MADNESS AND CREATIVITY

Catalog description

This class will explore the connection between madness and creativity as reflected in contemporary cultural artifacts including films, fiction, poetry, art and nonfiction. The course will be organized around three general themes: The Asylum, The Mad Artist, and From the Inside Out: First-Hand Depictions of Madness. What do artistic depictions of madness reveal about our society's conception of "normal"? Why does the mad artist remain such a compelling figure in the products of our popular culture?