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The Midnight Disease: The Drive to Write, Writer's Block, and the Creative Brain
Why is it that some writers struggle for months to come up with the perfect sentence or phrase while others, hunched over a keyboard deep into the night, seem unable to stop writing? In The Midnight Disease, neurologist Alice W. Flaherty explores the mysteries of literary creativity: the drive to write, what sparks it, and what extinguishes it. She draws on intriguing exam...more
Paperback, 320 pages
Published
January 18th 2005
by Mariner Books
(first published 2004)
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The Midnight Disease: The Drive to Write, Writer's Block, and the Creative Brain is written by Alice Flaherty, a neurologist. Her medical training has a profound impact on the book, but even more so weighs the event that changed her life: the premature birth and death of twin boys. Her subsequent postpartum disorder brought on depression and mania, including hypergraphia--the constant need to write. But this isn't a memoir, even though her voice and experience are integral. This is about the ver...more
Sep 21, 2010
Velvetink
marked it as to-read
Hope to find this soon....in the meantime a review I found on google books. =
Editorial Review - Reed Business Information (c) 2003
Flaherty (The Massachusetts General Handbook of Neurology) mixes memoir, meditation, compendium and scholarly reportage in an odd but absorbing look at the neurological basis of writing and its pathologies. Like Oliver Sacks, Flaherty has her own story to tell a postpartum episode involving hypergraphia and depression that eventually hospitalized her. But what holds t...more
Editorial Review - Reed Business Information (c) 2003
Flaherty (The Massachusetts General Handbook of Neurology) mixes memoir, meditation, compendium and scholarly reportage in an odd but absorbing look at the neurological basis of writing and its pathologies. Like Oliver Sacks, Flaherty has her own story to tell a postpartum episode involving hypergraphia and depression that eventually hospitalized her. But what holds t...more
I am far too great a snob to read a book like this except by accident – I found it at the Salvation Army. Snobbery is its own punishment, however, and I found I could not put this book down. It was fascinating, and unlike virtually all the “popular science” books I have ever read, its author (a neurologist and Harvard professor) never condescends to the reader and yet never blinded me with science. The act of writing (and in the case of writer’s block, not writing) is now just as weird to me as...more
"Researchers will soon be able to see which patterns of brain activity underlie creativity," Flaherty claims. By offering some powerful physiological theories for the creative process, Flaherty debunks the idea that creativity stems from psychological inspiration. A few impenetrable parts notwithstanding, she eloquently translates scientific information into layman's terms, instilling her narrative with fascinating literary and personal anecdotes and practical advice for writers. Citing skimpy e
...more
Book: "Hey you! Curious about brain science and writing? Sure you are. I'm accessible and fun, go ahead and open me up! No, really. I'm totally like a layperson's pop-science book about The Midnight Disease (cool title, huh? yeah my publisher came up with that). I mean, look at all the sexy scribbles on my cover and my fully comprehensible subtitle. I'm obviously *not* super academic, jargon-y, madly disorganized, pointlessly tangential or written in such a fashion that only other brain scientis...more
Illuminating, inspiring, and even startling synthesis and analysis of the forces behind creativity and writer's block, from the scientific to the literary, from the romantic to the pragmatic. Alice Weaver Flaherty covers all the theories and injects this knowledge with a neuroscientist's understanding of the various functions of the brain, and manages to do so without diminishing the mystical and often baffling reasons behind what makes writers flow and what makes them dry up. This book is summe...more
Flaherty's study of mental illness and the desire to write, inspired by her personal experience with both. As with the DSM-IV, you will end up diagnosing yourself with half the brain disorders recounted here. In other words, it is a lot of fun.
The book tried and failed everything. My complaints?
1. The writing was horrible. It needed a heartless editor. It rarely left the hypergraphic stage-- incoherent and longwinded.
2. I'm highly skeptical of all the posthumous diagnoses. (You know Moses' metal illnesses? Really?)
3. The science didn't seem to hold up, mainly relying on the above. (If there was much behind it, it stayed behind).
4. The author's experience was annoyingly invoked and abandoned. It interrupted the rest of the book, but wa...more
1. The writing was horrible. It needed a heartless editor. It rarely left the hypergraphic stage-- incoherent and longwinded.
2. I'm highly skeptical of all the posthumous diagnoses. (You know Moses' metal illnesses? Really?)
3. The science didn't seem to hold up, mainly relying on the above. (If there was much behind it, it stayed behind).
4. The author's experience was annoyingly invoked and abandoned. It interrupted the rest of the book, but wa...more
What I learned from this book" --
1) I am a writer. There were too many times I recognized myself when Flaherty discussed the act or the desire or the joy in writing.
2) When reading a piece written by a scientist, I expect it to be point-driven, logical, and to build upon previous conclusions. This work is not.
Frequently I found myself reading, "And the third idea is ..." only to reply, "Huh??" The author seems unable to stay away from rabbit trails, coming back to the argument at hand only after...more
1) I am a writer. There were too many times I recognized myself when Flaherty discussed the act or the desire or the joy in writing.
2) When reading a piece written by a scientist, I expect it to be point-driven, logical, and to build upon previous conclusions. This work is not.
Frequently I found myself reading, "And the third idea is ..." only to reply, "Huh??" The author seems unable to stay away from rabbit trails, coming back to the argument at hand only after...more
Don't not pick up this book because it is written by a neurologist about the neurologic phenomena called writer's block. This book is about the brain's connection to our emotional life- in short, it's about life. Flaherty takes big personal risks and generously shares her medical knowledge, life wisdom and rich, vast understanding of literature and writing with the unknown reader. If sections feel weighted by "medi-speak", stick with it, as this book will deeply enrich the life of anyone who rea...more
This is a strange, interesting, sometimes bizarre look into the psychology of the drive to write, written by a psychologist who has struggled with depression and mania that affected her drive to write. It is a highly erudite book; the references ramble between psychology studies and classical literature -- Flaherty is certainly well-read, and her book is easily readable by those who are not well-versed in psychology. She explores the links between madness and creativity, religion and inspiration...more
A few months ago, I heard an interview on NPR with the author, Alice Weaver Flaherty. I submitted a purchase request at the local library, and earlier this month, they purchased a copy & I checked it out.
Ms. Flaherty, a physician, suffered an episode of post-partum depression after her twin sons died; this depression was manifested in (among other behaviours) hypergraphia - an uncontrollable desire to write, and write and write. Once she recovered (more or less) she decided to explore the p...more
Ms. Flaherty, a physician, suffered an episode of post-partum depression after her twin sons died; this depression was manifested in (among other behaviours) hypergraphia - an uncontrollable desire to write, and write and write. Once she recovered (more or less) she decided to explore the p...more
A psychological and physilogical exploration of both graphiphilia and writer's block. As I am not a compulsive writer nor a particularly compulsive person, I found the section on writer's block significantly more interesting than the first on compulsive writing. The author's background in science is an asset and is the main draw for the book. For the most part she is clear succinct, but she does digress in some spots. Not groundbreaking, but you will learn something have read this book.
This is one of my all-time favorite books! I bought this book years ago and have read it at least 4 times.
The book is fascinating in its descriptions of writers who had The Midnight Disease - an untamable urge to write, as well as authors who suffered with writer's block who could prolifically write notes to friends but could not write a page in a book without agony.
Ms. Flaherty makes complex brain processes understandable and interesting in this great book about creativity.
The book is fascinating in its descriptions of writers who had The Midnight Disease - an untamable urge to write, as well as authors who suffered with writer's block who could prolifically write notes to friends but could not write a page in a book without agony.
Ms. Flaherty makes complex brain processes understandable and interesting in this great book about creativity.
This is a fantastic book for writers (or any creative) who like to read books with a scientific bent. Lots of science here (complete with brain diagrams!), which can get a bit dull here and there. But the information is fascinating and Alice Weaver Flaherty is a wonderful writer. Her enthusiasm for the subject shines through on every topic. Highly recommended if you have interest in what goes on inside a writer's (your?) brain. A fun read. (Or maybe I'm just a nerd.)
I guess I should have expected it from a book on hypergraphia, but this book was a little long-winded and disorganized, as if the writer got upon her favorite topic (the brain) and kept going until she'd told you everything she knew, including lots of personal speculation. If you're actually interested in what there is to say about the brain function that creates writer's block and conditions like it, well...despite that being what the book's billed for, there's not much more than brief speculat...more
Similar vein (so I'm told) as Kay Redfield Jamison's An Unquiet Mind. If not just for content, the authors' experiences are similar. The book is easy to read and despite being a medical doctor Flaherty doesn't burden her readers with medical jargon. The premise and context of the book is interesting. Writing as soul search and academic inquiry creates an artistic tension I think Flaherty does well. The subject of her research is off-putting though: the science of creativity. I don't believe crea...more
A fascinating and quirky look at the neuroscience behind creativity and its maladapted shadows, block and hypergraphia. Flaherty occasionally makes major leaps from scant evidence, but she admits it is so and part of the attraction of the book is her willingness to make such risky conclusions.
I loved this book for it's wealth of information regarding general brain functions compared to mentally ill people as well as its insight on the how creativity and writing are functions of the brain. However, the moments of "Where the hell did this come from?" almost overshadow my enjoyment of the book. For example, in the last chapter, the author spends several pages d.iscussing religion in a chapter about metaphor, the inner voice, and the muse. Sometimes I just couldn't follow her train of th...more
This is a fascinating combination of brain science and dry humor! Writer's block (and hypergraphia) are just the jumping off point for her discussion of how the brain is organized and where creative endeavor stems (as in brain stem?) from-- She's pretty funny when she scoffs at the usual self-help pablum for writer's block from the usual suspects--I am still waiting for the explanation (and cure???) for procratination which she promises at the beginning of the book-- Highly recommend to anyone w...more
Beautiful blend of science and literature. I am not one who normally understands the biological and neurological sciences, but I was able to with this book. It's more of an exploration of writer's block and the drive to write than it is a solution.
I really enjoyed this book. I wish they would have used some examples from autistic people, and how that influences writing abilities. I have not read many scientific books in a long time, but from a neuro-surgeon's point of view, everything makes sense.
What a fascinating look at the neurological drive to write, the complicated inspirations and blocks. Flaherty uses her own medical training and personal experiences to delve into questions and theories that surround creativity and the creative brain.
I read this book shortly after it came out. As a writer, I wonder at what drives me to sit for hours staring at a blank page, or at a computer screen, waiting--not always patiently--for words to come. When they do, it is frequently a near-orgasmic experience, and in reading this book, written by a neurologist who became a writer, I learned why.
I also learned why writing is so tied into grief, and why, when my lover died, the only place that I found real solace was with fountain pen in hand.
For...more
I also learned why writing is so tied into grief, and why, when my lover died, the only place that I found real solace was with fountain pen in hand.
For...more
I didn't quite finish reading the book, I skimmed over the parts that didnt hold my interest in order to get through it. I thought it brought some good incite into the realm of creativity and brain functions. The one thing that made it difficult for me to stay interested was the heavy use of excerpts from other peoples writing, to many quote made the authors voice lost.
Very, very dry. Even though I'm a writer, and this book should have been highly relevant to my interests, I couldn't shake the feeling as I read that the subject matter was unimportant.
Very interesting book, especially to a person with an interest in writing or literature, full of interesting facts and clever ideas. A bit slow or hard to read at points, perhaps dragged down by sheer science-ness, but equally uplifted by the author's insights. I had many of those almost shocking moments while reading this where it feels as if the author is talking directly to, or about, you. Well worth a read.
Incredibly moving and thought-provoking. Flaherty combines neurology and creativity in an amazing exploration of the drive to write. A must-read for any writers out there.
a very interesting viewpoint--the neurological origins of writing and the implications on creative writing, in particular. loved it! everything was made clearly understandable.
Great stuff, though some of the brain science from the author's background as a neurologist went over my frontal lobes.
She has a nice personable style and is conversant with a broad range of literature as well as the relevant science. Best of all, she doesn't have anything against entertaining writing but never stoops to the pop platitudes that sell more books.
She has a nice personable style and is conversant with a broad range of literature as well as the relevant science. Best of all, she doesn't have anything against entertaining writing but never stoops to the pop platitudes that sell more books.
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“The scientist in me worries that my happiness is nothing more than a symptom of bipolar disease, hypergraphia from a postpartum disorder. The rest of me thinks that artificially splitting off the scientist in me from the writer in me is actually a kind of cultural bipolar disorder, one that too many of us have. The scientist asks how I can call my writing vocation and not addiction. I no longer see why I should have to make that distinction. I am addicted to breathing in the same way. I write because when I don’t, it is suffocating. I write because something much larger than myself comes into me that suffuses the page, the world, with meaning. Although I constantly fear that what I am writing teeters at the edge of being false, this force that drives me cannot be anything but real, or nothing will ever be real for me again.”
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6 people liked it
“How could poetry and literature have arisen from something as plebian as the cuneiform equivalent of grocery-store bar codes? I prefer the version in which Prometheus brought writing to man from the gods. But then I remind myself that…we should not be too fastidious about where great ideas come from. Ultimately, they all come from a wrinkled organ that at its healthiest has the color and consistency of toothpaste, and in the end only withers and dies.”
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4 people liked it
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You should sign up for librarian status so you can add things like this to the obscure books your adding.
Sep 23, 2010 03:04pm