Melanie Russell
asked
Kay Redfield Jamison:
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.
More Answered Questions
Carrie Ballom
asked
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?
Bryan Ingram
asked
Kay Redfield Jamison:
How does Robert Lowell relate to the vast community of people living healthily with mental illness?
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