Final Drafts: Suicides of World-Famous Authors

The greatest writers in the history of the art chose to silence themselves by suicide, leaving their families and friends with heartbreak and the world of literature with gaping holes. Their reasons for killing themselves were varied and often unreasonable, such as depression, self-doubt, frustration, and helplessness in a world they could neither change nor tolerate. Final Drafts is a necessary historical record, biographical treatment, and psychological examination of the authors who left this cruel world by their own hands, either instantly or over long periods of relentless self-destructive behavior. It also examines references to suicide in literature, both by those who took their own lives and those who decided to live.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 446 pages
Publication date: 15 February 2022
Publisher: Prometheus Books

Some of the most renowned writers in the history of art, including Hart Crane, Ernest Hemingway, Jerzy Kosinski, Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton, and Virginia Woolf, tragically ended their lives by suicide, leaving behind their families and friends in profound sorrow and the world of literature with irreplaceable gaps. The reasons behind their self-inflicted deaths were multifaceted and often unfathomable. Some grappled with profound depression or self-doubt, while others were consumed by frustration and a sense of helplessness in a world they found intolerable.

Final Drafts, a poignant and captivating work, serves as a vital historical record, a biographical exploration, and a psychological examination of these authors who chose to depart from this cruel world through their own hands. It also delves deeply into the references to suicide in literature, encompassing both those who took their own lives and those who decided to persevere. Mark Seinfelt has carefully selected a diverse range of well-known writers, spanning from those whose works date back over a century ago, when the medical community lacked the understanding and resources to address substance abuse and depression, to more recent figures such as Kosinski, Michael Dorris, and Eugene Izzi, who have left a perplexed literary community with a melancholic legacy.

Through his meticulous research, Seinfelt unveils a profound insight into the minds of these authors. He reveals that many of them contemplated ending their lives in their work, were consumed by a desire to destroy themselves, struggled to come to terms with the fact that their contemporaries had been massacred during the Holocaust, saw death as a liberation from the horrors that inspired their creativity, and sometimes found themselves unable to withstand the rejection or criticism of their artistic endeavors.

Other notable authors discussed in this volume include John Berryman, Ambrose Bierce, Harry Crosby, John Davidson, William Inge, and many others. Their stories, struggles, and profound insights into the human condition add depth and richness to the exploration of suicide in literature.

Final Drafts is a testament to the enduring power of words and the profound impact of artistic expression. It serves as a reminder of the fragility of the human psyche and the complexities that drive individuals to make the ultimate decision to end their lives. This book is a valuable contribution to the understanding of literature, mental health, and the human condition, offering a poignant glimpse into the lives and minds of these extraordinary writers.

Weight: 682g
Dimension: 152 x 226 x 51 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781633887909