On Thursday, September 13, beginning at 7:00 p.m., New England Public Radio and Radiotopia will host a podcast listening event at Gateway City Arts, 92 Race Street in Holyoke for a new podcast called The Great God of Depression. The event will feature the podcast's producers and neurologist Alice Flaherty, the subject of the story. Tickets are $10 and support the programs and services of New England Public Radio. To purchase tickets visit nepr.net/ggodevent.
The Great God of Depression is a five-part narrative podcast from Radiotopia's Showcase, co-produced by NEPR senior reporter Karen Brown and
New York Times journalist Pagan Kennedy. It tells the true story of literary genius William Styron, brilliant brain scientist Alice Flaherty, and their shared quest to understand the secrets of madness and creativity. The series also explores how Styron's groundbreaking memoir Darkness Visible changed the conversation around mental illness.
During the event, we will listen together to Episode 1, The Night Kingdom, and discuss the themes brought up by the series: stigma, depression, creativity, literature, and other related topics. The panel will include people involved in the series production and content:
· Pagan Kennedy, podcast host, and co-producer
· Ian Coss, musician and sound designer
· Julie Shapiro, executive producer of Radiotopia
· and Alice Flaherty, a Boston neurologist and subject of the story
The conversation will be moderated by co-producer Karen Brown who covers health and mental health for NEPR.
Bring your questions and share your experiences. A casual reception with light food and a cash bar will follow the discussion.
Bonus! Hang out after the reception with Karen and hear the special bonus episode she produced with actor Tony Shalhoub. Shalhoub is well-known for his role as one of the few openly mentally ill characters on television -- an obsessive-compulsive detective on the long-running series Monk. In this episode, Shalhoub sits down with Karen to read passages from William Styron's work and share his perspective on mental illness and creativity.
"This summer we have seen the fatal outcomes of depression in at least two public figures, shocking their friends, family, and fans," said Brown. "Those cases have sadly underscored the importance of the mental health revolution we talk about in this podcast. It traces the transformation of depression as a source of shame to a condition that deserves to be met with compassion and scientific curiosity."
Listen to the Podcast:
You can hear the whole series at radiotopia.fm/podcasts/showcase or nepr.net/greatgodofdepression
More about The Great God of Depression:
In 1998, a brain scientist named Alice Flaherty developed a rare form of madness. She felt so compelled to write that she scrawled sentences across the walls of her house and her own skin. Alice's quest to understand her own bizarre behavior led her to William Styron, one of the most celebrated authors of the 20th century. Styron had documented his own suicidal depression in a memoir that transformed modern psychiatry. Styron seemed like a remote genius - until one day, he showed up in Alice's office, begging for help. Could Alice save Styron from a depressive relapse and the pathological writer's block that had silenced him?
About Radiotopia: Radiotopia is PRX's curated network of extraordinary podcasts, anchored by 99% Invisible from Roman Mars. The network has quickly grown to over 18 million users. Showcase from Radiotopia is a podcast that features original, limited-run series of all stripes, from emerging and leading producers around the world. Learn more at radiotopia.fm.
For more information and to purchase tickets visit nepr.net/ggodevent.