David Yaffe's tribute to Delmore Schwartz explores the late poet's struggle with bipolar disorder, which mirrored Yaffe's own experiences. After inheriting Schwartz's desk at Syracuse University, he feels a connection to the poet's tumultuous journey through creativity and mental illness. The article reflects on Schwartz's declining productivity during the 1960s as his psychiatric delusions intensified, garnering attention and admiration from young artists like Lou Reed, who observed Schwartz's captivating influence despite his unraveling condition. Yaffe mourns the conflict between genius and mental health, drawing parallels between their lives and legacies.
Breathing at my side, that heavy animal,That heavy bear who sleeps with me,Howls in his sleep for a world of sugar,A sweetness intimate as the water's clasp.
Delmore's mania had started to outrun his productivity. The delusions had lost their filter: He thought JFK, RFK, and the pope were all conspiring against him.
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