Writing from Depression

It’s only in the last few weeks that I’ve been able to pin down — tentatively — a dominating characteristic of my writing over the past couple of decades.

Much of it originated in depression.

And the stuff that did is, generally speaking, the less interesting stuff. Or the stuff that doesn’t seem quite… “there.”

The best of my work, I think, has always had its roots in righteous outrage, compulsive curiosity, or reckless abandon.

6 Responses to “Writing from Depression”

  1. Bart Lidofsky Says:

    Does the following scenario sound familiar: You are annoyed, possibly angry, but not enough so to lose your sense of humor about the situation.

  2. gordon kent Says:

    I’m not exactly sure you can have “righteous outrage or reckless abandon” without depression. The “compulsive curiousity” part is another matter though…

  3. Bob Kennedy Says:

    I kinda falsely remembered HTD as some lighthearted romp from when I first read it in 8th grade. Going back and rereading it, it’s surprising how much time Howard spends medicated, committed, or attempting suicide.

  4. Steve Gerber Says:

    It *was* a lighthearted romp — through a landscape of drugs, insanity, and suicide.

  5. Forrest Says:

    The absence of color in the reprint makes a considerable difference.

    Yellow is such a cheerful color…

    I never understood that letter from the fellow who said he read “Swan-song” in the tub and nearly drowned laughing. I still don’t — more intensely.

  6. Forrest Says:

    (I could understand Voltaire laughing…)