Today at 2 p.m. in Laxson Auditorium, the North State Symphony will be performing Beethoven's Symphony No. 5. This event, besides bringing excellent music to Chico, complements the many events over the year that resonate with The Soloist. Those who have read the book or seen the movie know that Nathaniel Ayers looks to Beethoven as supreme inspiration, his god of music. He decides that Los Angeles will be his home when he finds the statue of Beethoven erected in a city that is culturally diverse but fairly young, as far as cities go. Without home or job, Nathaniel is free to choose his place to live, and he exercises that freedom by sleeping in different spots. Most of us wouldn't consider that kind of freedom a blessing, but it is the antithesis of the mental institution, which brought confinement and drug-induced numbness for Nathaniel.
This also brings to mind the notion that artists may suffer more than others from mental illness. The painter Vincent Van Gogh is the first to come to mind, but there are certainly many others. If you know of any books that address this topic of artistic expression and mental illness, send in the title(s).
About Me: Kristen Mahlis teaches in the Multicultural and Gender Studies Program at Chico State. She is writing a book on literature and the Haitian Revolution, and her scholarly work and teaching emphasize social justice.
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