Divine Madness: Ten Stories of Creative Struggle

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"Madness can afford the individual certain resources and abilities that are not available to others. The fantasy life, free flight of ideas, distortions of reality, and heightened senses . . . offer a unique perspective on the world."From the IntroductionWhy do some extraordinary individuals overcome mental anguish and produce brilliant creative artistry that is often enhanced by their madness? New York Times best-selling author and noted psychologist Jeffrey Kottler explores this fascinating question in Divine Madness. His book is filled with the compelling stories of emotional turmoil that many great artists have undergone as they struggle for success and survival.Jeffrey Kottler writes about the dramatic and tragic lives of cultural icons Sylvia Plath, Judy Garland, Mark Rothko, Ernest Hemingway, Virginia Woolf, Charles Mingus, Vaslav Nijinsky, Marilyn Monroe, Lenny Bruce, and Brian Wilson. In this riveting book, Kottler highlights the personal story of each of these extraordinary individuals and analyzes how they struggled to overcome their emotional hardships.Divine Madness clearly differentiates between those who surrendered to their illness, often taking their own lives, and those who managed to endure and even recover. Kottler details how their profound psychological issues affected their lives and work, their great productivity and success, and how they strove to achieve some kind of personal stability.The fascinating and brilliantly told stories in Divine Madness help us to find meaning in the incredible lives of these artists. They also serve as an inspiration for those who are grappling to rise above their own challenges and limitations and express themselves more productively and creatively.

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Jeffrey A. Kottler is one of the most prolific authors in the fields of psychology and education, having written sixty-five books about a wide range of subjects. He has authored a dozen texts for counselors and therapists that are used in universities around the world and a dozen books each for practicing therapists and educators. Some of his most highly regarded works include On Being a Therapist, The Imperfect Therapist, Compassionate Therapy, Making Changes Last, and The Mummy at the Dining Room Table.He has also authored several highly successful books for the public that describe complex phenomena in highly accessible language: Beyond Blame; Travel That Can Change Your Life; PrivateMoments, Secret Selves; The Language of Tears; and The Last Victim: A True-Life Journey into the Mind of the Serial Killer.Kottler has been an educator for thirty years. He has worked as a teacher, counselor, and therapist in a variety of settings: preschool, middle school, mental health center, crisis center, university, community college, and private practice.He has served as a Fulbright scholar and senior lecturer in Peru (1980) and Iceland (2000), and has worked as a visiting professor in New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Nepal.He is currently professor and chair of the counseling department at California State University, Fullerton.