Poets on Prozac: Mental Illness, Treatment, and the Creative Process

Poets on Prozac: Mental Illness, Treatment, and the Creative Process

Richard M. Berlin (Editor)
$28.00
Publication Date: April 1st, 2008
Publisher:
Johns Hopkins University Press
ISBN:
9780801888397
Pages:
200

Description

Honorable Mention, 2008 PROSE Award for Best Book in Psychology. Professional and Scholarly Publishing Division of the Association of American Publishers.

Poets on Prozac shatters the notion that madness fuels creativity by giving voice to contemporary poets who have battled myriad psychiatric disorders, including depression, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance abuse.

The sixteen essays collected here address many provocative questions: Does emotional distress inspire great work? Is artistry enhanced or diminished by mental illness? What effect does substance abuse have on esthetic vision? Do psychoactive medications impinge on ingenuity? Can treatment enhance inherent talents, or does relieving emotional pain shut off the creative process?

Featuring examples of each contributor's poetry before, during, and after treatment, this original and thoughtful collection finally puts to rest the idea that a tortured soul is one's finest muse.

About the Author

Richard M. Berlin, M.D., is an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Massachusetts, a psychiatrist in private practice, and a published poet. He writes a monthly poetry column for Psychiatric Times and is the author of How JFK Killed My Father, a collection of poems about illness and the healing arts.