Archive for the &;daniel-johnston&; Category
Illness intoArt
May 23, 2007
Watching The Devil and Daniel Johnston is like watching a spectacular car accident; you can&;t look away. Johnston is the talented but clearly mentally-ill singer songwriter whose songs have been recorded by over 150 artists; Target even licensed his &;Speeding Motorcycle&; for a commercial. He&;s also a visual artist of the outsider school.
I was first turned onto his music on KXLU-FM in LA, perhaps 20 years ago.
At 45+, Johnston lives with his aging parents, has been committed several times, and has attacked people close to him, hitting his manager with a lead pipe and causing his father to crash his private plane.
As a parent, my heart goes out to those suffering like this, and especially to Johnston&;s elderly parents, who clearly have gone through the five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance).
Watch this film if you want insight into a disordered mind, and perhaps you&;ll better understand Virginia Tech killer Cho (substitute Johnston&;s obsession with the devil for Cho&;s &;rich brats&;.)
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