A review by paintedhuman
Touched with Fire: Manic-Depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament by Kay Redfield Jamison

1.0

I read this some time ago, and the take-home message only served to underscore the stereotype of The Artist as a tragic figure of tortured genius. Romanticizing mental illness is neither productive nor helpful when discussing it in the context of daily life. Pithy bits of poetry to set the mood at the start of each chapter just felt belittling. Attributing some level of artistic mastery to illness undermines the hard work it takes to achieve that level of skill.
I'd rank it half a star if I could, for upholding a false and damaging ideal.