Throughout the Western literary canon, authors with bipolar disorder have harnessed their unique perspectives to craft memorable, impactful prose and poetry. Their experiences with the highs and lows of bipolar disorder have often translated into unique word choices and distinctive writing styles. In today's column, I provide a few examples of how the choice of words by authors with bipolar disorder evokes exceptionally strong emotions and offers a glimpse into their extraordinary minds.
Virginia Woolf (1882-1941)
Virginia Woolf, an iconic figure in modernist literature, is known for her innovative narrative techniques and deep psychological insights. Her struggles with bipolar disorder profoundly influenced her writing, which often delves into the intricacies of human consciousness and emotion.
Examples:
Mrs. Dalloway: "She felt very young; at the same time unspeakably aged. She sliced like a knife through everything; at the same time was outside, looking on."
The Waves: "The sea was indistinguishable from the sky, except that the sea was slightly creased as if a cloth had wrinkles in it."
Woolf's prose in these sentences encapsulates the duality of her experience, capturing both vitality and detachment in a single breath and the fluidity of her perceptions.
Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961)
Ernest Hemingway's writing is renowned for its terse, economical style, a stark contrast to the emotional turbulence he experienced. His struggles with bipolar disorder and depression added depth to his portrayal of complex human emotions and existential themes.
Examples:
A Farewell to Arms: "The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places."
The Old Man and the Sea: "But man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated."
Hemingway's ability to convey profound truths with simplicity is evident here, reflecting his own battles and resilience.
Sylvia Plath (1932-1963)
Sylvia Plath's poetry and prose are marked by their raw emotional intensity and vivid imagery. Her experience with bipolar disorder permeated her work, providing a lens through which she explored themes of identity, mental illness and death.
Examples:
The Bell Jar: "I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart. I am, I am, I am."
Ariel: "The moon is no door. It is a face in its own right, white as a knuckle and terribly upset. It drags the sea after it like a dark crime; it is quiet with the O-gape of complete despair."
Plath's use of repetition and simple, powerful words underscores her struggle for self-affirmation amid the chaos of her mind, while her vivid imagery captures her inner turmoil.
Herman Melville (1819-1891)
Herman Melville, best known for his masterpiece Moby-Dick, grappled with themes of obsession, isolation and the human condition. His tumultuous mental state, which many believe included periods of depression and mania, lent a unique depth and complexity to his writing.
Example:
Moby-Dick: "Call me Ishmael. Some years ago—never mind how long precisely—having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world. It is a way I have of driving off the spleen and regulating the circulation. Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people’s hats off—then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can. This is my substitute for pistol and ball."
Melville's writing often reflects a profound sense of alienation and existential inquiry, capturing the intricate dynamics of the human psyche including suicidality.
Robert Lowell (1917-1977)
Robert Lowell, a major figure in 20th-century American poetry, is known for his confessional style, which often laid bare his personal struggles and his battles with bipolar disorder. His work is characterized by its intense emotional depth and stark imagery.
Examples:
Skunk Hour: "My mind's not right. A car radio bleats, 'Love, O careless Love…' I hear my ill-spirit sob in each blood cell, as if my hand were at its throat… I myself am hell; nobody’s here—"
For the Union Dead: "The stone statues of the abstract Union Soldier grow slimmer and younger each year—wasp-waisted, they doze over muskets and muse through their sideburns…"
Lowell's vivid and haunting imagery captures the torment of his mental state, blending the external world with his internal turmoil.
Kurt Vonnegut (1922-2007)
Kurt Vonnegut's distinctive blend of satire, science fiction and dark humor often masks the underlying depth of his work, which frequently grapples with themes of mental illness and human suffering. His writing reflects a unique perspective shaped by his own struggles with bipolar disorder.
Examples:
Slaughterhouse-Five: "And so it goes."
Cat's Cradle: "See the cat? See the cradle?"
These simple phrases, repeated throughout his novels, encapsulate Vonnegut's resigned acceptance of life's absurdities and tragedies, sentiments undoubtedly influenced by his own experiences.
Kay Redfield Jamison (1946-present)
Kay Redfield Jamison, a clinical psychologist, professor and author, has written extensively about her own experiences with bipolar disorder. Her memoirs and academic works offer a unique blend of personal narrative and scientific insight, enriched by her poetic use of language.
Example:
An Unquiet Mind: "I long ago abandoned the notion of a life without storms, or a world without dry and killing seasons. Life is too complicated, too constantly changing, to be anything but what it is."
Jamison's eloquent acceptance of life's inherent turbulence is a testament to her deep understanding of bipolar disorder and its impact on the human experience.
These authors, through their unique choice of words, have given us a profound understanding of the human condition. Their bipolar disorder, while a source of great personal struggle, also served as a wellspring of creativity, enabling them to express emotions and ideas with unparalleled depth and originality. Through their works, they have left an indelible mark on literature and offer readers a unique window into their extraordinary minds.
What a fascinating selection. I'd love to hear a panel discussion on bipolar in literature perhaps with bipolar authors moderated, of course, by you Dusty Sang.