This is a fascinating piece, Kathryn. It reminds me of a piece of fiction I wrote about a graduate lit class I taught which was filled with students whose dramatic lives spilled into our sessions every week. One of them--a student I nicknamed Michelangelo--was killed during the semester and I dedicated the next week's class to a writing assignment about our experience with him during the semester. I was struggling with my own depression at the time, close to leaving my position at the university. Months later, while working on my doctorate, I wrote the story of the semester, calling it "The Death of Michelangelo." At the time, I wasn't aware of the depth of Michelangelo's own depression, but as I read this piece, I felt a personal connection to the artist's suffering.
This is a fascinating piece, Kathryn. It reminds me of a piece of fiction I wrote about a graduate lit class I taught which was filled with students whose dramatic lives spilled into our sessions every week. One of them--a student I nicknamed Michelangelo--was killed during the semester and I dedicated the next week's class to a writing assignment about our experience with him during the semester. I was struggling with my own depression at the time, close to leaving my position at the university. Months later, while working on my doctorate, I wrote the story of the semester, calling it "The Death of Michelangelo." At the time, I wasn't aware of the depth of Michelangelo's own depression, but as I read this piece, I felt a personal connection to the artist's suffering.
Thank you so much for sharing this powerful part of your own history and writing. <3 <3