Mark Vonnegut
Encyclopedia
Mark Vonnegut is an American
pediatrician and memoir
ist. He is the son of the late writer Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
and his first wife, Jane Cox. He is also the brother of Edith
and Nanette Vonnegut. He described himself in the preface to his 1975 book as "a hippie
, son of a counterculture
hero, B.A.
in religion
, (with a) genetic
disposition to schizophrenia
."
Mark Vonnegut (whom his parents named after Mark Twain
) graduated from Swarthmore College
in 1969. He briefly worked at Duthie Books and was also briefly chief of a 20-man detachment of special state police that provided the security for Boston State Hospital. During the Vietnam War
, he filed an application with the draft board to be considered a conscientious objector
, which was denied. After taking the psychological examination, he was given a psychiatric 4F classification and avoided conscription
into the U.S. military.
During his undergraduate years, he set out to become a Unitarian
minister. He eventually abandoned that goal.
He is the author
of The Eden Express
(1975), which describes his trip to British Columbia
to set up a commune
with his friends and his personal experiences with schizophrenia, which at that time he attributed to stress, diet and in part, drug use. The book is widely cited as useful for those coping with schizophrenia.
During this period, he lived mainly at the commune at Powell Lake, located 18 kilometers by boat from the nearest road or electricity. On February 14, 1971, he was diagnosed with severe schizophrenia and committed to Hollywood Hospital in Vancouver
. Standard psychotherapy
did not help him, and most of his doctors said his case was hopeless.
Vonnegut first attributed his recovery to orthomolecular megavitamin therapy
and then wrote The Eden Express. Vonnegut does not presently attribute his recovery to vitamins. He subsequently studied medicine at Harvard Medical School
and later came to the conclusion that he actually had bipolar disorder
. He is currently a pediatrician in Quincy
, Massachusetts
.
Vonnegut published his second book, Just Like Someone Without Mental Illness Only More So, in 2010. Like The Eden Express, it is autobiographical.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
pediatrician and memoir
Memoir
A memoir , is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below...
ist. He is the son of the late writer Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. was a 20th century American writer. His works such as Cat's Cradle , Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions blend satire, gallows humor and science fiction. He was known for his humanist beliefs and was honorary president of the American Humanist Association.-Early...
and his first wife, Jane Cox. He is also the brother of Edith
Edith Vonnegut
Edith Vonnegut is an American painter.Her work — most of which juxtaposes heavenly beings and mundane activities — has been showcased at galleries across the United States, and is featured in the book Domestic Goddesses, along with her humorous commentary...
and Nanette Vonnegut. He described himself in the preface to his 1975 book as "a hippie
Hippie
The hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that arose in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world. The etymology of the term 'hippie' is from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's...
, son of a counterculture
Counterculture
Counterculture is a sociological term used to describe the values and norms of behavior of a cultural group, or subculture, that run counter to those of the social mainstream of the day, the cultural equivalent of political opposition. Counterculture can also be described as a group whose behavior...
hero, B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
, (with a) genetic
Genetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
disposition to schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
."
Mark Vonnegut (whom his parents named after Mark Twain
Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
) graduated from Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College is a private, independent, liberal arts college in the United States with an enrollment of about 1,500 students. The college is located in the borough of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, 11 miles southwest of Philadelphia....
in 1969. He briefly worked at Duthie Books and was also briefly chief of a 20-man detachment of special state police that provided the security for Boston State Hospital. During the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, he filed an application with the draft board to be considered a conscientious objector
Conscientious objector
A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, and/or religion....
, which was denied. After taking the psychological examination, he was given a psychiatric 4F classification and avoided conscription
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
into the U.S. military.
During his undergraduate years, he set out to become a Unitarian
Unitarianism
Unitarianism is a Christian theological movement, named for its understanding of God as one person, in direct contrast to Trinitarianism which defines God as three persons coexisting consubstantially as one in being....
minister. He eventually abandoned that goal.
He is the author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
of The Eden Express
The Eden Express
The Eden Express: A Memoir of Insanity is a 1975 book by Mark Vonnegut, son of American writer Kurt Vonnegut, about Mark's experiences in the late 1960s and his major psychotic breakdown and recovery...
(1975), which describes his trip to British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
to set up a commune
Commune (intentional community)
A commune is an intentional community of people living together, sharing common interests, property, possessions, resources, and, in some communes, work and income. In addition to the communal economy, consensus decision-making, non-hierarchical structures and ecological living have become...
with his friends and his personal experiences with schizophrenia, which at that time he attributed to stress, diet and in part, drug use. The book is widely cited as useful for those coping with schizophrenia.
During this period, he lived mainly at the commune at Powell Lake, located 18 kilometers by boat from the nearest road or electricity. On February 14, 1971, he was diagnosed with severe schizophrenia and committed to Hollywood Hospital in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
. Standard psychotherapy
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is a general term referring to any form of therapeutic interaction or treatment contracted between a trained professional and a client or patient; family, couple or group...
did not help him, and most of his doctors said his case was hopeless.
Vonnegut first attributed his recovery to orthomolecular megavitamin therapy
Megavitamin therapy
Megavitamin therapy is the use of large doses of vitamins, often many times greater than the recommended dietary allowance in the attempt to prevent or treat diseases...
and then wrote The Eden Express. Vonnegut does not presently attribute his recovery to vitamins. He subsequently studied medicine at Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School is the graduate medical school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts....
and later came to the conclusion that he actually had bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder or bipolar affective disorder, historically known as manic–depressive disorder, is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a category of mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated energy levels, cognition, and mood with or without one or...
. He is currently a pediatrician in Quincy
Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Its nicknames are "City of Presidents", "City of Legends", and "Birthplace of the American Dream". As a major part of Metropolitan Boston, Quincy is a member of Boston's Inner Core Committee for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
.
Vonnegut published his second book, Just Like Someone Without Mental Illness Only More So, in 2010. Like The Eden Express, it is autobiographical.
External links
- Twisting Vonnegut's views on terrorism by Mark Vonnegut, The Boston GlobeThe Boston GlobeThe Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
, December 27, 2005 - Mark Vonnegut's interview with The Young Turks
- "Mark Vonnegut talks about his legendary dad Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.", Riverfront TimesRiverfront TimesThe Riverfront Times is a weekly newspaper in St. Louis, Missouri that consists of local politics, music, arts and dining news in the print edition and daily updates to blogs and photo galleries on its website...
, November 2008