A Disease of Language
A Disease of Language is the 2005 collection of adaptations by Eddie Campbell of two of Alan Moore's performances, The Birth Caul (1999) and Snakes and Ladders (2001). It is rounded by a 2002 interview of Moore conducted by Campbell for Egomania 2 and sketches. It is published by Palmano Bennett in association with Knockabout. The Birth Caul In 1995 Alan Moore had recently revealed himself as a practicing magician. He did a spoken word performance called The Birth Caul (A Shamanism of Childhood) with music by David J and Tim Perkins, which was soon released on CD. It was staged at the Old County Court in Newcastle upon Tyne on 18 November 1995. The birth caul is a portion of birth membrane sometimes present at birth covering the head, face or rarely the entire body like a veil or a second skin. It denotes that the child will possess gifts of the sixth sense, and so is often dried and kept traditionally as a protective talisman. When Moore's mother dies he finds her birth caul amongst her effects. The Caul represents a map of humanity which Moore proceeds to read from. The text is essentially an examination of the