The Artist as a Genius (Or as a Mad Person)
What happens when art demands a price only few are willing to pay?
If I were to use the phrase “I was running the other day when I suddenly thought of something”, I’d probably start sounding like a scratched record. Endlessly on repeat. Yes, a lot of the ideas for my posts arrive during times of physical exercise, whether that be riding my bike, jogging or walking.
So, I was running the other day when I suddenly thought of something. In reality, this thought assaulted me. By which I mean that this mental intruder jumped out from a nearby bush, blocked my path, forced me to perform an emergency stop and delivered a storm of blows to my whole self for which I was, sadly, unprepared. The result was that for the rest of my run I was mentally bruised and desperate to avenge myself. I’m hoping that with today’s post I’ll be settling the score with the intrusive thought. You, fellow writers, and readers, will be the judges.
An article that appeared in the London Review of Books many years ago (Half Snake, Half Panther by JamesDavidson) attempted to throw some light on the unfortunate fate suffered by the genius ballet dancer Vaslav Nijinsky. Charting his rapid ascension to fame as part of the Ballets Russes, the company directed by Serge de Diaghilev, the piece was not just an…
