He died far too young. Famous After Death - But not in name

Famous After Death

John William Polidori

John William Polidori was an author and a doctor. He died aged only 25.

He was born on 7 September 1795 in London and received his degree as a doctor of medicine on 1 August 1815, aged just 19.

The following year, Dr. Polidori entered Lord Byron's service as his personal physician and accompanied him on a trip through Europe. Publisher John Murray offered Polidori 500 English pounds to keep a diary of their travels. Polidori's nephew William Michael Rossetti later edited them. At the Villa Diodati, a house Byron rented by Lake Geneva in Switzerland, the pair met with Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin, her husband-to-be, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and their companion (Mary's stepsister) Claire Clairmont.

Frontispiece from the original German version of Fantasmagoriana.

One now famous June night they read aloud from Fantasmagoriana, a French collection of German horror tales. Byron suggested they each write a ghost story. Percy Bysshe Shelley wrote 'A Fragment of a Ghost Story' and wrote down five ghost stories recounted by Matthew Gregory "Monk" Lewis, published posthumously as the Journal at Geneva (including ghost stories) and on return to England, 1816, the journal entries. 

Mary Shelley worked on a story with her husband that would later become Frankenstein. Byron wrote but quickly abandoned, a fragment of a story, 'A Fragment', featuring a character called Augustus Darvell. Polidori later used this as the basis for his own story, 'The Vampyre', the first published modern vampire story.

Polidori's conversation with Percy Bysshe Shelley on 15 June 1816 is regarded as the origin of Frankenstein. They discussed 'the nature of the principle of life.'  'Shelley and I had a conversation about principles - whether man was to be thought merely an instrument.'

 

Dismissed by Byron, Polidori traveled in Italy and then returned to England. His story, 'The Vampyre', which featured the main character Lord Ruthven, was published in the April 1819 issue of New Monthly Magazine without his permission. Much to both his and Byron's annoyance, 'The Vampyre' was released as a new work by Byron. Byron's own vampire story 'Fragment of a Novel' or 'A Fragment' was published in 1819 in an attempt to clear up the confusion, but 'The Vampyre' continued to be attributed to him.

Polidori's long, Byron-influenced theological poem The Fall of the Angels was published anonymously in 1821.

Polidori, weighed down by depression and gambling debts, died in London on 24 August 1821. Despite strong evidence that he committed suicide by means of prussic acid, the coroner concluded that he had died by natural causes.

 

Other people who became Famous After Death

A.J. Langford Books

The ultimate human right - Suicide

 

Three months ago, (Aug.) I was in a very dark place. (Most of 2024 has been awful). I thought I had emerged but seemed to have taken a significant step back lately. I was never going to share this but fuck it. It is what it is. Oversharing perhaps. But it's not a bad poem (I barely write anymore) and makes a point I'd like to pass on to you.

The Inevitable

 

When the day comes

Know it was no-one’s fault

Least of all mine

There were other options

I felt explored already

So don’t be angry

I wasn’t selfish

It was a Mercy Act

Overdue

Not taken many years earlier

For the sake of others.

 

We all get there

In the end

Ageing deterioration

In this state

Felt too much to bear.

 

We are all ultimately

In a ‘I Now’ reality

Irrespective of others

No how close the bond.

 

We’re merely Caged

Without Walls

Weighed down

By our mortal limitations

And I pushed mine

To its last.

 

I hope your structure

Is ultimately kinder

To its fragile host.

 

12.8.24

11pm.

 

 

 

That statement is very true for me. I'm hanging on. But it's exhausting. Every day is a endurance test. I'm in survival mode. I do want a record, just in case. But I really hope to look back and be thankful that I persevered. And maybe be embarrassed that I shared this at all. I could live with that. (Yes, a little black humour).

(I also have bipolar 2 and serious side effects from medication which compound my internal distress). 

Speaking of life expectancy for people with mental health issues. I just found this article.

This from Healthline. 

Living with bipolar disorder is associated with decreased life expectancy. “Lifestyle factors prevalent among individuals with bipolar disorder — such as increased rates of smoking, substance use, poor dietary habits, and a sedentary lifestyle — pose additional risks for chronic illnesses,” Jensen says.

Compounding it all, he adds, are the natural mental health challenges that come from living with bipolar disorder, such as chronic stress, medication side effects, and suicidal ideation.

A 2023 reviewTrusted Source found that suicide was the leading cause of specific premature mortality among people living with bipolar disorder.

Brent Metcalf, a licensed clinical social worker from Kingsport, Tennessee, explains that the heightened risk of suicide stems from the intense mood shifts, impulsivity, and hopelessness that often characterize the condition.

More Poetry

I miss the person I was. The life I had. 

I hope you're in a decent place. I wouldn't wish this shit upon anyone.

Suicide. Some thoughts refuse to die. (Pun not intended)

World Suicide Prevention Day.

Co-incidentally, I wrote this almost on the day itself, one year ago. 

Closure

 

I want to save you

The time

And myself

Of the pitying parlay

And there’s no escaping it

In any regard

Though there’s a temptation

To just get it done.

 

 

12.40 am

21.9.23

 

A year old. No, not a healthy mindset. Yet, one that continuously rears it's ugly face and says, I ain't goin' nowhere. It's been pretty quiet at times down through the years, but it's always been there. Since teenage days. 

Ink drawing by Thomas Nast, late 19th century.

Is it better to stay quiet or give voice to it?

I wrestle. I conquer. It inevitably returns. Creative expression helps?

Written a year ago. I'd happily go back to that feeling compared where I am now. To go into detail would be boring. 

It is self pitying but I'm desperate really. I'm simply being honest with where I'm at.  Sorry but not sorry. Depression (and in my case, severe anxiety as well) likes to have no company. It likes to stay silent. It likes to retreat. It's no fun place to be and I'd rather not be here. I'm fighting though. And I am trying to talk about it. I'm not giving up. But when the fight is within your own mind it's very tough to develop resilience. This is when others come in to help the person through, or in too many cases, doesn't come in and helps create an environment where suicide happens.

Over to you.

More Poetry

A.J. Langford Books

Until next time,

Anthony

The biggest step of all - (depression trigger warning).

I debated if I should share this or not. 

Large steps

 

If I choose

To kill myself

Despite the positives in my life

Despite the future unknown

Which may deliver better

It’s still my choice to make.

 

Undoubtedly misguided

In the overall scope of life

But entirely reasonable

In the short term.

Escape is attractive.

Clearly it’s not a brief solution

Or any solution

Other than a hasty emotional peak

Such is the nature

Of us.

 

Retrospect comes later

Not an inbuilt equaliser

Or people wouldn't explode

The way they do

Rarely

Is common sense a factor.

 

I simply hear that calling

More often

Than I’d like.

 

It’s always been there

But never so consistent

Over many months

If not all year.

 

It’s a big step

I know

I’m not ready to take the plunge

Though I am staring down

That hole

Enticed away from sturdy ground

And I don’t know why.

 

The chasm widens.

 

12.11.23

10.20 pm

I don't want pity or attention so please, no need to comment. It's trying to find voice to my feelings in a creative way. A form of therapy perhaps, I don't know. I'm happy at times and I'm seeking help to improve things. My girlfriend was pretty unwell and ended up in hospital around that time. A lot of stress with that and other things, which I won't go into. A major one being my anti-depressant struggle. That alone makes normal life a slog.

(I wrote this almost 8 years ago about suicide, particularly in regards to men. Not enough attention to men )

Riding with Death (1988): One of Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Last Paintings

I share it not for any delusions of 'raising awareness' or a 'cry for help'. In the same way I share other poetry and videos and fiction. A creative expression of emotion, embedded in truth. That's my thing. 

Like it, share it, but no need to comment. Thanks. 

Peace.

More Poetry

Not enough attention to Men

The Hidden Epidemic

It's Mental Health Week and yet there's not a lot of media coverage, particularly in the mainstream. (ABC2 has had some good programming). There's a hidden epidemic, that of suicide, particularly amongst males (75%). Despite much more awareness today, with help at hand, people and the media in particular, barely use the word at all. When I was working in News, it was policy not to report suicide stories. Do you think this is right? Should we be sweeping it under the carpet?


There are approximately 2000 men who commit suicide in Australia every year (2,292 in 2015). With a population as small as ours, its a shocking figure. It's bad for women too, approximately 700. (Overall in 2015 - 8.3 suicides per day). 

There is a lot of public awareness now regarding the rights of women, domestic violence, breast cancer etc. This is a great thing, yet there's very little said about men at all. Prostrate cancer kills more men than breast cancer does women. Yet, there's limited media coverage about it. One in three women suffer domestic violence in their relationships. A terrible statistic and its great to see commercials targeting this issue, and politicians talking about it. Yet, one in every second man is a victim of male instigated violence. One in three is also a victim of domestic violence. There is nothing said about it. (Excluding school yard scraps and bullying, of which there was plenty in both primary and high school, I've been assaulted twice as an adult, for next to no reason, other than the influence of alcohol. One assault in Ireland put me in hospital for a week).

www.oneinthree.com.au/malevictims

I feel sorry for young men today. They don't know what they're supposed to be. They certainly know what they're not supposed to be. Yet there's nothing that says, it's okay to be a man, to be masculine, to express your feelings etc. There's so much man bashing going on in the populous media and social media that even men are joining in simply to be accepted. It's political correctness with half a face.

It's not okay to hate on any race, religion, gender, sexuality, etc, though it's perfectly acceptable to bag males, particularly Caucasian ones. I don't disagree with any campaigns regarding anyone's rights but let's play fair and include everyone. Let's look after all victims of violence. Let's address all sufferers of cancer and disease. Let's not let young boys grow up feeling excluded from society. What's the fallout from that? More bitterness. More rage. More self harm, drug and alcohol problems and ultimately more violence. 

It's said that 75% of callers to LifeLine are women, yet its the men who are killing themselves. This strongly suggests that men are not reaching out, not talking about their problems, because men are supposed to 'cop it on the chin' and 'get over it.'

Men talking about any male related issues today can see them branded as sexist etc. There's still a stigma attached, in that it's okay to publicly ridicule men but not women. You can see that publicly, as one simple example, in the way sports commentators criticize male players during a sporting event but not female. 'Terrible play.' 'What was he thinking?' Many attitudes towards men, have simply not changed. Is it any wonder men keep quiet?


"... few preventive efforts or policies specifically targeting male suicide have been developed or evaluated, which further contri­butes to its lack of visibility as a major public health problem."    http://www.bcmj.org/articles/silent-epidemic-male-suicide     This is a very good article from a medical journal. Sadly it's five years old, which means nothing has changed.

Depression and anxiety does not discriminate. Yet men are often demonised for simply being men. They're caught between a rock and a hard place, having to take on gender guilt for the sake of a few bad apples. A lot of change needs to happen in our society. We need to stop referring to the races and sexes and peoples sexual choices as individual areas of concern, and start thinking about the well being of human beings in their entirety, from children to the elderly. This casual discrimination and ignorance must end.

(2021 Update. This problem is far worse now than when this was written in 2016. Every so called marginalised group is putting their hand up for attention, and getting it, and getting the funding, while men are at the bottom of the barrel. Particularly white men now it seems. A society is unable to function correctly with this type of discrimination. Reflected not only in suicide statistics but in declining relationships and birth rates. The ramifications affect everyone. This will not end well). 

****

In closing, I wanted to mention that the artistic world lost a great talent on Sunday the 9th of October, ironically during Mental Health Week, the death of 26 year old Fergus Miller from Melbourne. He had depression. He committed suicide. He was the creator of the band Bored Nothing, among other things. A very talented artist. What a tragedy.




This is an excerpt from the Triple J website:

On the eve of 2013, Bored Nothing scored a Next Crop acknowledgementfrom triple j and in August 2014, released a second album, Some Songs, (the first in 2012), which we featured for AusMusicMonth that year. 

Richard Kingsmill spoke to Fergus at the time, after he'd finished touring Europe, playing 26 shows in six weeks, discussing his influences and songwriting process.

"When I started writing music I was writing it was a lot more with rhythm than with melody and it took me quite a few years to get over that. I think once I really grew an appreciation for that kind of stuff I went back to my roots and listened to a lot of The Beatles, Velvet Underground & Nico, stuff like that." 

During his career, Fergus toured with internationals like Best Coast, Beach House and JEFF The Brotherhood as well as many locals that he struck up close friendships with, including John Steel Singers, Bleeding Knees Cluband Step-Panther.

RIP Young Man.

https://www.beyondblue.org.au

https://www.lifeline.org.au   13 11 14

One of my best friends committed suicide when he was only 21. 
I'm sure you know someone who has committed suicide too. 

Let's start talking. And let's start caring. 

https://www.anthonyjlangfordbooks.com/books

Another Rock Star Falls into the Shallow Pit that is Fame

This site is all about celebrating the written word, whether it's through my own stories and poems, (or news on my novels), or recognising crafted screenplays (Greatest Written Films). Occasionally I'll recall the work of other writers (such as a series coming soon, 'Famous After Death'), even if that person is a songwriter.

The Australian music scene lost one of its gifted songwriters this week, James Freud, singer and bass-player with The Models. He wrote some of their biggest hits. He was also an author.
James committed suicide in Melbourne after a long struggle with alcoholism. He was 51.




This is a pretty cold way to sum up someone's death. This is the type of thing I've read in the papers and on news sites, but none of them describe his mentality in recent weeks, months or years. Sean Kelly also of The Models said James had 'fallen off the bicycle' when asked why he hadn't appeared at the band's induction into the ARIA Hall of Fame. Did his much publicised absence have a bearing on his mood? It was only the week before.

And yet, if you go back to the song Barbados, one of the band's biggest hits, the lyrics tell the story. 'I am the voice left from drinking,' James sings. This became the title for his 2002 auto-biography, (which I have not read but ordered). He followed it up with another book, 2007's 'I am the Voice left from Re-hab.' I'm sure these books will give much more insight into the man. For now, like those who are left to deal with the suicide of a someone they knew (and this has happened to me too), we are left trying to understand why.
Yet only one person ever really knows. And sometimes not even then. Hasty decisions are made in drunken moments.




It's well documented how the creative person often has to deal with depression and anxiety. It seems that creativity and depression are bedfellows. Some walk on the precipice between each, trying to function normally in society, but are unable to. They medicate themselves with alcohol and/or drugs in order just to get through. Creative people are really narcissists. They explore their perceptions of the world and of themselves through their work. Suicide may be the ultimate narcissistic act. It's an escape, the offer of a way out. Some may argue that it's the easy way out, that we shouldn't feel sorry for those who take their own life. If you look at the clip of Barbados, you see a suicide in the first scene. The rest of the song is about drinking and yet there must be a link. Self-fulfilling prophecy? James appears to be actually drunk, especially in the scene when he's sitting at the bar and looks up at Sean Kelly, whereas the other band members appear to be sober. And yet his talent as a songwriter is nowhere more evident and poignant than in this song.


Maybe - I would blind the girl
Who is drowning - in the silence
She turns the grey - into a cold stare
Into a storm I have to be
Wake up to anger and mixed emotions


Watch BARBADOS 





For whatever reason, he chose this way, he leaves behind a family in pain, including his young sons whose band he was managing. He also leaves a legacy with his work, particularly in his success in The Models, who enjoyed popularity in the 80's. Prior to joining the band in 1982, James fronted The Radio Stars and had a hit with 'Modern Girl'.

And yet their success was short-lived. The Models split up in 1988 and a solo career was mostly low-key. Famously, Ian Molly Meldrum said to him after a dispute about how James was being presented on TV in 1989 on Countdown Revolution; “You're nothing but a fucking has-been. Look around you. See the new hosts of the show. They are the future of Australian music. You're on your way out now." That must have stung.

They say it's better to have loved and lost, than to never have loved at all, but having found success as an artist, only to lose it so quickly must have taken its toll on James. He almost died from alcoholic poisoning in 2001. "I was standing upon the wreckage of my youth; I probably wouldn't make it through the night and as I lay there, I couldn't help but wonder, 'How did I end up like this?'"




Yet he managed to claw his way to sobriety and in 2007 said, 'I'm feeling great. I lead an incredibly healthy lifestyle.'

Whatever drove him to the edge nine years ago, seems to have returned to finally claim him.


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