has requested that visits still be limited to family for the time being. Wibs (Jed’s mom) will be bringing the girls to see Dad this evening. Thanks for all your good thoughts!
Jed had surgery this morning at Cleveland Clinic, and the doctor says the procedure went very well. He will be recovering in the hospital for four or five days, during which time they’ll be figuring out the best approach for dealing with the metastases to the liver.
HC is planning to stay in the hospital with Jed tonight, and other family members will be taking shifts hanging out with Jed and HC over the next several days. Needless to say, he’s not up for visitors at this point, so please use the guestbook to convey your thoughts and good wishes.
Jed’s mom, Elizabeth McLain (aka Wibs) arrived Sunday from Vermont, and is planning to stay for the next 10 days or so to help out with the girls and generally hold down the fort. While she’s here, the family probably won’t need much in the way of help with meals and such, but don’t worry - there will be plenty of opportunities to help out in the weeks and months ahead.