Gyromancy

Van Gogh, who cut off his ear, serves Ron Rindo's introduction to Ménière's disease since Ménière's involves problems with the ear.

Source: Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear. 1889. Van Gogh Gallery. Vincent Van Gogh Gallery. Web. 25 Aug. 2013.

Ron Rindo is a middle-aged husband who suffers from Ménière's, in which there is excess fluid in the inner ear. This affects the vestibular system, which is responsible for the body's sense of balance; once thrown off, the body becomes susceptible to vertigo. Ron Rindo's Ménière's symptoms have lasted since his 20s. In Gyromancy, Rindo reasons that Van Gogh might have suffered from Ménière's, and attacks of immobilizing vertigo, through his own personal experiences. Ron Rindo received his B.A. from Carroll College and his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He currently teaches American Literature, Fiction Writing, and Nature Writing at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. He was recognized by the Wisconsin Library Association for Outstanding Achievement twice. If anyone is qualified to describe such a disease, it's Rindo. The purpose of Gyromancy is to describe a case of severe Ménière's disease with a particular focus on vertigo through personal experience and a theory about a well-known figure. This essay was written for people with minimal knowledge on Ménière's disease or vertigo. Since uncontrolled vertigo is not something one can easily mimic (and only 40% of adults have experienced it at least once), Rindo must employ various rhetorical strategies to accurately inform the reader about the feeling of vertigo. One technique he uses is vivid imagery. He uses words with very strong, clear connotations such as "chaos" and ""disorienting". Additionally, he uses similes and the phrase "as if" several times to describe otherwise indescribable feelings. I believe Ron Rindo accomplished his purpose. When I began Gyromancy, I had never heard of Ménière's before, knew little about vertigo, and had an average knowledge of Van Gogh. The author built the essay off something I was familiar with: when Van Gogh cut off his ear. From there, Rindo ventured into unfamiliar territory using flawless transitions, making him easy to follow. When he  explored the medical cause of Ménière's, I already understood of what I was reading, so it didn't interrupt my comprehension or interest.