FAMOUS PEOPLE ARTICLES
VIRGINIA WOOLF's body fished out of the water, weighted down by stones. Van Gogh cradled in the arms of his brother at age 37, a thousand Starry Nights never to be painted, Sylvia Plath with the gas on and her kids in the next room, Marilyn Monroe found in a state of partial rigor mortis, forever young. These are tragic pictures of brilliant lives cut short.
But we also include people who led very successful lives, Lincoln, LBJ ...
The purpose of this section is to gain insight into the gift and curse that is our illness. We truly have wings, but beware of the melting wax.
Also on display are some heroes and a villain or two of psychiatry. Their stories chronicle how our understanding of human nature and approaches to treatment have changed over the years.
Jump in wherever you like ...
The pic to illustrate Famous is a section from one of Warhol's "Marilyn" prints. Marilyn's iconic status made her a no-brainer to lead the parade of notables chronicled here. Warhol's recasting of the same image in different shades suggests that what you see is not necessarily what you get.
Marilyn - Something Had to Give
There's been no one like her, before or since.
Reflections on the artist and his madness.
The thought of her going under one more time was more than she could take.
Sylvia Plath - In Her Own Words
Long a silent party in the discussion, now her voice is being heard.
Vonnegut - Funny and Depressed
Funny people are often depressed. Vonnegut offers an excellent case study.
His unremitting despair and long string of failures steeled his character.
Mahler - The Man Who Saw It Coming
His music chronicled a doomed era unraveling.
Beethoven: In a Major and Minor Mood
His life could fill up a segment on Oprah.
He was on the cusp of greatness. Two years later ...
Hamilton - A Hypomanic Case Study
He clearly had mania lite traits, but that's not the same as saying he had bipolar.
Phil Ochs - An American Tragedy
The 60s did not end as anyone had imagined. But Phil took it personally.
Alexander the Great - A Study in Narcissism
How did he get away with it?
His bipolar is well-documented, but what else was going on?
His 1921 opus is way ahead of the psychiatry of today.
Walter Freeman - Father of the Lobotomy
Thinking of giving someone a piece of your mind? Steer clear of this guy.
The most influential psychiatrist you never heard of.
FEATURED ARTICLES ON THE FAMOUS
