Top Retellings of Classic Tales

Ask the Author: Kay Redfield Jamison

“Looking forward to answering your questions about my new book, ROBERT LOWELL, in mid March.” Kay Redfield Jamison

Answered Questions (5)

Sort By:
Loading big
An error occurred while sorting questions for author Kay Redfield Jamison.
Thank you for sharing your story and Mr Lowell's, both about intelligent, creative people, to challenge the stigma of mental illness. As a nurse and mental health professional with a Autism Spectrum Disorder, I regularly encounter ignorance about what that means, even from other professionals. How can those of us with neurological and mental health conditions shrug off this burden of stigma from society?
Kay Redfield Jamison Carolyn, I don’t know any way to shrug off the stigma. I think it is lessening but there is a very, very long way to go.
flag
Although Art may imitate life, life may not imitate art. How difficult did you find it separating the poetry from the man and his illness? I always feel there is a danger in some biographies that the 'art' in this case the poetry, is overinterpreted with the benefit of hindsight. (As a UK person I regret to say that I am currently ignorant of his poetry although would welcome recommendations.)
Kay Redfield Jamison Robert Lowell discussed the relationship between his writing and his illness in great detail, so the separation was not as difficult as it would probably be if one was writing about someone else. I tried to be careful about this. I would recommend as an introduction to Lowell’s poetry the newly published “Robert Lowell:New Selected Poems”.
flag
Dr. Redfield Jamison, Your new work on Robert Lowell sounds compelling--I can't wait to pick it up. I am hoping you address the manic creative thrust artists experience from a biological or genetic perspective in your book. My question is: Can you describe this creative surge bipolar patients experience, and, in your opinion, what is its biological cause? Thank you so much for all your work on the study of bipolar.
Kay Redfield Jamison Melanie, My new book on Robert Lowell discusses at length the relationship between mood disorders, bipolar disorder and depression, and creativity : it looks at the many recent studies, many of them with very large numbers of subjects, which show increasing scientific evidence for a link. It also discusses the many psychological and biological reasons that might underlie such a link. Robert Lowell’s observations about the relationship between his illness and his poetry, as well as the observations of his doctors and fellow writers are also discussed.
flag
How does Robert Lowell relate to the vast community of people living healthily with mental illness?
Kay Redfield Jamison Bryan, Robert Lowell in many ways was not at all typical of people with mental illness—he was a great poet, by definition extremely unusual, and he came from a privileged background that allowed him access to unusually good psychiatric treatment. But he knew the suffering that comes with severe depression and mania, perhaps even more so than most because he had a particularly virulent form of manic-depression / bipolar disorder (he was hospitalized for his illness nearly twenty times). His poetry and other writing is remarkably powerful in capturing not only what mania and depression are like to experience, but the pain associated with them. He was also deeply courageous in dealing with his mental illness, which I write about this extensively in “Robert Lowell : Setting the River on Fire”.
flag
I first read An Unquiet Mind when I was 16, and since then I have recommended it to countless people. To me, it is timeless, it is a classic. Did you have any idea how much your very personal story would resonate with so many people when you first wrote it?
Kay Redfield Jamison Cait, Thank you for your question. This is my first time writing on Goodreads so it is a bit of an adventure. I didn’t have any idea what the reaction to An Unquiet Mind would be; I was quite anxious about personal and professional repercussions and was doubly delighted, then, that people wrote that it had hit a chord with them. Bipolar disorder is common but not talked about as much as it should be. It is awful to feel that one is alone with it.
flag
Kay Redfield Jamison
2,002 followers
To ask Kay Redfield Jamison a question, please sign up.

About Goodreads Q&A

Ask and answer questions about books!

You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.

See Featured Authors Answering Questions

Learn more