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A review by heartpages
Touched with Fire: Manic-Depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament by Kay Redfield Jamison
4.0
A really important take by one of the only people I'd trust to take it.
Jamison's premise is a fine line to walk, given that it is near-impossible to nail down definitions of words like "creative" or "inspired," let alone "poet." She does the best she could, using accepted psychological scales and DSM diagnoses. The family heredity trees were beyond fascinating.
She also accounts for wide variation in these conclusions - even with simple possibilities like the mentally ill might simply be more self-aware, and that famous writers might exaggerate their letters knowing they'd be saved for posterity. Again, she covers what angles she can. But overall, much as I wanted to as a bipolar sufferer myself, I didn't find her results compelling. At best it was for me a sort of consolation prize for enduring what we do. I felt like she was telling me, don't worry, at least you're more creative than other people. And given that she clearly began with an expectation in mind, that weakens the draw for me as well.
It's beyond difficult to separate truth from trope here. Still super enjoyable; but I don't feel much more than validated or gratified. I'm not sure if her purpose was any different.
Jamison's premise is a fine line to walk, given that it is near-impossible to nail down definitions of words like "creative" or "inspired," let alone "poet." She does the best she could, using accepted psychological scales and DSM diagnoses. The family heredity trees were beyond fascinating.
She also accounts for wide variation in these conclusions - even with simple possibilities like the mentally ill might simply be more self-aware, and that famous writers might exaggerate their letters knowing they'd be saved for posterity. Again, she covers what angles she can. But overall, much as I wanted to as a bipolar sufferer myself, I didn't find her results compelling. At best it was for me a sort of consolation prize for enduring what we do. I felt like she was telling me, don't worry, at least you're more creative than other people. And given that she clearly began with an expectation in mind, that weakens the draw for me as well.
It's beyond difficult to separate truth from trope here. Still super enjoyable; but I don't feel much more than validated or gratified. I'm not sure if her purpose was any different.