Blindfolded Arslanian and the annulation seminar (p. 570)
‘I’m saying apparently the Boogster just sits there in class, eyes bugging out, stomach in fucking knots, dope-slapped by anxiety. I’m saying frozen.’ […] ‘The right side of his face frozen in this anxiety-tic. Envisioning any possible tennis career as with these little wings on it, flying off. Talking all kinds of crazy self-injuring anxious-depression talk. […]’
Context
Pemulis's clinical picture of an anxious-depressive episode from inside a tennis academy: classroom freeze, somatic tic, catastrophizing brain-cartoons, self-injuring talk — and the tutoring that "didn't do jack," the book's comic version of how little reasoning helps a depressive conviction.