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The Resource Robert Lowell : setting the river on fire : a study of genius, mania, and character, Kay Redfield Jamison

Robert Lowell : setting the river on fire : a study of genius, mania, and character, Kay Redfield Jamison

Creator
Author
Contributor
Summary
"The best-selling author of An Unquiet Mind now gives us a groundbreaking life of one of the major American poets of the twentieth century that is at the same time a fascinating study of the relationship between manic-depressive (bipolar) illness, creative genius, and character. In his Pulitzer Prize-winning poetry, Robert Lowell (1917-1977) put his manic-depressive illness into the public domain. Now Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison brings her expertise to bear on his story, illuminating the relationship between bipolar illness and creativity, and examining how Lowell's illness and the treatment he received came to bear on his work. His New England roots, early breakdowns, marriages to three eminent writers, friendships with other poets, vivid presence as a teacher and writer refusing to give up in the face of mental illness--Jamison gives us Lowell's life through a lens that focuses our understanding of the poet's intense discipline, courage, and commitment to his art. Jamison had unprecedented access to Lowell's medical records, as well as to previously unpublished drafts and fragments of poems, and was the first biographer to speak to his daughter. With this new material and a psychologist's deep insight, Jamison delivers a bold, sympathetic account of a poet who was--both despite and because of mental illness--a passionate, original observer of the human condition"--
Language
eng
Work
Publication
Edition
First edition
Extent
xix, 532 pages
Note
"This is a Borzoi book"--Title page verso
Contents
  • Prologue: Old Cambridge, Massachusetts, March 19, 1845 ; "The trouble with writing poetry"
  • I. Introduction: Steel and fire. No tickets for that altitude ; The archangel loved heights
  • II. Origins: the puritanical iron hand of constraint. Sands of the unknown ; This dynamited brook ; A brackish reach
  • III. Illness: the kingdom of the mad. In flight, without a ledge ; Snow-sugared, unraveling ; Writing takes the ache away
  • IV. Character: how will the heart endure?. With all my love, Cal ; And will not scare
  • V. Illness and art: something altogether lived. A magical orange grove in a nightmare ; Words meat-hooked from the living steer
  • VI. Mortality: Come; I bell thee home. Life blown towards evening ; Bleak-boned with survival ; He is out of bounds now
  • Appendix I: Psychiatric records of Robert Lowell ; Appendix II: Mania and depression: clinical description, diagnosis and nomenclature ; Appendix III: Medical history of Robert Lowell (by Thomas Traill, FRCP)
Isbn
9780307700278
Instance
Label
Robert Lowell : setting the river on fire : a study of genius, mania, and character
Title
Robert Lowell
Title remainder
setting the river on fire : a study of genius, mania, and character
Statement of responsibility
Kay Redfield Jamison
Creator
Contributor
Author
Subject
Genre
Language
eng
Summary
"The best-selling author of An Unquiet Mind now gives us a groundbreaking life of one of the major American poets of the twentieth century that is at the same time a fascinating study of the relationship between manic-depressive (bipolar) illness, creative genius, and character. In his Pulitzer Prize-winning poetry, Robert Lowell (1917-1977) put his manic-depressive illness into the public domain. Now Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison brings her expertise to bear on his story, illuminating the relationship between bipolar illness and creativity, and examining how Lowell's illness and the treatment he received came to bear on his work. His New England roots, early breakdowns, marriages to three eminent writers, friendships with other poets, vivid presence as a teacher and writer refusing to give up in the face of mental illness--Jamison gives us Lowell's life through a lens that focuses our understanding of the poet's intense discipline, courage, and commitment to his art. Jamison had unprecedented access to Lowell's medical records, as well as to previously unpublished drafts and fragments of poems, and was the first biographer to speak to his daughter. With this new material and a psychologist's deep insight, Jamison delivers a bold, sympathetic account of a poet who was--both despite and because of mental illness--a passionate, original observer of the human condition"--
Assigning source
Provided by publisher
Biography type
individual biography
Cataloging source
DLC
http://library.link/vocab/creatorName
Jamison, Kay R
Illustrations
illustrations
Index
index present
LC call number
RC537
LC item number
.J356 2017
Literary form
non fiction
Nature of contents
bibliography
http://library.link/vocab/relatedWorkOrContributorName
Traill, Thomas A.
http://library.link/vocab/subjectName
  • Lowell, Robert
  • Lowell, Robert
  • Manic-depressive persons
  • Poets, American
  • Genius and mental illness
  • Creative ability
  • BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY
  • PSYCHOLOGY
  • PSYCHOLOGY
  • Creative ability
  • Genius and mental illness
  • Manic-depressive persons
  • Mental health
  • Poets, American
  • United States
Label
Robert Lowell : setting the river on fire : a study of genius, mania, and character, Kay Redfield Jamison
Instantiates
Publication
Note
"This is a Borzoi book"--Title page verso
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references (pages 431-510) and index
Carrier category
volume
Carrier category code
  • nc
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Content category
text
Content type code
  • txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Contents
Prologue: Old Cambridge, Massachusetts, March 19, 1845 ; "The trouble with writing poetry" -- I. Introduction: Steel and fire. No tickets for that altitude ; The archangel loved heights -- II. Origins: the puritanical iron hand of constraint. Sands of the unknown ; This dynamited brook ; A brackish reach -- III. Illness: the kingdom of the mad. In flight, without a ledge ; Snow-sugared, unraveling ; Writing takes the ache away -- IV. Character: how will the heart endure?. With all my love, Cal ; And will not scare -- V. Illness and art: something altogether lived. A magical orange grove in a nightmare ; Words meat-hooked from the living steer -- VI. Mortality: Come; I bell thee home. Life blown towards evening ; Bleak-boned with survival ; He is out of bounds now -- Appendix I: Psychiatric records of Robert Lowell ; Appendix II: Mania and depression: clinical description, diagnosis and nomenclature ; Appendix III: Medical history of Robert Lowell (by Thomas Traill, FRCP)
Control code
961388164
Dimensions
25 cm
Edition
First edition
Extent
xix, 532 pages
Isbn
9780307700278
Lccn
2016028281
Media category
unmediated
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • n
Other physical details
illustrations
System control number
(OCoLC)961388164
Label
Robert Lowell : setting the river on fire : a study of genius, mania, and character, Kay Redfield Jamison
Publication
Note
"This is a Borzoi book"--Title page verso
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references (pages 431-510) and index
Carrier category
volume
Carrier category code
  • nc
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Content category
text
Content type code
  • txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Contents
Prologue: Old Cambridge, Massachusetts, March 19, 1845 ; "The trouble with writing poetry" -- I. Introduction: Steel and fire. No tickets for that altitude ; The archangel loved heights -- II. Origins: the puritanical iron hand of constraint. Sands of the unknown ; This dynamited brook ; A brackish reach -- III. Illness: the kingdom of the mad. In flight, without a ledge ; Snow-sugared, unraveling ; Writing takes the ache away -- IV. Character: how will the heart endure?. With all my love, Cal ; And will not scare -- V. Illness and art: something altogether lived. A magical orange grove in a nightmare ; Words meat-hooked from the living steer -- VI. Mortality: Come; I bell thee home. Life blown towards evening ; Bleak-boned with survival ; He is out of bounds now -- Appendix I: Psychiatric records of Robert Lowell ; Appendix II: Mania and depression: clinical description, diagnosis and nomenclature ; Appendix III: Medical history of Robert Lowell (by Thomas Traill, FRCP)
Control code
961388164
Dimensions
25 cm
Edition
First edition
Extent
xix, 532 pages
Isbn
9780307700278
Lccn
2016028281
Media category
unmediated
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • n
Other physical details
illustrations
System control number
(OCoLC)961388164

Subject

Genre

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