The Dedalus Book of Literary Suicides: Dead Letters
May 2024 · SCB Distributors
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'Lachman's goal to write a book 'on writers who had killed themselves or had tried to, or had written about suicide at some length or depth' would be immense. To qualify, the author requires the suicide to be in some way 'interesting'. Thus we have the philosopher Philipp Mainlander, who killed himself because of the second law of thermodynamics; Zeno, who purportedly hanged himself after stubbing his toe on a turtle; and Yukio Mishima's sensational and bloody hara-kiri performance
Suicides are arranged by type: Existential suicides brought on by metaphysical issues, emotionally rich Romantic suicides; political suicides; manic-depressive mortal coil shuffling a la Sylvia Plath; and the bizarre and often nonchalant suicides of many Surrealists.
Lachman focuses on little known or forgotten characters such as Polish avant garde figure Witkacy; Thomas Chatterton, 'the original tragic Romantic genius'; narcissistic publisher Harry Crosby; and the tormented Austrian poet Georg Trakl.
The second part of Dead Letters is a selection of writings about suicide whose real value lies in Lachman's research and his knack of smoothly relating obscure biographical tidbits and philosophical ideas.
This work on a grim subject never becomes overly morbid and Lachman remains respectful of his troubled subjects. Suicide is not recommended, but this volume surely is. Splendid summary of self destruction.'
Mike Pursley in Fortean Times
Suicides are arranged by type: Existential suicides brought on by metaphysical issues, emotionally rich Romantic suicides; political suicides; manic-depressive mortal coil shuffling a la Sylvia Plath; and the bizarre and often nonchalant suicides of many Surrealists.
Lachman focuses on little known or forgotten characters such as Polish avant garde figure Witkacy; Thomas Chatterton, 'the original tragic Romantic genius'; narcissistic publisher Harry Crosby; and the tormented Austrian poet Georg Trakl.
The second part of Dead Letters is a selection of writings about suicide whose real value lies in Lachman's research and his knack of smoothly relating obscure biographical tidbits and philosophical ideas.
This work on a grim subject never becomes overly morbid and Lachman remains respectful of his troubled subjects. Suicide is not recommended, but this volume surely is. Splendid summary of self destruction.'
Mike Pursley in Fortean Times
'Lachman's goal to write a book 'on writers who had killed themselves or had tried to, or had written about suicide at some length or depth' would be immense. To qualify, the author requires the suicide to be in some way 'interesting'. Thus we have the philosopher Philipp Mainlander, who killed h...
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About the author
Gary Lachman is the author of the Dedalus Book of the 1960s: Turn Off Your Mind, an 'occult history' of the 1960s, The Dedalus Book of the Occult: A Dark Muse, The Dedalus Occult Reader, The Dedalus Book of Literary Suicides: Dead Letters and, as Gary Valentine, New York Rocker: My Life in the Blank Generation with Blondie, Iggy Pop and Others 1974-1981, a memoir of his years as a musician in New York in the 1970s.. A founding member of the rock group Blondie, he wrote some of the band's early hits.
Gary Lachman is the author of the Dedalus Book of the 1960s: Turn Off Your Mind, an 'occult history' of the 1960s, The Dedalus Book of the Occult: A Dark Muse, The Dedalus Occult Reader, The Dedalus Book of Literary Suicides: Dead Letters and, as Gary Valentine, New York Rocker: My Life in the Bl...
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