Past Episodes
Feb. 12, 2025
"A Grief Without a Pang": John Stuart Mill's Struggle with Depression
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore Nicholas Capaldi’s biography of John Stuart Mill, tracing his intellectual and personal evolution. From his intense early education under James Mill to his crisis ...
Feb. 12, 2025
From Melancholia to Prozac – The History of Depression
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore From Melancholia to Prozac by Clark Lawlor, tracing the evolution of depression from ancient Greece to modern psychiatry. How did melancholia, once linked to geniu...
Feb. 12, 2025
A Field Guide to Melancholy
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore A Field Guide to Melancholy by Jacky Bowring, a deep dive into the rich and complex nature of melancholy. More than just a clinical condition, melancholy has shape...
Feb. 12, 2025
Paul Erdős – The Man Who Loved Only Numbers
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore The Man Who Loved Only Numbers by Paul Hoffman—a fascinating look into the eccentric life of mathematician Paul Erdős. Known for his relentless devotion to mathema...
Feb. 11, 2025
Tortured artists: Ten stories of creative struggle.
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore Divine Madness: 10 Stories of Creative Struggle by Jeffrey A. Kottler, a powerful examination of the connection between mental anguish and extraordinary creative a...
Feb. 11, 2025
Heavier Than Heaven – The Life, Art, and Struggles of Kurt Cobain
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore Heavier Than Heaven by Charles R. Cross, the definitive biography of Kurt Cobain, the legendary frontman of Nirvana. With unprecedented access to Cobain’s diaries,...
Feb. 11, 2025
A First-Rate Madness – Mental Illness and the Making of Great Leaders
First-Rate Madness – Mental Illness and the Making of Great Leaders In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore First-Rate Madness: Mental Illness and Leadership by Nassir Ghaemi, a provocative examination o...
Feb. 11, 2025
Enthusiasm and Divine Madness – Plato, Love, and the Inspired Soul
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore Enthusiasm and Divine Madness by Josef Pieper, an interpretation of Plato’s Phaedrus and its exploration of love, rhetoric, and the nature of the soul. Pieper exam...
Feb. 11, 2025
"The Bad Thing" : Depression and the Genesis of David Foster Wallace's Genius
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore Every Love Story Is a Ghost Story: A Life of David Foster Wallace by D. T. Max, a biography that traces the brilliance, struggles, and literary evolution of one of...
Feb. 11, 2025
Vincent van Gogh & Richard Dadd – Insanity, Genius, and the Search for Meaning
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore Insanity and Genius: Masks of Madness and the Mapping of Meaning and Value by Harry Eiss, a fascinating examination of two artists whose creative brilliance was de...
Feb. 11, 2025
Jones Very – Poetry, Mysticism, and the Search for Divine Truth
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore God's Scrivener: The Madness and Meaning of Jones Very by Clark Davis, a biography that reexamines the life of the 19th-century poet and mystic. Jones Very’s inten...
Feb. 11, 2025
Haunted by Gloom : Poe's Creative Refuge
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore Edgar Allan Poe: A Critical Biography by Arthur Hobson Quinn, a meticulous and factual account that separates myth from reality in the life of one of literature’s ...
Feb. 11, 2025
Divine Mania – Madness, Prophecy, and Inspiration in Ancient Greece
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore Divine Mania by Yulia Ustinova, an academic study on the Greek concept of mania as both a mental disorder and a divine gift. Drawing from philosophical texts, lite...
Feb. 11, 2025
The Dark Side of Creativity – Genius, Destruction, and the Ethics of Innovation
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore The Dark Side of Creativity , edited by David H. Cropley et al., a thought-provoking compilation that examines how creativity isn’t always used for good. While inn...
Feb. 11, 2025
Byron : Stormy Passions and the Impulse to Create
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore Byron: Life and Legend by Fiona MacCarthy, a biography that delves into the tumultuous life, loves, and literary genius of Lord Byron. From his intense emotional w...
Feb. 11, 2025
Freud on the Couch : Depression, Addiction, and the Birth of Psychoanalysis
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore Freud: A Life in Letters and Ideas by Peter Gay, an in-depth look at the life, work, and struggles of Sigmund Freud. While Freud revolutionized psychology with his...
Feb. 11, 2025
Churchill's Black Dog : Creativity in the Face of Depression
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore Churchill: A Life by Martin Gilbert, a definitive biography chronicling the extraordinary life of Winston Churchill. Beyond his military brilliance and political l...
Feb. 11, 2025
Poets on Prozac by Richard M. Berlin
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore Poets on Prozac by Richard M. Berlin, a compelling collection of essays that examine the intersection of mental illness, psychiatric treatment, and poetic creativi...
Feb. 11, 2025
Divine Madness – Psychology, Spirituality, and the Unconscious Mind
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore Divine Madness by Harry Eiss, a deep dive into the intersection of psychological and spiritual experiences. The book examines shadow selves, multiple personalities...
Feb. 11, 2025
The Bipolar Express – Creativity, Cinema, and Mental Illness
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore The Bipolar Express by David Coleman, a fascinating look at the connection between bipolar disorder and creativity in filmmaking. From legendary directors to iconi...
Feb. 10, 2025
Positive Disintegration : How Mental Distress Fuels Creativity
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore Kazimierz Dabrowski’s Theory of Positive Disintegration, which redefines anxiety, depression, and inner turmoil as potential catalysts for personal growth. Dabrows...
Feb. 10, 2025
Mania – A Short History of Bipolar Disorder
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore Mania: A Short History of Bipolar Disorder by David Healy, a deep dive into the historical evolution of mania and melancholia, from ancient Greece to modern psychi...
Feb. 10, 2025
From Torment to Art : Sylvia Plath's Creative Exploitation of Depression
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore Red Comet: The Short Life and Blazing Art of Sylvia Plath by Heather Clark, a definitive biography that sheds new light on Plath’s life, relationships, and creativ...
Feb. 10, 2025
Beyond the Moors : Unpacking the Brontë's Mental Health Struggles
In this episode of The Mad Genius Thesis Podcast , we explore The Brontës by Juliet Barker, a definitive biography that challenges long-held myths about Charlotte, Emily, Anne, and their brother Branwell. Using newly discover...