My father, my older brothers (most of them) were alcoholics. Two of the bunch were very mean drunks. I got caught up in drinking after a time of great sadness and anxiety...but was delivered...by the grace of God.
Both my parents were alcoholics. It took me about 50 years to truly understand alcoholism is a medical disease. At age 73 I am finally able to forgive them, to love them, and to appreciate the few years of great parenting i received in the 10 years before they succumbed. They were truly good, loving people before the fall.
@@davidtrindle6473 My father had trauma from losing his brother to an accidental shooting at 15. My mother witnessed her brother runover when he was 6 just twomonrhs after their fathers neck was broken. Talk about some trauma there. So they both had issues for surs.
Impressive biography. You portrayed the life of Fitzgerald in a beautiful and deeply meaningful way. As a reader who regards The Great Gatsby one of the best works of American literature I appreciated and was moved by your creation.
The live & career of F Scott Fitzgerald never fails to fascinate me. Sad that when he died in the early 40s from heart trouble he thought he was a failure. If only he'd lived long enough to see the critics and public to rediscover him & his genius. He left us much too soon. Wished he'd at least lived long enough to finish "The Last Tycoon". THANK YOU warmly & deeply for another well made mini-documentary.
How refreshing to have access to a well-researched documentary that is delivered without being overbearing or patronising. A truly moving story which has prompted me to undertake further research. Many thanks.
As an alcoholic who was able to quit I can understand his dilemma. Very unfortunate that he never quit and was able to get proper treatment. I think there’s much better understanding now and better treatment.
Sadly, many men during the Great Depression became alcoholics! Including my great grandfather. My grandmother explained they had everything, new cars, new home, beautiful silk dresses and it seemed to her that it was all gone! But she did say he was never mean to anyone and eventually built them a new home. He worked for the Newman Lumber Company as a supervisor. The company traveled all over different states cutting virgin timber.
@@professorgraemeyorstonI lost my sister to the affects from alcoholism. It is horrible to watch and no amount of begging her to quit mattered to her. I miss her so much, as do my brothers and sister. I hope that she’s at peace now, and with my mom and dad.
Great talent is often born of deep sadness . What made Fitzgerald as intuitive is the fact that he was familiar with human emotions and the anguish of unpleasant experiences having experienced some of them first hand. That is what makes his writing brilliant. Thank you for this video. I enjoyed listening to it.
Sadness does not create talent. It simply gives an author material. to write about. Untalented people suffer as well, without the ability to write about it.
Such a sad story, beautifully and sensitively researched and narrated. Thank you. Fitzgerald's prose and its record of an extraordinary era in US history are remarkable. But as someone who has seen the harm done by alcoholism close up, I can only wince at the level of co-dependency shown by this tragic pair.
I have two friends who have this kind of marital relationship. So sad. It's like watching a train wreck... and it has gone on now for almost three decades. Unfortunately, little mental health help is available for the poor in the United States - as mental health treatment, like healthcare in general, must take a backseat to profit. And it doesn't help that their own problems and lack of desire to take action adds to, and worsens, their situation. It's been a long, downward, spiralling dance of crises.
An excellent portrait, and so well produced. Loved the images as much as the excellent narration. As a dedicated Fitzgerald fan, I feel you have got him fair to rights.
This was brilliantly put. Thank you so much. As a professor of English literature myself, this feels like a perfect introduction for young students who embark on the journey of exploring the works of Fitzgerald.
As an American I've had an interest in the Jazz Age era and have read a fair amount of the Fitzgerald's lives and times. I appreciate your research and ability to cover so much and present it so well. Many thanks!
A very engaging review of Fitzgerald’s life. As you’ve stated, it’s obvious that Zelda is a huge part of his story. Glad you’ll be dedicating a separate video to her.
Found this gem today, a combination of two of my greatest interests; literature and psychiatry! I used to read 'everything' about Vivien Leighs mental illness when I was young and when I compare the treatments today it's painful to imagine how she suffered, even though she had a strong spirit. Looking forward to the video about Zelda. Thank you very much for creating this channel.
Thank you for this wonderful story. Still brings tears to my eyes whenever his sad life comes to my attention. I love your voice and certainly look forward to following you.
I've read all about Scott and Zelda. Their story interested me since my mom had schizophrenia. Such tragedy and self indulgence all around. Your presentation was so compassionate. Great watching. ❤️
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s writing is truly exquisite, and what an eidetic memory he had. While reading “This Side of Paradise” I was gobsmacked to discover there are supernatural elements in the novel!! One of the finest writers anywhere and of any age. His work never leaves you, lingering long after you’ve finished the last page. Zelda was equally as gifted, especially with respect to her artwork. Loved this documentary; will watch again! Thank you!!
The Great Gatsby immediately became my favorite book after reading it in high school, and it holds up today. Fitzgerald is a master, and his works are classic Americana.
Dispite a less-than-ideal childhood, Fitzgerald was the Golden Boy of the 1920s - a literary success at a young age, handsome, talented, financially solvent, married to the woman he loved... for someone as sensitive and perceptive as Fitzgerald it's amazing to me that he didn't or couldn't see the destructiveness of his marriage and his own alcoholism.... personally, I'll save my pity and sorrow at a life cut short for John Keats, a budding poet at 18 and dead of TB at 25 years of age, deeply saddened that he and his poems would be forgotten. Fitzgerald burned himself out at 44. Excellent video.
Question for you to think about, if you wish: Do you think he was self-destructive... on purpose ? The truth is, if we knew how to solve a problem, we would have already solved that problem, and it wouldn't still be a problem.@professorgraemeyorston
Such an excellent documentary! I have been a Fitzgerald fan since my first reading of, "The Great Gatsby" in high school 40 years ago. I am sure that I have seen everything there is to see on Fitzgerald on youtube as I am always being notified of new videos. This one is by far the best. The very short video of Scott and Zelda in the South of France is something that I have never seen. You pose good questions, the "what ifs," at the end. The music compliments the video. Very, very good! Thank you for making it!
This showed up in my feed and it didn't disappoint. What a fabulous porttyal of his life and love story. I will definitely seek out the video on Zelda,as I worked in psych for many years. The old treatment gets some bad press,but based on the beauty of the architecture of these homes I can see the treatment model they were going for. The houses were absolutely gorgeous and in serene settings. It's not easy staying so committed to a marriage with someone suffering from schizophrenia,his commitment to her is applaudable. I do see how she may have been his creative muse. Ive met many talented folks with schizophrenia and in the right environment they could flourish with writing or painting. It's a shame he couldn't get sober and see the day where his works were appreciated once again. I will definitely read their love letters book. I sure miss the days when we used to write heartfelt letters
Thank you. Because of the bad things that happened in some hospitals, the whole mental health care system gets tarnished and people forget that asylums were built as uplifting and calm places for people to recover.
Interesting that so many creative people led tragic lives and were never appreciated until after they died, sometimes decades later such as Fitzgerald, Van Gogh and Sylvia Plath to name a few. We seem to cherish and revere more great artists after they are dead. Few see the fruits of their labors in their lifetimes but others reap the rewards many years later in auction houses, movie and book rights. The true creative mind is so often taken advantage of. I enjoyed the documentary. Thank you.
I was delighted with this video and I look forward to more! It has always been one of my favorite quotes, Zelda asking F Scott to please help her and he replying, "darling, how can I help you when I can not even help myself?"
I found this extremely fascinating biography and can’t wait to see your biography on Zelda. Especially enjoy your perspectives on the history of psychiatry and psychology.
Wonderful, nuanced and compassionate look at the best American response to the European grand literary tradition of the 'lost generations' or lost exquisite souls ... I love Fitzgerald's world in all his tragic beauty - but Tender is the night always struck me as a most devastating self-diagnosis of the 'two made one' couple ... Thank you for a very detailed research, as I read a lot about SF, Zelda, their life etc and still found some new revelations here.
An enjoyable, coherent documentary of an incoherent life -or a pair of lives- the story of which somehow outpaces the sum of the writer's work. With Fitzgerald, you're just left wondering how the h3ll could someone live like that and manage to accomplish anything. Thank you.
Like his fellow contemporary master fictionists Hemingway, Faulkner, Sinclair Lewis and Thomas Wolfe, Fitzgerald did have core vital personal and American archetypal themes and characters he wanted fully and definitively to express; and so his artistic perfectionism drove him to rework, expand and evolve many such motifs in followup works. So yes, there is repetition, but it is "variations on a theme" as in other arts such as music and painting, e.g., Van Gogh's many iterations of "The Potato Eaters."
Scott Fitzgerald was the first “serious” author I read - many years ago when I was a freshman in high school. To this day, he holds a special place in my pantheon of great writers. “Tender is the Night” is the best of his novels in my humble opinion.
This is one of the best accounts on the Fitzgeralds that I've heard in decades. Your voice is rich and pleasing. You kept my interest every fascinating moment of the way. Thank you.
Thank you. What a beautiful portrait of creative yet tortured life. A true telling of the life of talented and gifted people. I heard and saw myself too often in the telling.
Thank you very much for this literary, personal and creative adventure. You have brought out so many tangents, aspects, and touching elements experienced by both F. Scott and Zelda, that whatever I thought I knew from before, you now reminded me of just how hard things became over time, and, the heroic work F. Scott did, though drinking enough to sink a sub,trying to pay off all his debts. How tough this had to have been! And to see, after some time, that F. Scott died at forty-four, and Zelda shortly after, reminds me of the swiftness of life, of work one loves, and of the limits of our lives which sometimes we pretend aren't real. Perhaps this comment now, that intensity might have been the zenith of their lives and which made their lives most meaningful, sounds like something a twit might say, but I wonder. (We shall never know.) Thank you.
Thank you, excellent! I've listened to this episode 3 times already, to capture as many details of information as possible, because it's abundant on it. Learning about any important author's life, changes the optics we use when reading their work. It adds significant perspectives. Thank you very much, sir.
@veritas6335 Here are some synonyms and equivalences, that can be used instead of optics, for your better visual: Imagery, perspective, view, viewpoint, perceptions, image, opinion, apparence. That said, have a good day.
As an FSF fan for decades, who has read everything he ever published (often many times) and a lot that he never published, I think you did a great job here. Thanks.
A girl I used to know (sorry to quote from More Than A Feeling, couldn't help it) once told me that her favorite novel was The Great Gatsby. I was somewhat fixated on Hemingway at the time, and it wasn't until she left me that I realized that it was also one of *my* favorite novels. I could not have been more stupid. My only consolation is that she's with a much, much better man than me. "I knew I would never be so happy again." What an amazing quote. This guy was the goods, he was the real deal.
What a well thought out portrayal of both Fitzgeralds. Imagine all the books he could have written as a non drinker. He obviously didn't write good stories as an alcoholic so that myth is dead. Great narration. Very well done. I subscribed because I liked this story.
Thank you so much for producing this wonderful celebration of F. Scott's and Zelda's life. I have been a huge fan of F. Scott since I read "The Great Gatsby" as a young man. I share many of the obsessions and flaws of F. Scott and this video has touched me greatly.
Thank you for this truly incredibly recount and I have learned so much. I bow my head down to this great man, for what he endured and for his incredible personal strength to stand up and keep going in the face of absolute total obstacle followed by obstacle. He had to find superman strength and he didn't thank himself for even owning it. I'm in awe of him. thank you
I have heard it was American World War II military personnel who were responsible for F Scott Fitzgerald's popular renaissance. Solders were given paperbacks of novels by publishers to help them pass time while away fighting the war. Fitzgerald's work, particularly "The Great Gatsby" struck a cord with many. Gatsby's popularity coincided with the end of the war.
Quite true. American GIs were given inexpensive, poorly made copies of books that were out of print, which included Fitzgerald's books. But they read them. It was an expression of concern and gratitude by the War Department that did so much, not only for a lonely soldier, but for American literary criticism that still endures.
@@tombrown1898 Excellent points, thank you for commenting on my comment. I didn't know it was out of print books which were sent out. I wonder if Hemingway's' books were sent to our boys, too?
@@Michael-ty6tm "In the spring of 1942, mere months after the United States' entrance into World War II, an association of publishing executives created the Council on Books in Wartime with the stated purpose of distributing paperback Armed Services Editions books to combat troops. The Great Gatsby was one of them. Within the next several years, 155,000 copies of Gatsby were distributed to U.S. soldiers overseas and the book proved popular among beleaguered troops, according to the Saturday Evening Post's 1945 report. By 1944, a full-scale Fitzgerald revival had occurred". Cole, John Y., ed. (1984). Books in Action: The Armed Services Editions. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. ISBN 978-0-8444-0466-0. Retrieved May 22, 2013
@@tombrown1898 May be the birth of paperback "pocket" books, lightweight and small enough to fit into one's pocket and/or backpack. My WW2 US Army medic in Europe father emerged a fan of both Fitzgerald and Hemingway, in his free time (apart from his chemical engineer day job, then in retirement) spent decades happily writing (on an old Remington typewriter) novels (per Hemingway's prescript, "n" thousand words a day), short stories and a few nonfiction pieces. I majored in English and American literature, love both Fitzgerald's and Hemingway's fiction, and Fitzgerald's self-diagnostic nonfiction essay "The Crackup."
Literature is a metaphor of life, said a professor to me at Lehigh University in 1991 during our conversation about world literature. I never heard this idea before and never after, but it illuminated my mind as a shining gem of our cumulative literary heritage. For it is through a singe metaphor, like fate, karma, odyssey, that we manage to comprehend and somehow come to terms with the overwhelming complexity of our human experience. Thank you professor for giving us a fresh and fair portrait of Scott and Zelda’s trying journey through their lives.
Thank you for this brilliant program. You are very gifted. At 77, I never read his books but was aware of the wealth that surrounded him. As a grateful member of Al-Anon Family Groups, for family & friends of alcoholics, I know well that Alcoholics Anonymous saved thousands all over the world from this devastating disease. Not everyone finds sobriety in their rooms though, each must want it most desperately.
Thorough online covering of Fitzgerald 's life. Very informative. The quality of this presentation had me want to subscribe. Looking forward to seeing more of your online work.
Hello Professor. I recently came across your channel and had the opportunity to listen to a couple of your biographies; Vincent van Gogh and F Scott Fitzgerald. I just wanted to express my appreciation on how well they are crafted. I’m looking forward to more, so keep up the great work! Bravo!!
This is so well done. I've been reading about Scott and Zelda over my lifetime. This work of yours gave me insight into spaces in their lives that have been undiscovered by my reading before. It has been said Zelda was beautiful but clearly she was not photogenic, to me anyway. However, the clip of film of her delighting of her daughter showed how pretty she was in person. I'd never seen that before. Looking forward to your video on Zelda. Thank you for this documentary of my favorite all time author.
Interesting dynamic between the two. To comprehend their relationship I don't think I can. Talent and creativity can present uncertain outcomes. I have not read all his novlels or seen all his films but of what I've read it seems his early childhood must have played a big part in his juxtaposition between love and what he thought he did or did not deserve. Thanks for this offering. Will think more on it but it is too sad certainly yet still grand in scope.
Thank you for this wonderful documentary. Loved your comments and thoughts on your opinion of the couple. Very insightful and thought provoking . Yes it was a deep love affair running the gamut of all emotions. They were soulmates thru thick and thin.
Poor Zelda. She was obviously a frustrated creative who had some, if not great talent and wanted to make something of her life, as most folks do, to no avail. Her need to significantly achieve consumed her like Scott. And made her existence, like Scott did this and she too him, unbearable.
I stumbled on your site first with Gershwin and now with the F. Scott Fitzgerald. You have a wonderful way of weaving the story of all those who I have heard. I am sure the material itself is interesting enough. But you somehow make it so much more. I am eager to read more about the work (and for Gershwin, listen to his body of work) now with the background. You have hooked me. Please continue to create your work. If I may suggest, some way, if you could include some way of describing even doing a critique on the famous work. Oh, and an after thought... consider telling us more about you!
My father, my older brothers (most of them) were alcoholics. Two of the bunch were very mean drunks.
I got caught up in drinking after a time of great sadness and anxiety...but was delivered...by the grace of God.
Hearing these stories makes me fully aware that life beats the crap out of each and every one of us.
"Be kind, everyone is fighting a battle." - Plato
You got that right! I’m exhausted
and no one deserves to go to heaven...
@@HENRYHENDERSON-wh5nk Not many here deserve to suffer either!!!
@@HENRYHENDERSON-wh5nk
Everyone deserves Heaven
Hell comes from not having it.
My dad was a bad alcoholic. Hes been dead fifty years yet the pain and chaos he caused live still today.
Sadly, alcoholism is often very destructive to anyone close.
Same here love, almost 60 years.
@@professorgraemeyorston
AWA
Both my parents were alcoholics. It took me about 50 years to truly understand alcoholism is a medical disease. At age 73 I am finally able to forgive them, to love them, and to appreciate the few years of great parenting i received in the 10 years before they succumbed. They were truly good, loving people before the fall.
@@davidtrindle6473 My father had trauma from losing his brother to an accidental shooting at 15. My mother witnessed her brother runover when he was 6 just twomonrhs after their fathers neck was broken. Talk about some trauma there. So they both had issues for surs.
Impressive biography. You portrayed the life of Fitzgerald in a beautiful and deeply meaningful way. As a reader who regards The Great Gatsby one of the best works of American literature I appreciated and was moved by your creation.
Thank you.
Best Fitzgerald documentary I have ever seen. How about a documentary on Dashiell Hammett?
Interesting suggestion, thanks.
The live & career of F Scott Fitzgerald never fails to fascinate me. Sad that when he died in the early 40s from heart trouble he thought he was a failure. If only he'd lived long enough to see the critics and public to rediscover him & his genius. He left us much too soon. Wished he'd at least lived long enough to finish "The Last Tycoon". THANK YOU warmly & deeply for another well made mini-documentary.
Thank you.
@@professorgraemeyorston You're of course quite welcome. Please keep up the good work.
How refreshing to have access to a well-researched documentary that is delivered without being overbearing or patronising. A truly moving story which has prompted me to undertake further research. Many thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it!
@@professorgraemeyorston
Being a writer, I have a deep affection for writers creative and sometimes tortured Souls. TFS a fine documentary !
Amazing, thank you.
As an alcoholic who was able to quit I can understand his dilemma. Very unfortunate that he never quit and was able to get proper treatment. I think there’s much better understanding now and better treatment.
F Scott did quit, 7 years before his heart attack. He wrote about it in his story "The Crack Up"
I knew the story of F. Scott Fitzgerald and had read all his books, but I loved this version as it included the romance of his life.
An eminent production. Deeply researched. Succinctly written. Authoritatively yet pleasantly delivered. Kudos to the creator!
Amazing 👏
Definitely, thank you.❤
Thank you, it is always a nice day when you post another video! Alcoholism, such a devastating illness…
Thank you, it always seems such a waste when someone's life is cut short by alcohol.
Not an 'illness" !! You're just a drunk !!!!! Thanks to pc, it's just too hard and too honest to call a spade a spade !!!!!
Yes it is!!
Sadly, many men during the Great Depression became alcoholics! Including my great grandfather. My grandmother explained they had everything, new cars, new home, beautiful silk dresses and it seemed to her that it was all gone! But she did say he was never mean to anyone and eventually built them a new home. He worked for the Newman Lumber Company as a supervisor. The company traveled all over different states cutting virgin timber.
@@professorgraemeyorstonI lost my sister to the affects from alcoholism. It is horrible to watch and no amount of begging her to quit mattered to her. I miss her so much, as do my brothers and sister. I hope that she’s at peace now, and with my mom and dad.
Wow, I never knew just how much his personal life was directly reflected in his novels.
It's almost autobiography at times.
Great talent is often born of deep sadness . What made Fitzgerald as intuitive is the fact that he was familiar with human emotions and the anguish of unpleasant experiences having experienced some of them first hand. That is what makes his writing brilliant. Thank you for this video. I enjoyed listening to it.
Thank you.
Sadness does not create talent. It simply gives an author material. to write about. Untalented people suffer as well, without the ability to write about it.
Such a sad story, beautifully and sensitively researched and narrated. Thank you. Fitzgerald's prose and its record of an extraordinary era in US history are remarkable. But as someone who has seen the harm done by alcoholism close up, I can only wince at the level of co-dependency shown by this tragic pair.
I have two friends who have this kind of marital relationship. So sad. It's like watching a train wreck... and it has gone on now for almost three decades. Unfortunately, little mental health help is available for the poor in the United States - as mental health treatment, like healthcare in general, must take a backseat to profit. And it doesn't help that their own problems and lack of desire to take action adds to, and worsens, their situation. It's been a long, downward, spiralling dance of crises.
This channel is one of the best things on UA-cam. Thank you. ❤
Thank you.
Love the channel. A UA-camr who is knowledgeable, educational and an expert in his field. Thank you.
Thank you, I appreciate that!
Two narcissists who devoured each other.
@@annettepora8091Say what? What do you mean by your comment?
Loved the portrayals in Woody Allen’s Midnight In Paris.
Tender is the night is my favorite book. So I was glad to hear you say that Fitzgerald considered it his masterpiece.
All that the world has to offer when it is not enough! This was a very good biopic.
Thank you.
An excellent portrait, and so well produced. Loved the images as much as the excellent narration. As a dedicated Fitzgerald fan, I feel you have got him fair to rights.
This was brilliantly put. Thank you so much. As a professor of English literature myself, this feels like a perfect introduction for young students who embark on the journey of exploring the works of Fitzgerald.
Wow, thank you! High praise indeed.
Thank you for taking the time to share this very well detailed documentary ❤
I knew nothing of F. Scott Fitzgerald's life, so this was a wonderful introduction! Thank you so much. Appreciate your hard work!
As an American I've had an interest in the Jazz Age era and have read a fair amount of the Fitzgerald's lives and times. I appreciate your research and ability to cover so much and present it so well. Many thanks!
My pleasure, thank you.
A very engaging review of Fitzgerald’s life. As you’ve stated, it’s obvious that Zelda is a huge part of his story. Glad you’ll be dedicating a separate video to her.
Thank you.
That's like saying Jesus is obviously a big part of God's story lol
Found this gem today, a combination of two of my greatest interests; literature and psychiatry! I used to read 'everything' about Vivien Leighs mental illness when I was young and when I compare the treatments today it's painful to imagine how she suffered, even though she had a strong spirit. Looking forward to the video about Zelda. Thank you very much for creating this channel.
My pleasure, hopefully Zelda will be out soon.
Everyone would enjoy the movie Gone With The Winds, to learn about Vivian Leigh’s talent.
@marthathacker7365”You can lose your mind but you can never lose your soul.” -Paramhansa Yogananda -
Thank you for this wonderful story. Still brings tears to my eyes whenever his sad life comes to my attention. I love your voice and certainly look forward to following you.
I learned way more than I expected about one of the great writers. Thank you.
I’m not sure he can be classed as one of the ‘greatest writers’. Known mainly for one book.
I've read all about Scott and Zelda. Their story interested me since my mom had schizophrenia. Such tragedy and self indulgence all around. Your presentation was so compassionate. Great watching. ❤️
Thank you.
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s writing is truly exquisite, and what an eidetic memory he had. While reading “This Side of Paradise” I was gobsmacked to discover there are supernatural elements in the novel!! One of the finest writers anywhere and of any age. His work never leaves you, lingering long after you’ve finished the last page. Zelda was equally as gifted, especially with respect to her artwork. Loved this documentary; will watch again! Thank you!!
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it. Have you seen my video devoted to Zelda?
The Great Gatsby immediately became my favorite book after reading it in high school, and it holds up today. Fitzgerald is a master, and his works are classic Americana.
It is mine, as well. He’s also my favorite writer.
Same here. I take it out every 3 years or so for an enriching re-read. I find it perfect.
Dispite a less-than-ideal childhood, Fitzgerald was the Golden Boy of the 1920s - a literary success at a young age, handsome, talented, financially solvent, married to the woman he loved... for someone as sensitive and perceptive as Fitzgerald it's amazing to me that he didn't or couldn't see the destructiveness of his marriage and his own alcoholism.... personally, I'll save my pity and sorrow at a life cut short for John Keats, a budding poet at 18 and dead of TB at 25 years of age, deeply saddened that he and his poems would be forgotten. Fitzgerald burned himself out at 44.
Excellent video.
Thank you, it is hard to feel sympathy for those who are self-destructive.
Question for you to think about, if you wish:
Do you think he was self-destructive...
on purpose ?
The truth is, if we knew how to solve a problem, we would have already solved that problem, and it wouldn't still be a problem.@professorgraemeyorston
Such an excellent documentary! I have been a Fitzgerald fan since my first reading of, "The Great Gatsby" in high school 40 years ago. I am sure that I have seen everything there is to see on Fitzgerald on youtube as I am always being notified of new videos. This one is by far the best. The very short video of Scott and Zelda in the South of France is something that I have never seen. You pose good questions, the "what ifs," at the end. The music compliments the video. Very, very good! Thank you for making it!
Beautifully done -- a sensitive and thoughtful analysis of two very complicated people.
Thank you kindly!
This showed up in my feed and it didn't disappoint. What a fabulous porttyal of his life and love story.
I will definitely seek out the video on Zelda,as I worked in psych for many years. The old treatment gets some bad press,but based on the beauty of the architecture of these homes I can see the treatment model they were going for. The houses were absolutely gorgeous and in serene settings. It's not easy staying so committed to a marriage with someone suffering from schizophrenia,his commitment to her is applaudable. I do see how she may have been his creative muse. Ive met many talented folks with schizophrenia and in the right environment they could flourish with writing or painting.
It's a shame he couldn't get sober and see the day where his works were appreciated once again. I will definitely read their love letters book. I sure miss the days when we used to write heartfelt letters
Thank you. Because of the bad things that happened in some hospitals, the whole mental health care system gets tarnished and people forget that asylums were built as uplifting and calm places for people to recover.
Gone are those good old days when Sylvia Plath could recuperate at a nice bucolic asylum.🤔
An amazing, but sad biography of his life. A sad ending. Lessons of life learned the hard way
Interesting that so many creative people led tragic lives and were never appreciated until after they died, sometimes decades later such as Fitzgerald, Van Gogh and Sylvia Plath to name a few. We seem to cherish and revere more great artists after they are dead. Few see the fruits of their labors in their lifetimes but others reap the rewards many years later in auction houses, movie and book rights. The true creative mind is so often taken advantage of. I enjoyed the documentary. Thank you.
Thanks for this. F. Scott is my fave writer. I read the unfinished The Last Tycoon, the depth of his characters, of the story blew me away.
Thank you, I didn't get Fitzgerald when I was younger, I think you need to have lived a bit to understand his characters.
I was delighted with this video and I look forward to more! It has always been one of my favorite quotes, Zelda asking F Scott to please help her and he replying, "darling, how can I help you when I can not even help myself?"
Thank you. Good quote!
Im a huge fan of Scott Fitzgerald and his writing. This video is very comprehensive. Thank you for posting!
Thank you.
The Great Gatsby , one of the best novels ever written .
I would say the best!!!
The best or up there with the best.
Brilliant Novel...
As someone who does not drink, I appreciate Professor Graeme's negative view of alcohol's effects on health and creativity.
Thank you.
Totally agree! There is simply no need whatsoever for it. It is a horrific killer. 😢
What a nicely done portrait of the life of this talented, brilliant, accomplished, wasteful, sad, tragic man. Thank you.
Thank you.
Best I've seen on this couple. Balanced, unbiased, yet warm and humanizing.
Excellent biographical narrative . Thank you !
Glad you enjoyed it!
Wow I didn't know he died so young. He sure had a life he did.. Very nice documentary thank you
You so beautifully transported me back into the wonderful but crazy lives of the Fitzgerald'. Thank you.
I found this extremely fascinating biography and can’t wait to see your biography on Zelda. Especially enjoy your perspectives on the history of psychiatry and psychology.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Where is the history of physiology and psychiatry.p.
@@professorgraemeyorstonAs a therapist…well done!
is there a Zelda biography? I was enthralled with her as a teenager.
An absolutely amazing presentation on Fitzgerald and Zelda. Loved every bit of it. Highly informative.
Glad you enjoyed it.
Fascinating discussion, Dr. Yorston, and beautifully and sensitively authored.
I love this! My favorite writer in my youth. I’ve read everything he wrote.
Very well done! Thank you! God bless both F. Scott and Zelda forever as one!
Thank you, and what a nice thought - I hope they're not bickering!
A sad story well-told. And a great production. Thank you for the comprehensive references, music listings and notes too!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Wonderful, nuanced and compassionate look at the best American response to the European grand literary tradition of the 'lost generations' or lost exquisite souls ... I love Fitzgerald's world in all his tragic beauty - but Tender is the night always struck me as a most devastating self-diagnosis of the 'two made one' couple ... Thank you for a very detailed research, as I read a lot about SF, Zelda, their life etc and still found some new revelations here.
Thank you.
I'm surprised he and Zelda lived past 30..
Shame, they brought on so much suffering to their lives..😥😥
Zelda didn't 'bring on her suffering into her life'. She has brain problems that grew worse after her 20s.
An enjoyable, coherent documentary of an incoherent life -or a pair of lives- the story of which somehow outpaces the sum of the writer's work. With Fitzgerald, you're just left wondering how the h3ll could someone live like that and manage to accomplish anything. Thank you.
Thank you.
I think a lot of his work is quite repetitive but given his lifestyle it's a miracle he was able to produce anything, so fair play to the man.
Like his fellow contemporary master fictionists Hemingway, Faulkner, Sinclair Lewis and Thomas Wolfe, Fitzgerald did have core vital personal and American archetypal themes and characters he wanted fully and definitively to express; and so his artistic perfectionism drove him to rework, expand and evolve many such motifs in followup works. So yes, there is repetition, but it is "variations on a theme" as in other arts such as music and painting, e.g., Van Gogh's many iterations of "The Potato Eaters."
F. Scott Fitzgerald is the best.
Scott Fitzgerald was the first “serious” author I read - many years ago when I was a freshman in high school. To this day, he holds a special place in my pantheon of great writers. “Tender is the Night” is the best of his novels in my humble opinion.
He thought it was his masterpiece.
This is one of the best accounts on the Fitzgeralds that I've heard in decades. Your voice is rich and pleasing. You kept my interest every fascinating moment of the way. Thank you.
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it.
Thank you. Wonderful video on the lives of F. Scott & Zelda. Their daughter must’ve been deeply traumatized by the two of them.
She came through it all and was able to to lead a stable and happy life.
This was a fantastic presentation of two wonderful artists! ❤ Gonna get me some Fitzgerald books tomorrow. 😊
I loved this you are a brilliant storyteller.thank you
Thank you so much!
Gracefully delivered and free from execration: clearly, the life of Scott Fitzgerald was as fantastic as it was tragic.
Thank you.
This was excellent! I loved the miniseries and too bad HBO didnt do a wrap up film on thier lives after Gatsby..thank you for doing this!👏👏👏
Thank you. What a beautiful portrait of creative yet tortured life. A true telling of the life of talented and gifted people. I heard and saw myself too often in the telling.
Thank you very much for this literary, personal and creative adventure. You have brought out so many tangents, aspects, and touching elements experienced by both F. Scott and Zelda, that whatever I thought I knew from before, you now reminded me of just how hard things became over time, and, the heroic work F. Scott did, though drinking enough to sink a sub,trying to pay off all his debts. How tough this had to have been! And to see, after some time, that F. Scott died at forty-four, and Zelda shortly after, reminds me of the swiftness of life, of work one loves, and of the limits of our lives which sometimes we pretend aren't real. Perhaps this comment now, that intensity might have been the zenith of their lives and which made their lives most meaningful, sounds like something a twit might say, but I wonder. (We shall never know.) Thank you.
What a wonderful time you’ve given me tonight! Thank you, Professor.
Glad you enjoyed it.
Wow had no idea they had such tormented lives. Sounds like a movie waiting to be made. Great video.
Z The beginning of Everything was originally conceived as several seasons to cover Zelda's life, but it was axed after season 1.
Thank you, excellent! I've listened to this episode 3 times already, to capture as many details of information as possible, because it's abundant on it. Learning about any important author's life, changes the optics we use when reading their work. It adds significant perspectives. Thank you very much, sir.
I agree, I am thinking about writers and artists differently after having strated this channel.
Visuals, not optics.
@veritas6335 Here are some synonyms and equivalences, that can be used instead of optics, for your better visual:
Imagery, perspective, view, viewpoint, perceptions, image, opinion, apparence.
That said, have a good day.
As an FSF fan for decades, who has read everything he ever published (often many times) and a lot that he never published, I think you did a great job here. Thanks.
Thank you.
A girl I used to know (sorry to quote from More Than A Feeling, couldn't help it) once told me that her favorite novel was The Great Gatsby. I was somewhat fixated on Hemingway at the time, and it wasn't until she left me that I realized that it was also one of *my* favorite novels. I could not have been more stupid. My only consolation is that she's with a much, much better man than me.
"I knew I would never be so happy again." What an amazing quote. This guy was the goods, he was the real deal.
The short story Babylon Revisited is the best thing he wrote I think, full of regret for wasted years
A great love story, a creative lady, and a prolific writer. They had it all but as always with alcohol, life took them down. Great video!
This was very well done. One great novel, and his life is forever remembered.
What a well thought out portrayal of both Fitzgeralds. Imagine all the books he could have written as a non drinker. He obviously didn't write good stories as an alcoholic so that myth is dead. Great narration. Very well done. I subscribed because I liked this story.
Welcome aboard.
Thank you so much for producing this wonderful celebration of F. Scott's and Zelda's life. I have been a huge fan of F. Scott since I read "The Great Gatsby" as a young man. I share many of the obsessions and flaws of F. Scott and this video has touched me greatly.
Thank you for watching.
Thank you for this truly incredibly recount and I have learned so much. I bow my head down to this great man, for what he endured and for his incredible personal strength to stand up and keep going in the face of absolute total obstacle followed by obstacle. He had to find superman strength and he didn't thank himself for even owning it. I'm in awe of him. thank you
Excellent! Thank you! All Best, Darren Angelo
Thank you too!
I have heard it was American World War II military personnel who were responsible for F Scott Fitzgerald's popular renaissance. Solders were given paperbacks of novels by publishers to help them pass time while away fighting the war. Fitzgerald's work, particularly "The Great Gatsby" struck a cord with many. Gatsby's popularity coincided with the end of the war.
Quite true. American GIs were given inexpensive, poorly made copies of books that were out of print, which included Fitzgerald's books. But they read them. It was an expression of concern and gratitude by the War Department that did so much, not only for a lonely soldier, but for American literary criticism that still endures.
@@tombrown1898 Excellent points, thank you for commenting on my comment. I didn't know it was out of print books which were sent out. I wonder if Hemingway's' books were sent to our boys, too?
That's not true the great g never sold big untill the 50s in his time it was a very small susess
@@Michael-ty6tm "In the spring of 1942, mere months after the United States' entrance into World War II, an association of publishing executives created the Council on Books in Wartime with the stated purpose of distributing paperback Armed Services Editions books to combat troops. The Great Gatsby was one of them. Within the next several years, 155,000 copies of Gatsby were distributed to U.S. soldiers overseas and the book proved popular among beleaguered troops, according to the Saturday Evening Post's 1945 report.
By 1944, a full-scale Fitzgerald revival had occurred".
Cole, John Y., ed. (1984). Books in Action: The Armed Services Editions. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. ISBN 978-0-8444-0466-0. Retrieved May 22, 2013
@@tombrown1898 May be the birth of paperback "pocket" books, lightweight and small enough to fit into one's pocket and/or backpack. My WW2 US Army medic in Europe father emerged a fan of both Fitzgerald and Hemingway, in his free time (apart from his chemical engineer day job, then in retirement) spent decades happily writing (on an old Remington typewriter) novels (per Hemingway's prescript, "n" thousand words a day), short stories and a few nonfiction pieces. I majored in English and American literature, love both Fitzgerald's and Hemingway's fiction, and Fitzgerald's self-diagnostic nonfiction essay "The Crackup."
Literature is a metaphor of life, said a professor to me at Lehigh University in 1991 during our conversation about world literature. I never heard this idea before and never after, but it illuminated my mind as a shining gem of our cumulative literary heritage. For it is through a singe metaphor, like fate, karma, odyssey, that we manage to comprehend and somehow come to terms with the overwhelming complexity of our human experience. Thank you professor for giving us a fresh and fair portrait of Scott and Zelda’s trying journey through their lives.
Glad you enjoyed it.
Thanks for sharing! 😊
Thanks for watching!
Thank you for this brilliant program. You are very gifted.
At 77, I never read his books but was aware of the wealth that surrounded him. As a grateful member of Al-Anon Family Groups, for family & friends of alcoholics, I know well that Alcoholics Anonymous saved thousands all over the world from this devastating disease. Not everyone finds sobriety in their rooms though, each must want it most desperately.
Thank you.
Thorough online covering of Fitzgerald 's life. Very informative. The quality of this presentation had me want to subscribe. Looking forward to seeing more of your online work.
Welcome aboard!
Hello Professor. I recently came across your channel and had the opportunity to listen to a couple of your biographies; Vincent van Gogh and F Scott Fitzgerald.
I just wanted to express my appreciation on how well they are crafted.
I’m looking forward to more, so keep up the great work! Bravo!!
Thank you, welcome aboard and I'm glad you're enjoying them.
This is so well done. I've been reading about Scott and Zelda over my lifetime. This work of yours gave me insight into spaces in their lives that have been undiscovered by my reading before. It has been said Zelda was beautiful but clearly she was not photogenic, to me anyway. However, the clip of film of her delighting of her daughter showed how pretty she was in person. I'd never seen that before. Looking forward to your video on Zelda. Thank you for this documentary of my favorite all time author.
Interesting dynamic between the two. To comprehend their relationship I don't think I can. Talent and creativity can present uncertain outcomes. I have not read all his novlels or seen all his films but of what I've read it seems his early childhood must have played a big part in his juxtaposition between love and what he thought he did or did not deserve. Thanks for this offering. Will think more on it but it is too sad certainly yet still grand in scope.
So pleased to have discovered your channel.Thank you!
Thank you, welcome aboard.
Enjoyed that. Learned a lot about Fitzgerald that I never knew. Thank you.
Yes very interesting story about him and thanks for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed it
Excellent work! Fascinating! Thanks for posting!
Thank you for this wonderful documentary. Loved your comments and thoughts on your opinion of the couple. Very insightful and thought provoking . Yes it was a deep love affair running the gamut of all emotions. They were soulmates thru thick and thin.
Beautifully done. One of my favorite authors, along with Hemingway! Thank you for sharing his story. My favorite is The Great Gatsby...
I so enjoyed this video. Also professor you told the story of the Fitzgeralds so well You are excellent speaker! Thank you
Glad you enjoyed it!
Wonderful! Great graphics and visuals and nicely narrated and researched, thank you so much.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Poor Zelda. She was obviously a frustrated creative who had some, if not great talent and wanted to make something of her life, as most folks do, to no avail. Her need to significantly achieve consumed her like Scott. And made her existence, like Scott did this and she too him, unbearable.
She was not good for him.
I stumbled on your site first with Gershwin and now with the F. Scott Fitzgerald. You have a wonderful way of weaving the story of all those who I have heard. I am sure the material itself is interesting enough. But you somehow make it so much more. I am eager to read more about the work (and for Gershwin, listen to his body of work) now with the background. You have hooked me. Please continue to create your work. If I may suggest, some way, if you could include some way of describing even doing a critique on the famous work. Oh, and an after thought... consider telling us more about you!
Wow! What a story! Tragic in ways. With two very unstable parents I wonder how Scottie faired? Thank you so much.
She did ok, she got married, had children and lived to 64 working as a journalist.
Fared. Not faired.
Beautiful and sad. Thank you for this, Professor.
Thanks for listening
This was so good 😊 thank you very much ❤
Glad you liked it!!
‘I wouldn’t care if she died, but I couldn’t stand to have anybody else marry her.’ What a guy.
I suspect that was bravado to his Princeton pals, I think he loved her.
@@professorgraemeyorston I believe he loved her too.
Typical of NPD
@@caroleminke6116NPD was rampant with all of them!